Recipe: Black Forest Cherry Cake

BG, on last evening Cooking Live Primetime with Sara Moulton the entire show
was on Oktoberfest Recipes - the website is www.foodtv.com/recipes/cp0055c.htm
and there is a recipe for Bavarian Plum Cake- (Zwetschgen Datchi)Also, here is a recipe for Black Forest Cherry Cake (Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cherry filling (recipes follows)
1 bar (4 ounces) sweet cooking chocolate*
2 cups chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
Maraschino cherries

Heat oven to 350 Degrees F. Generously grease and flour two 9-inch or three
8-inch round layer pans. Beat flour, 1 2/3 cups sugar, the cocoa, baking soda, salt, baking powder, water, shortening, eggs and vanilla in large mixer bowl on low
speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl
occasionally, 3 minutes. Pour into pans. Bake until wooden pick inserted in
center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans. Cool on wire racks.

Prepare Cherry Filling. With a vegetable parer or thin, sharp knife, slice across chocolate bar with long strokes to form 12 to 14 chocolate curls for
garnishing cake. For best results, let chocolate stand in warm place 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Refrigerate curls until ready to use.

Place 1 cake layer upside down on serving plate. Beat whipping cream and 1/4 cup
sugar in chilled bowl until stiff peaks form. Spread bottom layer with about 2/3 of the Cherry Filling and 1 cup of the whipped cream. Place other layer top side up on whipped cream. Spread with remaining Cherry Filling. Frost side and top of cake with remaining whipped cream.

If desired, coarsely shred enough remaining chocolate to measure 1/2 cup. Gently
press shredded chocolate onto side of cake. Garnish top of cake with chocolate
curls and maraschino cherries. Refrigerate until serving time.

Cherry Filling

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 can (16 ounces) pitted red tart cherries **, well drained (reserve liquid)
1/4 cup kirsch
Few drops red food color (optional)

Mix sugar and cornstarch in 1 quart saucepan. Add enough water to reserved liquid to measure 3/4 cup; stir into sugar mixture. Cook, stirring constantly,
until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in kirsch
and food color. Cut cherries into halves; stir into filling. Refrigerate until
completely chilled.

*Milk-chocolate candy bar can be substituted for the sweet cooking chocolate.

**1 can (16 ounces) pitted dark sweet cherries can be substituted for the red
tart cherries and the maraschino-cherry garnish; decrease sugar to 2 tablespoons.

Recipe from "Betty Crocker's International Cookbook"