Last year for my wife’s birthday I made Black Velvet cake and I was telling my german boss, Martin, about it and he mentioned that it kinda reminded him of the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (commonly know as Black Forest Cake). Later I asked ChatGPT about it:

A Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, commonly known as Black Forest Cake, is a classic German dessert that consists of layers of chocolate sponge cake, cherries, and whipped cream. It is traditionally flavored with Kirschwasser, a clear cherry brandy, which gives the cake its distinctive taste. The cake is typically decorated with chocolate shavings and more cherries.

So I then asked it for a recipe and saved it in my recipe archive and this year I made it for my wife’s birthday. But as I was in Cercedilla sourcing some of the key ingredients (sour cherries and Kirschwasser) was complicated so I had to reroute a bit (spanish picota cherries and spanish brandy) so I have rebaptized what I made as as Cercedilla Kirschtorte!

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Sponge Cake:

• 6 large eggs
• 150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
• 50g (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

For the Filling:

• 500g (about 1 lb) fresh sour cherries spanish picotas
• 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp Kirschwasser (cherry brandy) Spanish Brandy
• 500ml (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For Decoration:

• Chocolate shavings or curls
• Whole cherries (for garnish)

Instructions

Make the Chocolate Sponge Cake:

• Prepare the oven and pans: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Prepare the Batter: Separate the egg whites and yolks. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract, beating continuously until the mixture is glossy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, being careful not to deflate the batter.
• Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.

Prepare the Filling:

• Cherry Mixture: Pit and cut the picotas into 1/4 slices. Combine picotas with granulated sugar and Kirschwasser Spanish brandy in a bowl. Let them macerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Whip the Cream: In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.

Assemble the Cake:

• Layer the Cake: Slice each cake horizontally to create four layers in total. Place one layer on a serving plate. Brush lightly with some of the picota juice from the macerated picotas.
• Add picotas and Cream: Spread a layer of whipped cream over the cake, then scatter some cherries on top. Place the second layer of cake on top and repeat the process for the remaining layers.
• Top Layer: Finish with a layer of whipped cream on top and around the sides of the cake.

Decorate:

• Chocolate and Picotas: Decorate the cake with chocolate shavings or curls and garnish with whole cherries.
• Chill: Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

Enjoy your homemade Cercedilla Kirschtorte!

Pictures of process

Prepare the pans:

Separate the egg whites and yolks, beat them with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form, add sugar and vanilla, add the yolks:

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and the divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans:

Bake for 20-25 minutes:

While the cake is baking prepare the picotas:

Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form:

Assemble with cake, picota juice, whipped cream, picotas and repeat:

Source

Conversation with ChatGPT June 2025.

Thanks for reading and feel free to give feedback or comments via email (andrew@jupiterstation.net).