Last year I was invited to participate in a book project with Where Women Cook, a new magazine about women, the food we make, and where we cook. The book would have a celebration theme, and each of us chose our own thing that we celebrate, large or small or anywhere in between, and share what we make for it. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Our 10th anniversary was approaching and I knew our celebration for the book had to be an Oktoberfest meal, which is one of our traditions for celebrating our years together. I had planned to publish a series of recipes for the food we like to share for our Oktoberfest celebration on my blog. Instead, I shared those recipes (jägerschnitzel, German green beans, whole wheat spätzle, and laugenbrötchen–German pretzel rolls) with Where Women Cook, along with our story.

The book, Where Women Cook: Celebrate!, was released last week, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. It includes a number of women whose blogs you may follow, along with more you will meet for the first time. Each story is unique and the food and photographs are beautiful. Working with editor Jo Packham and photographer Ryne Hazen was a joy and we loved meeting them and sharing food with them, and they will always be welcome in our home.

The one thing I make for our Oktoberfest celebration that isn’t in the book is this Black Forest cake. I’ll be the first to admit that I was a little intimidated the first time I made a Black Forest cake, and every year there’s still a little trepidation when I begin the process. The tasks that usually throw in a monkey wrench are whipping the cream (crazy, I know, but I sometimes get distracted while whipping and the cream goes a little past perfect, and if I’m really interrupted I might make butter), combing the sides of the cake (I usually have to do this twice), and slicing the cake (picture cherries squirting everywhere). I’m trying to tell my inner Type A woman to relax, let it be, and just enjoy the cake and what it represents, even if it isn’t always perfect.

I’ll let you know if I ever reach that Zen state.

Recipe Notes

A traditional Black Forest cake has three layers of chocolate genoise, a European style of cake that is like a dry sponge cake. The cake layers are brushed with a liqueur-infused syrup and a tart cherry filling also helps moisten them. The cake is then decorated with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and candied or maraschino cherries.

Tart (morello) cherries are the traditional cherry for Black Forest cake filling and are sold fresh, frozen, and canned. If you can’t find tart cherries or find them too tart, sweet cherries will work fine. I usually make the filling with sweet cherries because they are easy to find.

Set aside plenty of time to prepare this cake. You can make some parts a couple days ahead, such as the cake itself, the cherry filling, and the soaking syrup. Just make sure you have all the parts ready to go before you begin assembling.

Note: You can print this recipe without all the photos in it, just remember to check the box “remove images” after you click the green Print button.

BLACK FOREST CAKE (SCHWARZWÄLDER KIRSCHTORTE)

Adapted from Great Cakes, by Carole Walter.

Makes 1 (10-inch) cake, serves 12.

Equipment

small bowl
stand mixer with wire whisk attachment, or hand mixer and large bowl
saucepan with a shape that will hold the mixer bowl 2 inches above the pan bottom
fine mesh strainer
medium bowl
10″ x 2″ cake pan, generously buttered, lined with parchment, and floured
wire cooling rack, coated with cooking spray
small saucepan
medium saucepan
thin serrated knife or cake divider
cake stand or serving plate
pastry brush
large pastry bag or plastic freezer bag with one corner cut off
large star tip and plastic coupler
offset spatula
cake comb

Ingredients

CAKE (CHOCOLATE GENOISE)
3/4 cup (85 g) sifted cake flour
1/3 cup (30 g) sifted Dutch-process cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (153 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, melted

SYRUP
2/3 cup (160 ml) water
1/3 cup (58 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons kirschwasser, or 1 teaspoon cherry extract

CHERRY FILLING
2 pounds (908 g) pitted cherries (fresh, frozen, or canned), sweet or sour depending on your taste
1/4 cup (44 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (120 ml) plus 4 tablespoons (60 ml) cold water, divided
4 tablespoons cornstarch

WHIPPED CREAM
3 cups (720 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
1/3 cup (43 g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

TOPPINGS
12 red candied cherries or drained maraschino cherries
2 ounces (57 g) semi-sweet baking chocolate, shaved

Preparation

CAKE

1. Place rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350° F/175° C.

2. In the small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda 3 times to completely remove any lumps.

3. Fill the saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and keep at a simmer.

4. In the mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs and yolks with the sugar, just enough to blend. Place the bowl over the simmering water and stir the egg mixture slowly until the color turns deep gold and the sugar is completely melted and the temperature of the mixture should be between 110° and 120° F, about 5 minutes.

