Black Forest Ice Cream Cake Roll
Serves: 12
My first taste of Black Forest cake, with its chocolate cake, whipped cream, and cherry filling, was at Café Geiger, which had been in the German section of New York City known as Yorkville. It immediately became my favorite cake and I returned often to order it. When I found it in bakeries in Switzerland many years later, I preferred their interpretation, with its lofty layer of whipped cream and thinner layer of cake. I included it in The Cake Bible, where I also created it as this ice cream cake roll. You will need to have a wide freezer to accommodate the long roll.
Components
Vanilla Ice Cream, about 2½ cups/590 ml
Brandied Cherries, about 1 cup, plus ⅓ cup/79ml of the syrup
Oven Temperature: 450°F/230°C
Baking Time: 7 to 10 minutes
Special Equipment
One 17¼ by 12¼ by 1 inch half-sheet pan, bottom coated with shortening, then lined with parchment (cut the parchment to extend 1 inch past one of the long sides of the pan) coated with baking spray with flour
Two large uncoated wire racks
A clean dish towel that is slightly larger than the half sheet pan
Chocolate Biscuit Roulade Batter
| 5 (to 8) large eggs, separated, at room temperature | ||
| 5 (to 8) yolks | 93 grams | ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (89 ml) |
| about 4 whites | 120 grams | ½ cup (118 ml), divided |
| unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder | 23 grams | ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (sifted before measuring) |
| boiling water | 45 grams | 3 tablespoons (45 ml) |
| pure vanilla extract | . | ¾ teaspoon (3.7 ml) |
| sugar, preferably superfine | 113 grams | ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon, divided |
| bleached cake flour (or bleached all-purpose flour) | 33 grams | ⅓ cup (or ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons), sifted into the cup and leveled off |
| cream of tartar | . | ¼ teaspoon |
Preheat the Oven
* Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the middle level. Set the oven at 450°F/230°C.
Mise en Place
* About 1 hour ahead, set the eggs on the counter at room temperature (65° to 75°F/18° to 24°C).
* Into separate bowls, weigh or measure the egg yolks and egg whites. Spray the yolks with nonstick cooking spray and cover the bowls tightly with plastic wrap.
Make the Batter
1) In a small bowl, weigh or measure the cocoa and stir in the boiling water until smooth. Then stir in the vanilla. Cover tightly to prevent evaporation and allow it to cool until no longer hot.
2) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, place the egg yolks, half of the egg whites (60 grams/¼ cup/59 ml) and 100 grams/½ cup of the sugar. Beat on high speed until thick, fluffy, and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Lower the speed and beat in the chocolate mixture. If you do not have a second mixer bowl, scrape this mixture into a large bowl and thoroughly wash, rinse, and dry the mixer bowl and whisk beater to remove any trace of oil.
3) Sift half of the flour over the egg mixture and, using a large balloon whisk, slotted skimmer, or silicone spatula, fold it in gently but rapidly until almost all of the flour has disappeared. Repeat with the remaining flour until all traces of the flour have disappeared.
Beat the Egg Whites into a Stiff Meringue
4) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the remaining half of the egg whites and the cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy. Gradually raise the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised. Gradually beat in the remaining 13 grams/1 tablespoon of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly.
Add the Meringue to the Batter
5) Using a large balloon whisk, slotted skimmer, or large silicone spatula, gently fold the meringue into the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and, using a small offset spatula, smooth it as evenly as possible.
Bake the Cake
6) Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until set and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. Have ready a small sharp knife.
Unmold and Cool the Cake
7) If necessary, loosen the sides of the cake with the tip of the sharp knife. Immediately slip a small offset spatula under the narrow edge of the parchment to loosen it. Grasp the parchment and gently slide the cake onto a large uncoated wire rack.
8) Place the towel on top of the cake. Position the other wire rack on top of the towel. Invert the cake and carefully peel off the parchment. Sprinkle the cake lightly with cocoa and roll it up while still hot, towel and all. Set it on the wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
9) Wash and dry the half sheet pan and set it in the freezer.
Compose the Cake Roll
10) Set the ice cream in the refrigerator to soften to a spreadable consistency.
11) Cut the cherries in half and set them on paper towels to dry.
12) Unroll the cake onto the back of the chilled half sheet pan, leaving the towel underneath the cake.
13) Brush the cake evenly with the brandied cherry syrup.
14) With an offset spatula, quickly spread the softened ice cream over the cake, leaving one inch uncovered along one long side. If the ice cream begins to melt, set the pan in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until firm.
15) Scatter the cherries over the ice cream.
16) Starting from the long side that is covered with ice cream, use the towel to assist with rolling the cake, removing it as you roll up the cake. Set it seam side down on the pan, cover it lightly with plastic wrap, and return it to the freezer.
17) When the cake roll is very firm, after a minimum of 2 hours, wrap it tightly with two layers of plastic wrap and freeze it for at least 12 hours before serving.
18) Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to slice the roll. Set each slice on a plate and drizzle with the hot fudge sauce. If the ice cream is still very solid, allow the slices to sit on the plates for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Store
Filled cake: Airtight: frozen, minimum 12 hours and up to 3 days (about 1 week if using commercial ice cream with stabilizer)
Unfilled cake: Airtight: room temperature, 3 days; refrigerated, 5 days; frozen, 2 months
Scoops
* The ice cream can be softened with 7-second bursts in the microwave or by beating it in the chilled bowl of a stand mixer with the chilled flat beater.
* Commercial ice cream usually has more overrun than homemade. (This refers to the amount of air that gets incorporated during the freezing process.) When the ice cream is softened to make it possible to spread it into the cake-lined mold, it loses much of the air, and the volume can decrease by as much as one-third. If using commercial ice cream, you will need extra to achieve the desired thickness. A quart/liter will be more than enough.