Black Forest Fruitcake

Although this is called a fruitcake it's more like a poundcake. It's a recipe from one of the Central Market cooking classes.

Kim

Black Forest Fruitcake Makes 2 large loaves or four small loaves

Cake:

2 cups dried cherries (about 10 ounces)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup kirsch

1/4 cup water reserved from soaking cherries

1/4 cup cherry preserves

8 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Syrup:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water reserved from soaking cherries

1 Tbsp. kirsch

Place cherries in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let cherries steep for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve 3/4 cup of the cherry-water. Place cherries on paper towels. Set aside to dry, patting if necessary to remove excess moisture.

Butter bottom and sides of loaf pans. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter paper.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl of an electric mixer until lighter in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mixture will look curdled.

Mix in melted chocolate. Add vanilla and cherry preserves. On low speed, add half of flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Mix in kirsch and 1/4 cup reserved soaking water from cherries. Add remaining flour, mixing just until smooth. Use spatula or spoon to stir in cherries and chopped chocolate. Transfer batter to prepared pans.

Bake cakes at 300 degrees until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about one hour.

To prepare syrup, heat sugar and 1/2 cup reserved soaking water from cherries in a small saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Take off heat and stir in kirsch. Pour over warm cakes in pans. Cool cake thoroughly in pans.

Loosen cakes from sides of pan. Remove cake and discard paper on the bottom of each. Wrap each cake tightly in plastic wrap, then heavy aluminum foil. Store in refrigerator up to six weeks. Cut cold cake into thin slices.

Kim's Notes:

You can wrap the cakes in cheesecloth soaked in kirsch. These can be frozen but will last in the refrigerator forever.

Contributed by :

 * Catsrecipes Y-Group