5. Remove the mixing bowl and wipe the bottom dry. Using the wire whisk attachment, whip the egg mixture on medium high until it triples in volume and is light colored, about 4 to 5 minutes. If you run your finger through the mixture, it should leave a indentation that stays without collapsing.

6. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the vanilla. Whip to stabilize the eggs at medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes. Take care not to mix too long or fast or it will deflate.

7. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Pour the flour and cocoa mixture into the mesh strainer and sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons over the egg mixture. Use the rubber spatula to fold it in, reaching all the way to the bottom of the bowl, about 10 to 12 times. Continue adding the flour mixture a little at a time until all the flour is folded in.

8. In the medium bowl, fold about 1/2 cup of the batter with the melted butter until the butter is completely suspended in the mixture and doesn’t separate. Quickly fold that mixture back into the rest of the batter and pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles and put it in the oven. Speed is important because the heat of the butter will activate the baking soda and you want to get it in the oven fast.

9. Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is springy and completely pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 30 to 35 minutes.

10. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to stand in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan, then release the cake onto a wire rack coated with nonstick spray. Remove the parchment paper and let the cake cool completely. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and store in a plastic zipper bag. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

SYRUP

While the cake bakes, combine water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When mixture is boiling and sugar has totally dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the kirschwasser. Allow to cool about 5 minutes. You can make this up to 3 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator. If chilled, warm it before using again.

CHERRY FILLING

In the medium saucepan, cook the cherries (drained if using canned) over medium heat with the sugar and 1/2 cup water until the sugar completely dissolves. Add the lemon juice. Stir together the cornstarch and 4 tablespoons cold water until it makes a slurry, then slowly pour it into the cherries and stir. Continue cooking over medium heat until the mixture thickens and starts to glisten. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. You can make this up to 3 days ahead and store in the refrigerator.

WHIPPED CREAM

Make sure the bowl and the wire whisk attachment are both well chilled. Whip the cream until it starts to thicken, then add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Continue whipping until the mixture forms soft peaks, then whip for about 1 more minute. The cream should stand with tall peaks. Don’t whip for too long or the cream will curdle. Use immediately.

ASSEMBLE

1. Use the serrated knife or cake divider to cut the cake into 3 equal layers. Place the bottom layer cut side up on the serving plate and brush with the warm sugar syrup. Add 1/2 cup of the whipped cream to the pastry bag and pipe around the edge of the cake.

2. Spoon half of the cherry filling onto the cake, spreading it all the way to the edge. Smooth the cherries with the spatula.

3. Add the middle layer of cake and repeat with the syrup, whipped cream, and remaining cherries.

4. Lay the top layer of cake cut side up on a board and brush the cut side with the syrup. Gently, carefully, lift the moistened cake and place it cut side down on the cake. Frost the top and sides with a thin crumb layer of the whipped cream and put in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to help the cream set. Chill the remaining whipped cream while you wait. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and cover with a thick coat of whipped cream, reserving 1 cup for decorating.

5. Run the cake comb carefully around the sides, taking care to not go too deep into the whipped cream. Pipe stars or rosettes around the top edge of the cake and then around the bottom edge. Place the cherries around the top edge of the cake, evenly spaced. Sprinkled the shaved chocolate on top.

6. Chill the cake uncovered for at least 3 to 4 hours, then remove from from the refrigerator 30 minutes (in warm weather) or 60 minutes (cold weather) before serving.

SERVE

The cherry layers may be a little slippery when cutting and some cherries may fall out when you transfer the slices to plates, and that’s okay. Use a thin serrated knife and wipe it clean between cuts. To remove the pieces neatly, cut two slices then remove the first.

More Recipes for German Food

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Our weeknights can be absolutely crazy trying to get everyone home, finish their homework, deal with doctor appointments, oh and feed the family, too. I have a weekly menu, but sometimes it gets tossed out the window and we go to Plan B, C, D, or E. I have a couple sure-fire things that I make on those crazy days that are fast and delicious, plus they don’t create tons of cleanup work that will keep me up half the night.

