Chocolate génoise — → Génoise
- 5 eggs
- 125 g sugar
- 80 g plain flour
- 45 g unsweetened cocoa powder
Chantilly
- 600 ml heavy cream (35%)
- 60 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
Assembly
- 1 tin cherries in syrup (475 g)
- chocolate shavings
- glacé cherries
The Forêt Noire is an exercise in layering: a light, airy génoise soaked with cherry syrup, generous chantilly, and the balance of bitter chocolate against the sweetness of the cherries. The sponge must be dry enough to soak without dissolving; the chantilly must hold without going stiff.
Method
Chocolate génoise
- Whisk eggs and sugar over a bain-marie until warm, then beat at high speed until pale, tripled in volume, and the mixture falls in thick ribbons.
- Sift flour and cocoa together. Fold in gently in two or three additions — do not deflate.
- Bake in a buttered and lined tin at 180°C for 20–25 min. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Chantilly
- Whip cold cream with icing sugar and vanilla until it holds medium-firm peaks. Stop before it becomes stiff — it should still flow slightly when piped.
Assembly
- Slice the génoise into three even layers. Reserve the cherry syrup from the tin for soaking.
- Place the first layer on a serving plate. Soak generously with cherry syrup. Spread a layer of chantilly and scatter cherries evenly.
- Repeat with the second layer. Top with the final sponge layer, soak, then cover the top and sides with chantilly.
- Decorate with chocolate shavings over the entire surface and glacé cherries on top.
Background
The génoise is the most delicate part. It relies entirely on the air beaten into the eggs — there is no chemical leavening. The eggs must reach the ribbon stage before the flour goes in, and the folding must be decisive and gentle. Deflating the batter produces a dense, rubbery sponge.
The cherry syrup is the soaking liquid. Use all of it generously — an under-soaked génoise tastes dry and the cake loses its identity. If you want a kirsch version, add a few tablespoons of kirsch to the syrup.
Mistakes I've Made
- Under-soaking the sponge. The génoise must be thoroughly soaked or it dominates the cake with a dry, cakey texture. Be generous.
- Over-whipping the chantilly. Once it turns grainy it cannot be saved. Stop at medium-firm peaks and work quickly.
- Folding the cocoa flour mixture too slowly. Multiple timid folds deflate the batter more than two confident ones. Fold quickly and stop.
Sources
- Forêt Noire —