Some of the most delicious cakes and pastries come from Germany and below are a couple of examples:

My Specialty :) Black Forest Cake

Ingredients: 8 oz dark chocolate at room temperature, 15 oz jar of sour cherries, 3-4 tablespoons Kirsch (liquor, can be left out), 2 cups heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons half & half, 3 ready made chocolate sponge cakes 9 inch in diameter, fresh cherries to decorate

Using the potato peeler 'shave' the block of chocolate into thin curls. Chill. Drain the syrup from the cherries and mix with the Kirsch. Whisk the cream with the half & half until stiff. place one of the cakes in a serving cake and prick several times with a skewer. Sprinkle half of the cherry juice over, then spread a quarter of the cream over and arrange half the sour cherries on top, leaving a 1 inch margin around the sides. Place the second cake layer on top, sprinkle with the remaining cherry juice, spread a quarter more cream over, and arrange the remaining sour cherries on top. Position the third cake on top and press down lightly. Cover the top and sides of the cake with cream and spoon chocolate curls over the top and sides, leaving a gap in the center. Fill the center with fresh cherries and more chocolate curls. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.

Chocolate Gateau

Ingredients: 5 eggs separated, 5 tablespoons hot water, 1 cup sugar, 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 level teaspoons baking powder, 4 oz grated dark chocolate, dark rum for sprinkling, 2 cups heavy cream, chocolate flakes to decorate

Beat the egg yolks with the hot water and sugar until thick and creamy. Whisk egg whites until they form stiff peaks and fold into the mixture. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the mixture with the grated chocolate. Blend very lightly with a whisk and pour into a 9-inch loose-bottomed cake pan. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Slice the cake horizontally into three rounds and sprinkle each layer with rum. Whip the cream until stiff and spread one quarter over each round. Place the three rounds on top of each other and spread some of the remaining cream over the gateau sides, reserving a little to pipe decorations on top. Decorate with chocolate flakes and serve.

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