GoodBite.com is all about easy and delicious food, and they got together 16 of their Good Bite bloggers, including yours truly, to create Good Bite Weeknight Meals: Delicious Made Easy, with easy dishes for those crazy busy weeknights. The book was photographed by the talented Matt Armendariz, who shares his thoughts on working on the book in this video with our editor Sepideh Saremi.

The book will be officially released on September 26th and is available for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

After six months of preparation, we rolled out a new site design this weekend. With this new look and feel we hope that you’ll find the site easier to use and easier on the eyes. There may be a few glitches here and there, and of course we’ll track those down over the next few days, but if you happen to run into anything that’s not working right, please do let us know here in the comments for this post. There’s also work afoot at my photography site, www.andreameyers.com, and we hope to complete those changes in a few days.

One feature that I’m very excited about is the new Print Friendly button. You can find it at the top of each post and page, a small printer with a little green piece of paper in it, and it allows you to completely customize what you print. Just click the button and a screen will pop up that gives you full control.

Check the Remove Images box to remove all images in the screen. Then hover the pointer over any text areas that you don’t want to print. The text will highlight yellow and red text will instruct you to click to delete it. You can also change the font size and choose to print, make a PDF, or email the recipe.

I hope you find the new printing feature useful! And as always, thanks for visiting and sharing our adventures in our kitchen and garden.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

The second issue of Where Women Cook is now on newsstands across the country, and it features such amazing women as Molly Wizenberg, Sarabeth Levine, Chef Carolyn Robb, Tricia Martin, Ronelle Van Wyk, Cheryl Day, Maryam Montague, Orianne Cosentino, and Renee Shettler. To say that I’m honored and humbled to be included in the same magazine as these talented women is an understatement.

You can learn more about all the women at the magazine’s blog, Amuse Bouche, where I will be next week with stories, photos, tips, and of course another recipe. Thanks again to Jo Packham and Ryne Hazen for visiting us last fall for the photo shoot and for being so fantastic to work with. And later this year, there will be more beautiful photos and food from women’s kitchens with the release of the book Where Women Cook Celebrations. More on that soon!

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Today is the day! Where Women Cook officially launches today and you’ll start seeing it at your local bookstore’s magazine rack. Congratulations to Jo Packham and the rest of the team for all their hard work! I can’t wait to get my first issue and I’m excited about being in the magazine later this year.

If you are going to be in or near New York City on December 10th, you should head over to Chelsea Market for the launch party. Several of the women who are featured in the magazine will be there to meet and greet and it sounds like a fun time.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Meet Jo Packham: artist, entrepreneur, publisher. She’s the driving force behind Where Women Create and the new sister magazine Where Women Cook, which hits the stands on December 1. Michael and I were completely delighted and honored to have Jo in our home last Friday for a photo shoot for the new book Where Women Cook Celebrations, which I am contributing to along with a number of other cooks. We had a German Oktoberfest celebration with plenty of hearty homemade German fare in honor of our 10th anniversary, and also made a dessert for an upcoming magazine article.

We were very full by the end of the day.

Meet Ryne Hazen: photographer extraordinaire. My job was to make the food, but this is the guy who made it look good. I was in front of the camera for most of the day, wishing we had time to talk photography. That’s 30 years of professional experience standing right there in our dining room.

See that 5D with the sweet lens? Someday…

It was a busy day from start to finish, but Jo and Ryne were total pros and made us feel so relaxed. The day was a lot of fun and we love Jo and Ryne, they are just good people. And the best part about the whole experience is feeling that we made two new friends.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

I’ve been dying to share this news but had to wait until I got the official ok, which came yesterday. I managed to refrain from adding a dozen exclamation points to the title, but it was hard. Really hard. Because I’m very excited!

Have you heard about the new magazine Where Women Cook? It’s a quarterly, the sister publication to Where Women Create, and the premier issue coming out in December features Ree Drummond on the cover and inside the magazine. Where Women Create is full of beautiful images and inspiring ideas, and I can’t wait to see Where Women Cook. The magazines are sold in Michaels stores as well as Borders, and you can get subscriptions through their website.

Well…

Jo Packham, the Editor-in-Chief spoke with me last week, and they want to have me in the magazine! And contribute to their next book, Where Women Cook: Celebrations, which is all about cooking for the moments we celebrate!

So we have to get busy because the book deadline is November 1. (!!!!!!!!!!!!)

