I'm planning my next (sort of) Sachertorte. I always fiddle.

I've decided to break the law and not use apricot jam but use a morello cherry jammy sieved spread so it's a sort of very highly adult sort of Black Forest Gateau. I think this will be much better than the apricot jam and I'm ready for abuse from Austrians. I've also decided to dribble a bit of either kirsh or cherry brandy over the cake before covering with the cherry jam and then choccy topping.

So I'm looking for opinions from those that bake as to whether I should choose cherry brandy or kirsh for the soaking of the choccy sponge with reasons ........

Thanks.

Unless I'm missing something, Kirsch is German for cherry.

When you say Kirsch, are you referring to Kirschwasser which is a cherry brandy of sorts?

Cherry Brandy is completely different from Kirsh. Cherry brandy is red and thick'ish - normally bottled at between say 15 - 25% and Kirsh is distilled and generally pretty clear and spirit in character.

Appreciate your interest but I guess as you don't know the difference you may not be able to help .... thanks anyway.

Odd because the wikipedia calls Kirschwasser a brandy.





Anyhoo, good luck on your Sachertorte.

CorrectKirsh is a brandy ... but there's brandy and brandy ...

Kirsh is normally distilled to around 40% and as I say Cherry Brandy is of a sherry consistency and maxes out at 24%.

This is Cherry Brandy .... sadly often mixed with Advocat at Christmas for Granny .......... Not something you'd do with Kirsh......







Thanks anyway .... appreciate your interest.

"Real" Kirsch is a cherry brandy, in classic form actually distilled from cherries, and depending upon the brand, some sugar. "Cherry Brandy" (in much of the US especially) is more aptly classified as a "liqueur" which, while perhaps produced from a "brandy" (no-cherry in base distilling), is simply distilled alcohol, cherry "flavoring' (if you're lucky, all from an infusion of real cherries), and sugars.

Next, you'll be wanting to find a orchard of Maraschino trees......

I have heard of Kirsch, but not Kirsh. Maybe, you can enlighten us about Kirsh so that we know what it is and then, we might be able to help. Thanks, and we appreciate your interest.

How odd.

But, the OP is not saying, or talking about, Kirsch. The OP is only talking about Kirsh, whatever in the world that is. He/she has yet to show us a picture of a bottle of "Kirsh", although did show a number of pictures of cherry brandy bottles. I hope this person does because I've never heard of it and am very interested to learn about it.

You have my genuine sympathies if this is the way you choose to spend your time.

I hope things improve for you.

When you are rude to others, don't be surprised when they are rude to you.

Thanks, and we appreciate you interest.

Where?

I would use Cherry Heering for my Grandfather, and Kirsch for my Dad because that's what they'd enjoy. I have had a variation with raspberry and it was quite good. For my Son, it would be the raspberry with Himbeer if I could find it. He brought some back from Germany in a violin bottle and would love the thought. For the morello jam, Les Comtes de Provence. All their old-fashioned jams are very good.

@ UK1 - perhaps it was not your intention, but it is likely that most people are interpreting this post in general and the bolded portion in particular as pedantic and rude.

But to answer your original question, it's really about what you want to do with this Black Foresty Sachertorte. Are you after a boozy flavor? Go with Kirschwasser. If you want to punch up the cherry flavor, go with a quality cherry brandy.

Many thanks.

I bought the Cherry Brandy first and then wondered whether it would work, and I next bought the Kirschwasser which I conclude is the better bet.

Thanks also for your explanation.

The way I've been brought up (UK) if you ask for help and someone makes a generous attempt with their time to help but is unable to - it is considered good manners and courteous to thank them for their interest in your problem or dilemna. It would be sarcastic to thank them for their "help" if they were unable to help. So acknowledging that they cannot help and thanking them for their "interest" in your problem seems well mannered and courteous and perfectly appropriate .... to me that is! I say this as a pesron who is sometimes somewhat irritated when going to trouble in providing help to people on FT when they ask questions - when they never come back and simply say "thanks" to those that helped them in the thread. So my starting point is that not ackowledging and thanking someone who has doen their best to help is rude and I routinely say thanks for either the "help" or "interest" as appropriate. I know others sometimes find it irritating - because people have their time wasted when they dip back into a thread that interests them only to find the word ...."Thanks"! But my "thank you" rate for receving help ... or attempts .... is 100%.

From my point of view and much more importantly - there was also no hint of any possible misunderstanding with the person because the exchange in question finished with a very good natured (I believe )

...... so it certainly sounds like sparkchaser interpreted my thanks in the decent way intended.

Thanks for explaining some of the rudeness directed at me ........