KIRSCHWASSER RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• Pit most of the cherries leaving about 10 for decoration on top of the cake. Take the pitted cherries and soak them in a jar of the 1/2 cup Kirsch overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F Line the bottom of three 9 inch round cake pans with parchment.
• Sift the dry cake ingredients together.
• Cream the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk and mix well.
• Pour evenly into the cake pans. Bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.
• Cool and remove the cakes. Prick the tops of the cakes with a toothpick and pour the 1/2 cup of Kirsch (that the cherries soaked in) onto the cake.
• In a bowl beat the butter until light and creamy. Add the icing sugar, salt and espresso and mix well. If the icing is too thick add Kirsch or cherry juice.
• Cut the cherries into halves.
• Place the base layer on top of your cake tray, spread 1/2 of the filling over one top, cover with cherries and top with another layer of cake.
• Spread the second half of the filling over that layer of cake, cover with cherries and top with the third layer of cake. Cover this and let sit in the fridge for a day or two to allow the kirsch to soak into the cake and become moist.
• The day you're going to serve this cake prepare the icing. Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
• Gently fold in the dry milk and icing sugar.
• Add the vanilla and pour in the Kirsch until it's a good consistency.
• If you like more icing double this recipe. Spread the icing over all of the cake.
• Place the fresh, intact cherries on top for decoration and cover the top with the chocolate shavings. Serve and enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F and start making the shortcrust pastry base by mixing flour and cold butter in a large bowl by hand or in a food processor until the mixture starts resembling breadcrumbs.
• Add the remaining ingredients, knead the mixture well and then shape into a ball. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then take it out and leave to warm up to room temperature.
• Roll out the dough and place it in a round tin, cover with baking paper, and fill with rice or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven, remove the paper with rice or beans, and continue baking for the next 20 minutes.
• For the chocolate sponge, beat eggs with sugar, fold in the flour together with cocoa, then add the melted butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F in a buttered and floured tin for 40 minutes. Once cooled, cut crosswise in half.
• To make whipped cream, combine gelatin with some water until it becomes thick. Place it on the stove, stirring until it dissolves, then remove from heat to cool. In a separate bowl, whisk cream with sugar until slightly stiff, then add in the gelatin with half of the kirsch and beat until stiff.
• To assemble the cake, cover the shortcrust pastry base with jam, cream, and then cherries. Place the first layer of sponge cake on top and use the remaining kirsch to sprinkle the sponge. Layer the sponge with cream and cherries and place the second half of the sponge on top.
• Coat the top and edges of the assembled cake with whipped cream, then decorate the top with swirls and mounds of whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings and place the cherries on mounds of cream.