We finalized the celebration plans and the menu and will hold it in a few weeks, and there will be plenty of good hearty food, beer, and wine involved. Can you guess what our celebration is? I’ll give you a hint: it has something to do with our 10th anniversary.

But don’t expect to see us in a dirndl or lederhosen.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Meet Anne, who writes about her love of food at http://annacotta.wordpress.com. Anne started blogging after her senior year in high school and says she’s “glad it stuck.” She spent a gap semester in Indonesia and fell in love with the food, and is now a college student spending this summer in a restaurant kitchen learning about technique and how restaurants work. In spite of her busy work and school schedule, she still manages to find time for cooking and baking at home. Her gap semester in Indonesia reminds me of how I wish I had done something like that during my college years, and I highly recommend it. Spending time in another country while working on your degree can be one of the best things you’ll ever do, both for your professional career as well as your world view.

Anne and I are partners for Adopt-a-Blogger, a terrific program founded by Kristen at Dine & Dish which pairs experienced food bloggers with newer bloggers. We get to know each other, help each other with blog stuff, answer questions, and share tips. Anna and I have both been busy this spring: she’s had school and work; I’ve had the kids, the garden, blog duty, life in general. We might have gotten off to a slow start, but we are catching up now.

Anne and I decided to introduce each other with a brief interview, so we chose some mutual questions and picked a few of our own. I hope you enjoy meeting Anne and getting to know her through her blog.

My questions for Anne:

You are working in kitchens now. What are your professional aspirations?

Hm. Well, I like working in the kitchen, but I think my real interest is turning out to be in the broader restaurant business. It’s exciting back in the hot kitchen, but I’m more interested in FOOD as a whole rather than just cooking, if that makes any sense. Making the same thing over and over in the kitchen seems like it could easily become more mechanical and job-ish than inspired and exciting. Plus I just love the idea of having my very own restaurant; the thought of finding a space and designing logos and choosing linens and creating my own menu makes me just squirmy with excitement. The food-love isn’t going to die out though, I can say that for sure. I’ll be involved in the strange world of feeding people in some way, whether I stick in the kitchen or venture out into restaurants or make my own jam and sell it on the side of the road in Kentucky.

Eat out or cook in?

Depends what’s in the fridge. Or where I am. If I’m away from home, I feel the need to eat at as many restaurants as humanly possible, doing a bit of a scavenger hunt meal; apps here, entrée there, dessert at that shiny little bistro around the corner.

You wake up in the middle of the night, starving. What do you make?

Depends how lucid I am. Probably a banana with Nutella.

What’s your favorite dish to order at your favorite restaurant?

Any of their ever-changing pasta dishes, or lamb chops.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

Breakfast or dinner, lunch is the awkward middle child.

You have to cook in just one style (Italian, Basque, Thai, etc.) forever. What’s it going to be?

American I suppose, because it’s sort of a big grab bag of everything.

Favorite fruit?

A really good mango. But more often, strawberries.

Anything you’ve eaten traveling that you craved for ages but could never re-create just right?

Soto ayam, this deliciously limey and almost-spicy Indonesian chicken soup.

Street food or Michelin starred restaurant?

How sketchy is the street food? How pretentious is the starred-restaurant?

Any guilty pleasure foods? Mac and cheese from the box? Oreos? Orange Fanta?

I love Coke. I wish I didn’t, but I get insane hankerings for the real-sugar Mexican Coke that comes in a bottle.

Summer favorite? Winter favorite?

Winter: our very dear family friend’s Christmas Day coffeecake, I swear it could heal the world’s problems it’s so amazing. Get all the world leaders around this cake and there shall be peace among men. She delivers them on Christmas Eve, I get almost equally excited for “Camie Cake” as the rest of Christmas.

Summer: Raspberries from my mom’s garden… or caprese salad eaten on a deck… or ribs… or corn succotash…

Top three reasons food bloggers rock.

1. Humor. There are some clever ones.

2. Creativity. Always new stuff getting posted.

3. The fact that bloggers often get little glory but do it anyway because they are rad.

Finally, tell us a few things you enjoy besides food.

I like waffles, puppies, dancing poorly and wildly, being on planes, Google, sunshine, warm laundry, sitting in coffee shops, lemon soy yogurt, people who play harmonica, The New Yorker, and my ma and pa.

