Zuger Kirschtorte (Swiss Cherry Torte from Zug)

Japonaise Meringue:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Draw 9-inch circles on 2 sheets of parchment paper and lay them upside down on 2 baking sheets (you should be able to see the circle drawing through the paper).
2. Whisk together the almond meal and cornstarch in a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at medium speed until you have medium peaks. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly pour in the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and shiny, and you have stiff peaks. This process will take about 7 minutes from beginning to end.
4. Carefully fold in half the almond mixture using a rubber spatula, then fold in the remaining half (doing a little at a time helps mix it evenly without deflating the meringue). Either spread or pipe the mixture in concentric circles (starting in the centers and moving outward) inside the drawn circles, leaving ½-inch clearance from the edges in case it expands.
5. Bake meringues for about 10 to 15 minutes, rotating pans partway through, or until they are dry to the touch. Set aside to cool.

Genoise Sponge:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) with the rack in the center. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan or 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper circle cut to fit.
2. Fill about an inch of water in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer.
3. Combine the eggs and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk together by hand, then place the bowl over the simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and continue whisking by hand until the mixture is about 115°F (46°C), about 5 minutes (the visual cue won’t look too obvious so trust your thermometer and keep whisking).
4. Remove the bowl from over the water and place on the mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment on the stand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until it has more than tripled in volume and is pale in color, about 3 to 5 minutes. The outside of the mixer bowl will feel cool to the touch.
5. Combine the flour and cornstarch in a small bowl, then sift the mixture over the eggs and gently fold it in using a rubber spatula. Make sure no streaks of flour remain, but do not over-mix.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for about 22 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and springs back when lightly touched in the center. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, loosen the sides with a spatula if necessary, then unmold the cake from the pan onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment paper and cool completely (if baked in a springform, no need to flip it to peel off the parchment; you can do this after it’s completely cool).

Kirsch Syrup:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, about 2 to 3 minutes, and then remove from the heat. Cool the syrup completely, then stir in the kirsch. You’ll have about ½ cup. Set aside until ready to use.

Kirsch French Buttercream:

1. Make the pâte à bombe base: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, gently swirling to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil the mixture without stirring until it reaches a temperature of 240°F (115°C) using a candy/deep fry thermometer, a total of about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, beat the yolks in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they are thick and pale.
3. Once the syrup reaches 240°F (115°C), immediately remove it from the heat. With the mixer still running (beating the eggs on medium speed), pour the hot syrup very slowly into the beaten yolks (between the whisk and the side of the bowl).
4. Continue beating the mixture until it’s completely cool, about 10 to 15 minutes. It will get thick and will be pale creamy white in color.
5. Whip in the room temperature butter on low speed a little at a time. Once the butter is fully incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat for another 3 minutes.
6. Finally, beat in the kirsch and the red food coloring, if using. Set the buttercream aside at room temperature until you’re ready to assemble.

Assembly:

1. Very carefully peel the baked and cooled Japonaise meringues off the parchment paper. Put a few strips of parchment paper around the edges of your serving dish and put a very small amount of the buttercream in the center of the dish. This will hold your cake in place, and the parchment strips will provide clean edges. Alternatively you can assemble your cake on a 9-inch cake board.
2. Place 1 Japonaise meringue disc on the serving dish or cake board. Spread ⅓ of the buttercream evenly over the top. Place the genoise sponge on top and soak it generously with the kirsch syrup (use a pastry brush for even application). Spread another ⅓ of the buttercream over the genoise layer, then top with the remaining Japonaise meringue disc flipped upside down so the flat bottom is on top.
3. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining ⅓ of the buttercream. Gently press the sliced toasted almonds around the sides of the frosted torte. Dust the top of the torte with confectioners’ sugar (using a small sieve or fine-mesh strainer), then score the top into a diamond pattern using the edge of a large offset spatula or the back of a long serrated knife (you want the thickness to be uniform). Remove the parchment paper strips from around the edges and serve.