Black Forest Cake
A moist, dark chocolate cake filled with cherries and whipped cream, and garnished with chocolate curls. This very popular and well-known cake originates from Germany.
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup (110 g) butter, softened
- 1+¼ cup (275 g) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1+¼ cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, natural
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (1.8 dl) buttermilk
Filling
- ¼ cup Kirschwasser (Kirsch/cherry brandy), optional
- 2 cans (14 oz or 400 g) cherry pie filling or pitted cherries
- 3 cups (7.2 dl) heavy whipping cream, chilled
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
- Milk chocolate curls or shavings, for garnish
- Maraschino cherries or sweet cherries, for garnish, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
- Line a 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan with greaseproof or other non-stick paper.
- With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with sugar until white and fluffy.
- Add one egg at a time, mix well between each egg.
- Add sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk, and mix until the batter is smooth.
- Transfer to a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees just until set in the middle, approximately 45-60 minutes. A wooden pick inserted in center should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Do not over-bake!
- When cake is cool, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. It is easier to cut if kept in a refrigerator for a few hours before cutting.
Filling
- Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.
- Beat the whipping cream with confectioners’ sugar until it thickens.
- Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until the cake is assembled.
Assembling
- Sprinkle each layer of the cake with Kirschwasser.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
- Spread about one fifth of the whipped cream on the layer, and strew half of the cherries on top of the whipped cream.
- Add the second cake layer.
- Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on the second layer and the remaining cherries on top.
- Add the third cake layer.
- Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on top and one fifth on the sides. Gently press chocolate curls on the sides and/or on top of the cake.
Enjoy!
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Tags: black forest, cake, chocolate, dark, Germany