Black Forest Cake

Daddy's birthday was coming up and he specifically requested for Black Forest cake this time. And the search for recipe began.

A quick fact about Black Forest Cake:

Black Forest Cake or Black Forest gâteau is the English name for the German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte - "Black Forest Cherry Torte" literally.

It is made of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries sandwiched in between each layer. Traditionally, Kirschwasser (a clear liquor distilled from tart cherries) is added to the cake. Then the cake is usually decorated with additional whipped cream, cherries, and chocolate shavings. However, Black Forest cakes sold in Malaysia are alcohol-free.

So here we are, my first attempt on Black Forest cake and amateur-ly decorated.

This recipe from allrecipes.com is pretty good although I find the cake texture is not as light as I would have expected it to be. Nevertheless I will still give a 4 star rating for this with the thumbs-up that I've gotten. :)

Black Forest Cake (adapted from allrecipes.com)

What You'll Need:

Cake Batter

2 1/8 cups (265g) all-purpose flour

2 cups (400g) white/brown sugar

3/4 cup (88g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup (236ml) milk

1/2 cup (118ml) vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Cherry Filling

2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour morello cherries

1 cup (200g) white sugar, or as to taste 

1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch

Frosting

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups (720ml) heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup (40g) confectioners' sugar

How To:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.

4. Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool completely before using.

5. Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.

6. With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. 

7. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake

Note: 

1. I used about 80g sugar for the cherry filling as I was using 1 can of sour pitted cherries and 1 can of stoneless black cherries in syrup. The cherry filling is best cooked a night before assembling the cake.

Both can be found in Jaya Grocer supermarket

2. You can leave the mixing bowl and the whisk in the fridge a night before to save time.