Black Forest Cake
AuthorPriyanka SivaramakrishnanDifficultyIntermediateA self-indulgent chocolate cake with rich chocolate ganache dressing contrasted by a light and airy whipped cream and boozy cherries.
Set aside a few solid cherries for decorating the cake in the end. Add the remining cherries to a saucepan. Add the sugar and water.
Close and cook the cherries down in a sugar syrup with just a splash of cherry whiskey on a low flame for about 20 minutes. Open the lid and let the syrup reduce down to a thicker consistency. Take it off the flame and set it aside. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of the cake.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Grease two pans with butter and line it with parchment paper. This is important as it ensures that the cake comes off cleanly.
Add all the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until well combined. Add milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla essence to the dry ingredients and mix with a paddle or whisk on medium speed.
Add the boiling water/coffee to the batter and mix well on a reduced speed. The batter will become thinner, this is good. Divide the batter into 3 equal sized pans. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
Remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan. If you try to remove it when it's hot/warm, it'll break apart easily. When cooled, use a knife along the side and gently remove the cake from the pan. Flip it over and remove the parchment paper. Place the cake on a rack and allow it to cool while you prepare the frosting.
Before starting the whipping, bloom some unflavoured gelatin in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of water for a few minutes.
Heat the mixture for 5 seconds at a time (as it heats super quickly) and mix it well until all the granules have disintegrated. Add a small tsp of heavy cream so that it mixes well with the whipped cream.
Start whipping the cream. Once it is able to hold a soft peak, add the gelatin and continue whipping until it can completely hold its shape. Watch the whipping carefully as it can go from whipped cream to butter really quickly.
Save 1/4 cup of the chopped chocolate for decorations.
Heat cream in a saucepan until it is hot, but not boiling. Pour it over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for a minute, melting the chocolate. Whisk well until you get a smooth, shiny ganache. Keep this aside while we assemble the cake.
To put the black forest cake together, start with the layers of cake. Pour cherry syrup over the layers and let it soak.
Place the first layer on your cake circle, add a huge blob of whipped cream. Using a spatula, level the whipped cream and add some of the soaked cherries, and a bit of whipped cream to cover the fruits. Repeat the layers.
Use the remainder of the whipped cream to thinly frost the cake, like how you would a naked cake.
Whisk the ganache and pour it on top of the cake. Using an off-set spatula, level the ganache and let it drip off the sides.
Stick the chocolate shavings along the bottom of the cake. Decorate the top with some swirls of whipped cream with a cherry on top!
Refrigerate for at least half an hour before serving.
Ingredients
Directions
Set aside a few solid cherries for decorating the cake in the end. Add the remining cherries to a saucepan. Add the sugar and water.
Close and cook the cherries down in a sugar syrup with just a splash of cherry whiskey on a low flame for about 20 minutes. Open the lid and let the syrup reduce down to a thicker consistency. Take it off the flame and set it aside. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of the cake.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Grease two pans with butter and line it with parchment paper. This is important as it ensures that the cake comes off cleanly.
Add all the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until well combined. Add milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla essence to the dry ingredients and mix with a paddle or whisk on medium speed.
Add the boiling water/coffee to the batter and mix well on a reduced speed. The batter will become thinner, this is good. Divide the batter into 3 equal sized pans. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
Remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan. If you try to remove it when it's hot/warm, it'll break apart easily. When cooled, use a knife along the side and gently remove the cake from the pan. Flip it over and remove the parchment paper. Place the cake on a rack and allow it to cool while you prepare the frosting.
Before starting the whipping, bloom some unflavoured gelatin in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of water for a few minutes.
Heat the mixture for 5 seconds at a time (as it heats super quickly) and mix it well until all the granules have disintegrated. Add a small tsp of heavy cream so that it mixes well with the whipped cream.
Start whipping the cream. Once it is able to hold a soft peak, add the gelatin and continue whipping until it can completely hold its shape. Watch the whipping carefully as it can go from whipped cream to butter really quickly.
Save 1/4 cup of the chopped chocolate for decorations.
Heat cream in a saucepan until it is hot, but not boiling. Pour it over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for a minute, melting the chocolate. Whisk well until you get a smooth, shiny ganache. Keep this aside while we assemble the cake.
To put the black forest cake together, start with the layers of cake. Pour cherry syrup over the layers and let it soak.
Place the first layer on your cake circle, add a huge blob of whipped cream. Using a spatula, level the whipped cream and add some of the soaked cherries, and a bit of whipped cream to cover the fruits. Repeat the layers.
Use the remainder of the whipped cream to thinly frost the cake, like how you would a naked cake.
Whisk the ganache and pour it on top of the cake. Using an off-set spatula, level the ganache and let it drip off the sides.
Stick the chocolate shavings along the bottom of the cake. Decorate the top with some swirls of whipped cream with a cherry on top!
Refrigerate for at least half an hour before serving.
Notes