BLACK FOREST MINI CAKES

o say I have mixed feelings is an understatement. I’m so excited for Jason to be able to work at a job he loves, and in many ways, I think this move will be good for our family. It will be nice to live somewhere where we can afford a house without first acquiring and then killing off a rich uncle. I’m excited to find out if I like skiing. (Can you believe I’ve never been?) And we’ll be much closer to family, which is something I’ve missed dearly.

However, California has been my home all my life, and we’ve lived in LA for our whole marriage. It’s where we grew into each other, and it’s been the backdrop for all of our adventures and friendships and date nights. From paddleboarding in the ocean to long training runs in Griffith Park to finding the best fusion burritos in Silver Lake, we’ve made this city our home, and I already miss it terribly. I’ve even been getting nostalgic about all the gross tourist traps and rage-inducing traffic. (Oh, 405/101 interchange, I think I’ll miss you most of all!)

Ingredients

• For the Chocolate Cake:
• 6 oz butter at room temperature
• 4.75 oz granulated sugar (2/3 cup)
• 5 oz brown sugar (2/3 cup), packed
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz buttermilk (1 cup), at room temperature
• 4 oz sour cream (1/2 cup), at room temperature
• 2 tbsp water (or brewed coffee)
• 7.8 oz all-purpose flour (1¾ cups)
• 3 oz unsweetened cocoa powder (1 cup), sifted
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• For the Kirsch Syrup:
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp kirsch (or 1-2 tsp cherry extract)
• For the Chocolate Pastry Cream:
• 4 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate melted
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
• To Assemble:
• 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate in one large block (for chocolate shavings)
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or whipping cream)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz cherries fresh, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 7 fresh cherries with stems
• US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. To Make the Chocolate Cake:
2. Line a 13x18-inch baking sheet with parchment and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
3. Add the butter and both sugars to the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat them together on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix it in.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and water (or coffee, if using). In a different bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running on low, add a quarter of the sifted flour mixture. When the flour streaks have almost all disappeared, add a third of the liquid to the mixing bowl. When that’s incorporated, continue to add the drys and wets in an alternating pattern, ending with the dry ingredients.
5. ........................................

for full instruction please see : www.sugarhero.com

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