Name: Deconstructed Black Forest Cake
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature; 1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar; 2 large eggs; 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour; 2/3 cup sour cream; 3/4 cup hot coffee; 2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped; 2 cups heavy whipping cream; Pinch of salt; 3 large egg yolks; 1/4 cup sugar; 4 cups frozen (unthawed) pitted cherries (about 1 pound); 2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar; 2/3 cup dry red wine; Unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 cup chilled whipping cream; Chilled kirsch (clear cherry brandy)

1
Preheat oven to 350u00b0F. Butter 14x10x1-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line sheet with parchment; butter paper. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and eggs; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in next 4 ingredients. Beat in flour alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each. Gradually add hot coffee; mix until smooth (batter will be thin).
2
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. Cover and chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
3
Preheat oven to 325u00b0F. Place chocolate in bowl. Bring cream and salt just to boil in medium saucepan. Pour over chocolate; whisk until melted. Whisk yolks and sugar in bowl to blend; whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Transfer mixture to same saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes (do not boil).
4
Divide chocolate custard among ten 1/3-cup ramekins (about 1/4 cup in each). Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Add enough water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake until custards are almost set, about 37 minutes. Remove ramekins from pan; cool 15 minutes. Chill uncovered until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
5
Stir cherries and 2/3 cup sugar in large saucepan over medium heat 2 minutes. Add wine; simmer until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Drain cherries over medium bowl; return juices to saucepan and reserve cherries in same bowl. Boil juices until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Pour over cherries; cool.
6
Using 3-inch-diameter cookie cutter and dipping edges of cutter into cocoa powder, cut 10 rounds from cold cake. Let cakes come to room temperature. Using electric mixer, whip cream and 1 teaspoon sugar in bowl until peaks form. Pour kirsch into 10 small glasses. Place 1 cake, 1 chocolate fudge pot, spoonful of cherries, whipped cream, and glass of kirsch on each of 10 plates and serve.

Deconstructed Black Forest Cake

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