Black Forest Cake

Chocolate and cherries!!!!! Again, one of those famous combinations that is perfectly paired together. Chocolate and cherries are some of my favorite combinations, though, I do have quite a few, mostly something else that is paired with chocolate too. 🙂

I had cherries and I had chocolate, so what did I do with them? I made a Black Forest Cake of course.

There is one belief that the cake can be traced back to the 1500s, back when Europe first saw chocolate being available. The story goes that it was created in Germany’s Black Forest, a region known for its sour cherries and kirschwasser (a brandy made with cherries), but that is just speculation. It is also believed that it was invented in the early 1915-1927 years, with more than a few German pastry chefs laying claim to it. The only thing that we can actually agree on is that it did originate in the Black Forest region of Germany,  where it is known as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. The dessert is named after the specialty liquor known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) of the Black Forest mountain range in southwestern Germany which gives the dessert its distinctive flavor

A black forest cake is a chocolate cake with cherries either in the batter, as a filling, or both and it’s usually covered in whipped cream and chocolate ganache. As with anything, especially something that has been around for a long, long time, there are many different variations. There is always more than one way to make a delicious cake. 🙂

Black Forest Cake

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sour cream or yogurt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp cherry extract

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C,

Spray two 9″ or two 10″ springform cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Beat the oil and eggs together until creamy, then add the vanilla and cherry extract. Add the flour mixture 1/2 at a time, mix, then add 1/2 the sour cream, mix, and 1/2 the buttermilk and mix. Repeat until all the ingredients are incorporated into the batter.

Divide the batter, pouring 1/2 in each prepared pan. Spread the batter out evenly in the pans.

Bake for about for about 30 minutes, or until the center is done and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Allow the cakes to cool completely before removing them from the pans and removing the parchment paper from the bottoms.

Make the whipped cream frosting and the cherry filling, then completely cover 1 cake with the frosting and add the cherries. Top with the other cake, and cover completely with the whipped cream frosting again.

The Whipped Cream Frosting

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 TBSP cherry extract, optional

Mix everything together until the cream forms into stiff peaks, then spread evenly over one cake. Add 1/2 the cooked cherries. Add the other layer of cake, and frost again.

Cherry Filling

I used fresh cherries, but you can also used canned cherries in heavy syrup.

4 cups cherries cut in half and pitted or 2 15-oz cans of dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup

water for the cherries

2 TBSP cherry liqueur or Kirsch

1 cup sugar if using fresh cherries

Put everything together in a heavy sauce pan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let the sauce and the cherries cool completely and this will also help thicken the sauce a bit too.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

1-2 tsp cherry extract, optional

Bring the cream to a scalding boil, then immediately pour over the chocolate. Add the cherry extract, and fold together until it is smooth and creamy and all the chocolate is melted.

Pour the ganache over the top of the cake and let it drip over the sides. Add the remainder of the cooked cherries in the center. I added some of my extra whipped cream as well.

Let the cake set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before slicing and sharing with friends. This cake is decadently delicious. I guarantee you are going to absolutely love it!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.