Single-serving Black Forest

I can explain to you how to prepare a single-serving of the delicious Black Forest cake, a German specialty known as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. The classic recipe includes chocolate, whipped cream, and cherries, enriched with a bit of Kirsch, a cherry liquor. Here’s how to make a single-serving version.

Ingredients

• 1 cocoa sponge cake disc of about 8 cm in diameter
• 10 fresh or maraschino cherries
• 20 ml of cherry syrup (or Kirsch, if available)
• 100 ml of cream for whipping
• 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar
• 20 g of dark chocolate shavings

Preparation

1. Begin by whipping the cream with the teaspoon of powdered sugar until it is well firm, and set it aside.

2. Prepare the cocoa sponge cake if you don’t already have it ready, you can use a classic sponge cake recipe adding cocoa powder, and then cut a disc to the size suitable for the desired single-serving.

3. If you’re using fresh cherries, pit them. If you’re using maraschino ones, drain them well from their liquid.

4. Soak the cocoa sponge cake disc with cherry syrup or a bit of Kirsch, being careful not to drench it.

5. On a serving plate, place the sponge cake disc. Put a portion of the whipped cream over the disc and spread evenly.

6. Place half of the cherries on the cream.

7. Add another thin layer of whipped cream and repeat the process with the remaining cherries and another sprinkling of dark chocolate shavings.

8. Garnish the top with a tuft of whipped cream, some cherries, and chocolate shavings.

Trivia

The Black Forest is a mountainous area in Germany, and it’s said that the cake was named both after the region’s typical products, such as cherries and Kirsch, and the traditional hat worn by women of the region, adorned with red pom-poms similar to cherries.