Black Forest Cake-Germany #25

Black Forest Cake- Germany #25

A chocolate, 3 layer, sponge cake with cherries and a whipped cream frosting. Traditionally, the cherries are soaked in a kirsch liqueur.

Cake:

2-1/8 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 T. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
2. Grease and flour 2- 9" round, cake pan and cover bottoms with waxed paper.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat until blended.
5. Pour batter into pans.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool on a rack in pans 10 minutes.
8. Loosen edges and remove from pans to cool completely.

Filling and Frosting:

2-20oz. cans pitted sour cherries

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. heavy whipping cream

1/3 c. confectioners' sugar

1. Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 c. juice.
2. Combine reserved juice, cherries, sugar, and cornstarch in a 2 qt. saucepan.
3. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. This takes awhile.
4. Stir in vanilla.
5. Cool before using.
6. Combine whipping cream and confectioners' sugar in a chilled medium bowl. 
7. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form
8. With a long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half.
9. Tear one split layer into crumbs and set aside.
10. Reserve 1-1/2 c. frosting for decorating cake; set aside.
11. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 c. frosting; top with 3/4 c. cherry topping.
12. Top with 2nd layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping.
13. Top with 3rd layer.
14. Frost side of cake.
15. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake.
16. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake.
17. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.
    
18. Done!

Results: This was actually quite easy to make. The most time consuming component was cooking the cherries until they made a syrupy mixture on low heat. I didn't use liqueur in the cherry mixture. I didn't reserve the frosting for decorating. Also, crumbling one layer for decorating was a new one for me and something I would do again. I didn't need the whole layer, so I gave it to someone who doesn't really like sweet desserts. 

Bottom Line: I've always avoided Black Forest Cake. However, after eating this one, I have completely changed my mind. It may have been the liqueur that was used in other Black Forest cakes. I would definitely make this. I would also try to decorate the top more.

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