You can find my interview responses at Anne’s post Little Orphan Annie.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

I’ve been keeping a bit of news under wraps, waiting for the right time to announce it, and today is the day…

I recently joined the cast of contributors at GoodBite.com and I am thrilled to be a part of it. Good Bite and Philadelphia Cream Cheese asked me to participate in the Real Women of Philadelphia campaign to promote this fun opportunity.  Paula Deen is looking for the next big cooking stars, and enthusiastic home cooks are encouraged to submit videos of you making your favorite dish with cream cheese. I made my own cooking video featuring one of my favorite cream cheese recipes, which you can view below and on GoodBite.com (recipe on Good Bite). Four women will be selected to be the Real Women of Philadelphia and win $25,000 plus a chance to meet Paula Deen.

This will be a lot of fun and a great opportunity for the four winners, so make sure you check out the details at PaulaDeen.com and the Real Women of Philadelphia website to enter your own original recipes with cream cheese.

So let’s get cooking!

More Recipes with Cream Cheese

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

UPDATE: Menu for Hope winners have been announced! Check out the post at Chez Pim to see if you won a prize.

UPDATE: Menu for Hope winners will be announced on January 18 at Chez Pim.

UPDATE: Menu for Hope has been extended to December 31, so you have more time to bid and support the World Food Programme.

It’s time! Menu for Hope starts today and runs through December 25. Each December food bloggers from all over the world work together to raise money for charity, and last year the event raised over $62,000 in support of the U.N. World Food Programme’s work in Lesotho, a model food program that encourages local farming and uses the locally grown foods to feed lunch to local school children

This year the recipient will be a new initiative with the WFP called Purchase for Progress (P4P), a program that enables smallholder and low-income farmers to supply food to WFP’s global operation. These farmers learn better farming practices and increase their income, which helps their local economies and creates more jobs.

The raffle is managed by First Giving and all money passes through their hands. Tickets cost $10 each and each ticket gives you one chance on the item of your choice. There is a wonderful list of bid items to choose from, and Pim has the master list of bid items on her site. There are also regional coordinators who have helped organize the items and donors, and we give hugs and many thanks to:

US: West Coast
Shauna of Gluten Free Girl

US: East Coast (I’m in this group.)
Helen of Tartelette

Europe *and* the UK
David Lebovitz

Canada
Tara of Seven Spoons

Asia, Pacific, Australia, New Zealand
Ed Charles of Tomato

and, last but not least, our special Wine Blog Host
Alder of Vinography

And now for the bid items I’m hosting…

BID ITEM 1 (Code: UE26)

Stonyfield Farm Yogurt is supporting Menu for Hope with a package of Stonyfield Products:

• Stonyfield Yogurt cookbook
• Coupons for free Oikos yogurt, value US$65
• Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World, by Gary Hirshberg (CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm Yogurt), the inspiring story of how Stonyfield Farm built their business based on environmental principles and practices.
• Stonyfield Fleece Jacket
• Oikos Organic Cotton T-shirt
• Oikos tote bag
• Stonyfield hat

TOTAL VALUE: US$202.78

This item can only be shipped to U.S. addresses.

BID ITEM 2 (Code: UE27)

I am offering a 2-piece kitchen knife set from New West Knifeworks. These are beautiful and functional pieces of knife art. The set contains a chopper and a paring knife with Fusionwood handles, and the winner gets to choose the color of the handles. Each knife comes with its own leather sheath and a lifetime guarantee. For more information on New West Knifeworks knives, take a look at the review on the New West Knifeworks Santoku knife I wrote earlier this year.

VALUE: US$139.00

This item can only be shipped to U.S. addresses.

If you want a chance to win either of these items, go to First Giving – Menu for Hope 6 and enter code UE26 for the Stonyfield Farm Yogurt gift package or UE27 for the New West Knifeworks knife set. Be sure to check out all the bid items available as there are always some great things to bid on!

To donate and enter the Menu for Hope Raffle, here’s what you need to do:

1. Choose a bid item or bid items of your choice from our Menu for Hope main bid item list.

2. Go to the Menu for Hope donation site at First Giving and make a donation.

3. Please specify which bid item you’d like in the ‘Personal Message’ section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per bid item, and please use the bid item code. Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a bid item of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02 – 2xEU01, 3xEU02. Don’t forget to enter this information!

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Thank you for supporting Menu for Hope!

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.