Black forest cake is my favorite and its a perfect combination of flavors that melts in your mouth. I've made this cake for my husband's birthday and it was perfect, rich and super simple.
Ingredients:
Cake:
Chocolate cake mix - 450 gm ( I've used Betty Crocker )
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I've replaced with 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup vegetable oil)
1 tsp butter
1 tsp flour
Filling:
1 pint Heavy Whipping cream - 470 ml
1 can pitted sour cherries - 420 gm (drain and reserve the syrup)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 dark chocolate bar
10-12 strawberries/cherries for decoration
Directions:
Cake:
Chocolate cake mix - 450 gm ( I've used Betty Crocker )
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I've replaced with 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup vegetable oil)
1 tsp butter
1 tsp flour
Filling:
1 pint Heavy Whipping cream - 470 ml
1 can pitted sour cherries - 420 gm (drain and reserve the syrup)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 dark chocolate bar
10-12 strawberries/cherries for decoration
For Cake Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the cake pans well with butter and dust it thoroughly with flour (To dust with flour, I dropped a good amount of flour in each pan and shook the flour around until everything was well coated and then shook the excess off).
2. Bake the chocolate cake as directed on the pack by mixing eggs, oil and water together and gently add to the cake mix. (You can prepare chocolate cake from scratch if you have time and patience)
3. Bake it until the cake is done or until a toothpick comes out clean when dipped in middle of the cake.
4. Take out from oven and let it cool for 10-15 min. Then remove the cake from the pan and cool it completely on cooling rack.
For Syrup and filling:
5. Refrigerate the bowl and whisk blades, which you'll be using to whip the cream.
6. Meanwhile take the drained cherry syrup, add 2 tsp of sugar and mix it to dissolve.
7. Chop the cherries into very small chunks.
8. Take out the chocolate bar from fridge (if kept inside) and keep out for 3 min. Then try to shave it with knife or peeler without touching with hands.
9. Now take out the bowl and whisk blades from refrigerator. Add whip cream and 1/4 cup sugar in it. Whip the cream on medium speed for 10 min and gradually increase the speed until you see peaks forming.
For Layering the cake:
10. Take the cake and slice off the uneven top to make a flat surface.
11. Then slice it horizontally into 1/2 inch thick layers working from out to inside by rotating the cake.
12. Place a slice on the base and brush it with the cherry-sugar syrup until moist.
13. Then spread a layer of whip cream, leaving 1/2 inch to the edge and spread the chopped cherries over the cream.
14. Now moist the second layer with the syrup, place it over and press very gently.
15. Over the second layer, spread the whip cream and chopped cherries. You can repeat this until how many layers you've got.
16. Once you are done with top layer, spread the whip cream on top and sides of the cake. Need not be a professional. Make sure the cake is not seen out.
17. Gently press the chocolate shavings into cream on sides of cake.
18. Take remaining whip cream into a small Ziploc and cut the corner point. Make your own decorations on top and garnish with strawberries/cherries for a perfect color combination.
