The Masterchef “Pasta Jeff” finale was on and to celebrate the end of culinary abominations on our screen we cooked a farewell party. Searching recipes from the show, it was hard to suppress cravings for raw terrine, Dani’s fritters, or anything Sun created. Feeling daring, however, we shopped where Pasta Jeff shops and picked up an invention test box:
Ole El Paso’s box.
Ole El Paso’s box gave us many “aliments” to consider: chicken? tortillas? a sachet of Enchilada simmer sauce? The mind boggled with the options. We devised a strategy to show the judges our talents:
- To show a skill we learned, like cooking meat all the way through
- To show creativity and individuality by wanting to fill the tortilla with a fennel salad, celeriac puree, red wine jus and tabasco jelly. But the shop where Pasta Jeff shops had none so we settled for lettuce, Coon cheese and tomato sauce.
- Failing to impress, show our boobs
While serving up the dish, we burst into tears and cried about our journey; the petrol cost $50, we couldn’t find parking, we got every red light, then we got stuck behind a pensioner trying to use the self-serve checkout. Ugh, place the item in the bagging area BEFORE scanning the next item dont-cha-know. But food is our passion, and these are the sacrifices we must make to be like Pasta Jeff.
For Dessert, we had to make something representing our childhood. First choice was to plate-up a container of chocolate Yogo, fairy bread and rainbow paddle pops, but we went for the most impressive dessert we could remember by heart instead, a Black Forest Cake, loosely linking it to a generic childhood memory. Something something forrest… Something something camping… we said to the camera, as more tears welled.
My Black Forest Cake loving friends voted it a 10/10, declaring it better than the version they sell at a certain cafe we shall call Swiss Swords. Having won Pasta Jeff we sank our prize money into starting a food blog.
In all seriousness, this was an impressive tasting Black Forest Cake. It’s a light chocolate sponge cake brushed with cherry liqueur syrup, layered with vanilla cream and boozy cherries, and finished with more cream, cherries and chocolate. Although it sounds heavy it’s actually quite a light cake, perfect for a fancy afternoon tea without spoiling your appetite for dinner.
At first glance, the method looks complicated but it really isn’t, I promise! Just soak cherries, bake cake, whip cream, assemble. Done. Who knows, this could be the winning dish that gets you through the auditions for the new season of Pasta Jeff 
BLACK FOREST CAKE
BRANDY SOAKED CHERRIES (start 6-12 hours before serving)
* 700g jar Pitted Morello Cherries
* 25g Caster sugar
* 55ml Kirsch, Cognac or Cherry Brandy Liqueur
1. Drain the cherries, reserving 1/2 cup of their syrup. Keep the cherry jar.
2. Add syrup and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the cherries and simmer with the lid on for 1 minute. Remove cherries from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and return them to the empty jar. Pour over the liqueur.
3. Keep boiling the remaining cherry syrup until it reduces to 1/4 cup. Pour the syrup over the cherries, screw on the lid, and swirl the contents. Allow to cool with the lid loosely sealed in the fridge for 6-12 hours to maximise alcohol absorption and flavour. 12 hours is best.
CHOCOLATE GENOISE (SPONGE) CAKE (start 5 hours before serving)
* 110g quality Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
* 115ml boiling water
* 4 large eggs
* 100g caster sugar
* 50g plain flour
* 25g cornflour
* 1 x 18cm round springform tin (don’t use a cake tin, your sponge might tear when removing)
1. Line the springform pan with baking paper. Grease the sides and the top of the paper with butter. Preheat oven to 350F (180c).
2. Add the chocolate and boiling water to a medium saucepan on LOW heat and bring to a gentle boil. Stir the mixture CONTINUOUSLY to prevent it burning or sticking to the pan. Keep stirring while simmering for 5 minutes, or until the chocolate thickens to a soft custard. Will look like a soft dipping sauce or chocolate pudding (Yogo for the Aussies). It should fall off a spoon when ready. Allow to cool completely.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on high speed with the whisk until triple the volume. This will take at least 5 minutes. Don’t worry about overbeating, because you’ll beat some of the air out of it when you fold the rest of the ingredients in.
NB. If you want to use a hand beater, you’ll need a strong arm and at least 10 minutes.
4. Sift the plain flour and corn flour twice onto a baking sheet, then sift half of it over the beaten eggs. Fold the flour in gently but quickly with a rubber spatula until some of the flour is mixed in. Fold in the remaining flour until all combined. Fold in the chocolate mix until evenly distributed.
5. Pour the cake mix immediately into the greased springform tin. It will fill around 2/3 full. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
NB. This cake will RISE to the top of the pan while baking, then shrink away from the sides. Avoid opening the oven door until it’s close to full baking time, or the cake might collapse! The cake is done when the sides shrink away.
6. When done, loosen the cake from the sides with a spatula and invert carefully onto a greased cooling rack. Allow cake to cool right side up.
WHIPPED CREAM FILLING (start 4 hours before serving)
* 600ml Pure Cream
* 2 teaspoon gelatin
* 8 teaspoons water
* 2 tablespoon caster sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Place the mixing bowl and beater into the fridge for around 15 minutes to chill.
2. Dissolve the gelatin in the water, then place the gelatin mix over a bowl of simmering water to dissolve completely. Allow to cool to room temperature before adding to the cream (around 10 minutes).
3. Remove chilled bowl and beater from fridge. Add the cream and sugar and beat just until the beater marks begin to show. Keep the beaters running and slowly add the cooled gelatin in a constant stream. Add the vanilla and beat until stiff peaks.
Cream can be refrigerated for around 2 hours, before using.
CHOCOLATE DECORATIONS
* 40g Dark Chocolate
1. Use a microplaner to shave chocolate flakes onto a baking sheet. Transfer to a freezer bag and keep in the fridge. Be careful not to over-handle the chocolate, or it will melt in your hands.
ASSEMBLY OF CAKE (start at least 4 hours before serving)
You Should Have
* Liquered Cherries, drained, reserve the syrup. Keep aside around 8-10 cherries for decorations.
* Chocolate sponge cake, cut in half horizontally
* An extra 1/4 cup of Brandy, Kirsch or Cherry Liqueur
* Whipped Cream
You Might Want
* A pastry brush
* A piping bag and star nozzle if you want to pipe decorations
Decide on a plate your are going to build the cake and present it on.
Add the 1/4 cup of liqueur to the reserved cherry syrup. Place the top half of the chocolate sponge on the plate, crumb side up. Generously and evenly soak with half of the syrup. Spread half of the whipped cream top. Dot the cherries throughout the cream layer right to the edges. Level off a flat layer of cream and cherries, adding more cream if necessary.
Coat the crumb side of the other sponge layer with half of the remaining syrup. Place crumb side down on the cream and cherry layer. Brush the top with the last of the syrup. Spread the remainder of the cream on top of the cake, piping rosettes around the top if you’re fancy like that. Cover with aluminium foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
DECORATION (just before serving)
1. Remove foil-covered cake from the fridge after 4 hours. Place a cherry in the middle of each rosette. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings in the centre of the cake. Serve chilled.
Remove from fridge. Dot rosettes with cherries. Fill the centre with the shaved chocolate.
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Recipe adapted from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Available at The Book Depository UK for $35.20 or Fishpond for the Aussies for $32.97 with free shipping.
