Black Forest Cake

Adapted from Johnny Iuzzini, Jean Georges

Time: 2 hours

12 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 pound semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup kirsch
1 cup sour cherry preserves (sold in fancy food shops and online)
Grated semi-sweet chocolate for decoration.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease 3 8-inch
layer cake pans. Line bottoms with circles of waxed or parchment paper and
use a little more butter to grease paper. Dust pans with a little flour.
Sift remaining flour with baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Beat
eggs until very frothy. Gradually add all but 2 tablespoons granulated
sugar, beating until mixture is thick, light and falls in a ribbon when
beater is lifted. Whisk in vanilla and mayonnaise. Add dry ingredients
alternately with 1 1/4 cups water, mixing just until combined. Spread in
pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until springy when touched. Cool on a
rack.

Place chocolate in a bowl. Bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a boil, pour over
chocolate and mix until it makes a smooth and shiny ganache. Refrigerate
until cooled and thickened but still spreadable, about 30 minutes. Melt
remaining butter in a saucepan with 1/2 cup cream. Allow to cool to room
temperature. Whip remaining cream with confectioners' sugar until softly
peaked, then gradually add butter mixture, beating just until butter has
been incorporated. Refrigerate.

Place remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons
boiling water. When sugar dissolves, stir in kirsch. When cakes have
cooled remove them from pans and peel off paper. Place layers on cutting
board and brush with kirsch mixture. Place one layer on a flat cake plate
for serving. Spread with half the chocolate ganache. Spread with half the
preserves. Spread with 2/3 cup of the whipped cream. Top with another
layer and spread with ganache, preserves and whipped cream. Put last layer
on cake, top side up. Press lightly to secure layers and use a spatula to
smooth outside of cake. Frost cake with remaining whipped cream and dust
with grated chocolate. Wipe rim of cake plate clean. Refrigerate cake
until ready to serve.

Yield: 12 servings.

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