Black Forest Cake
With the summer cherry season coming to a close how could I not go out with a bang? I’m going retro & brining back a dessert that should never have fallen out of fashion, black forest cake. It’s as good now as it was in the 70’s & 80’s, even better I’d argue as let’s face it, we have got better tastes these days!
Whilst black forest cake was invented long before it’s heyday here in the UK, there’s a lot of misconception over the region that this wonderful cake takes its name from. The Black Forest (or Schwarzwald- A-Level German really paid off) mountain range in south-west Germany is heralded as the birthplace of this popular dessert, however the name actually derives from the inclusion of one of it’s key ingredient, Kirch or Kirch Wasser, a fiery cherry liqueur which originates in the region known for its sour cherries. In fact, the cake itself boasts a protected status, meaning that without the inclusion of kirch, a cake cannot be classed as a black forest cake.
Obviously, boozy desserts aren’t for everyone & during it’s popularity here in the UK, kirsch was considered an exotic, expensive ingredient & so was often omitted, hence we call it black forest gateau. Whether your enjoy a tipple or not though, there’s no denying that the combination of big juicy cherries, soft whipped cream & chocolate is a match made in heaven! I’ve stayed true to a classic here but given here a slightly more modern look with a chocolate shard decoration but by all means, switch it up for chocolate shavings, chocolate chunks or a glistening drizzle of melted chocolate.
Black Forest Cake
- Author: Katie Lewis
- Yield: 18cm layer cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 300g plain flour
- 300g caster sugar
- 75g cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 120ml rapeseed oil
- 225g natural yogurt
- 225ml boiling water
For the filling & covering:
- 6 tbsp kirch or cherry vodka
- 700ml double cream
- 35g icing sugar
- 350g cherries, pitted & halved
To decorate (optional):
- 250g dark chocolate
- 20g toasted flaked almonds
- 8 - 10 cherries
- A little cocoa powder
Method
To make the cake:
- 1. In a large jug, combine the eggs, vanilla, yogurt, oil & boiling water
- 2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder & bicarbonate
- 3. Add the sugar to the bowl & stir to combine
- 4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients & add in the wet yogurt mixture
- 5. Fold everything together until smooth & no pockets of dry flour remain
- 6. Divide the mixture evenly between 3 greased & lined 18cm sandwich tins
- 7. Bake in the oven at 180C for 40 - 45 minutes, until the cakes are springing back to the touch when pressed lightly with a finger in the centre
- 8. Leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 mins before removing & placing on a wire cooling rack until cooled
To fill & assemble the cake:
- 1. In a large clean bowl add the cream & icing sugar & use a whisk or hand mixer to whip up the cream until it becomes thick enough to hold its shape
- 2. Place one of the sponges onto the stand or serving plate for the cake & secure it with a little of the cream underneath
- 3. Next, brush the cake with 2 tbsp of the kirsch
- 4. Now, add approximately one quarter of the cream on top of the cake & spread evenly with a spatula
- 5. Scatter over half of the cherries before adding on the next layer of sponge & repeating with the second sponge
- 6. Add the final sponge layer & again brush with the kirsch
- 7. Take out a few spoonfuls of the whipped cream & set aside for decorating the cake
- 8. Use the remaining whipped cream & a spatula to spread & cover the whole cake with it
To decorate the cake:
- 1. To make the chocolate shards, break up the chocolate & place the in a heatproof bowl
- 2. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water & gently melt the chocolate until smooth
- 3. Set the chocolate aside to cool until it thickens a little
- 4. Once thickened, spread the chocolate across two pieces of baking parchment before carefully rolling them up a little
- 5. Place in the fridge to set (around 20-30 minutes)
- 6. Once set, unroll the chocolate & break into nice long shards
- 7. Next, take the toasted flaked almonds & gently press them along the sides of the cake
- 8. Now, using a little of the reserved whipped cream as a sort of glue, arrange the chocolate shard all along the outside of the cake
- 9. Finally, add the remaining whipped cream into a piping bag & pipe a few swirls on top of the cake before dusting each one with a little cocoa powder & popping a cherry on top
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
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[…] their flavours & add a little something, think chocolate & Guinness cake, whisky marmalade, black forest cake & tipsy trifles. Often these flavours just sit there in the background, working harmoniously to […]
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