BLACK FOREST CAKE

Black Forest Cake was a staple when I was growing up (much to my dismay…read on). You know, the grocery store kind with the nuclear red maraschino cherries? My mom loooooved that cake and always got it for her birthday, and often at other times throughout the year as well. This was epically disappointing to me. Why on earth would you ruin a perfectly delicious cake with those sickly sweet, sticky, artificial tasting cherries? Whyyyyy? Needless to say, I ate around them, but they totally tainted the cake and frosting. Sad times. Now that I think about it, it’s probably been a good 20-25 years since I’ve had that cake.

I’ve talked about my disdain for maraschino cherries before, and that feeling still holds true to this day. I have caved and used them as garnish because, I will admit, they look pretty and just go with certain desserts, but they get plucked right off before eating the cake.

Thing is, I actually love cherries. Real cherries. Fresh cherries. They are one of my favourite summer seasonal fruits. So, I set off to re-create the decades old Black Forest Cake my way.

INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Cake:

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla

Cherry Liqueur Syrup:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cherry liqueur

Whipped Cream Frosting:

• 3 cup whipping cream cold
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar sifted

Chocolate Bark:

• 250 g good quality dark chocolate chopped

Assembly:

• 2 1/2 cups cherries pitted and cut in half
• 1 bar dark chocolate for shavings (optional)
• cherries

INSTRUCTIONS
Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F, grease two 8" round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
2. Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
3. In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (pour hot water in slowly as not to cook the eggs).
4. .......................................

for full recipes please see : livforcake.com

Share this post