Clubfoodys Black Forest Cake

BLACK FOREST CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• To make the chocolate cake: Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Generously butter two 8-inch cake pans that are at least 2-inches high, and dust with cocoa powder, tapping the ramekins slightly to remove any excess.
• In a large bowl, place flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Mix until combined. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, oil, vanilla, buttermilk, and water (pour the water slowly so it won't cook the eggs). Whisk until smooth. Add egg mixture into flour mixture and mix until smooth. Don't overbeat - batter will be lumpy at first, but mix gently and eventually stir with a whisk just until smooth. The batter will be thin and liquid. That's ok.
• Scrape batter into prepared pans. Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes (depending on your oven - this might take longer), or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before unmolding, then let cakes cool completely on a wire rack. I recommend wrapping the cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze them for several hours before cutting them. Cut each cake layer in half horizontally.
• To make the syrup: place drained cherries in a medium bowl, and add to the bowl ¼ cup Kirsch and ½ cup cherry juice from can. Leave to soak at room temperature for 30 minutes or more, then drain cherries in a sieve over a bowl, keeping both the cherries and syrup. Add more cherry juice to the syrup to get 3/4 cup syrup (you won't need the rest of the juice, discard it or save for another use). This will be the soaking syrup for the cake layers.
• To make the whipped cream: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Read more about making perfect whipped cream here.
• Assembly: Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and brush with 1/3 of the cherry syrup. Cover top with a thick layer of whipped cream frosting (about 1 cup) and top with 1/3 of the cherries. Repeat twice more with remaining layers and top with the last cake layer (there's no need to soak the top layer with syrup). Frost the top and sides of the cake with whipped cream. If you want, reserve some of the whipped cream, about 1½ cups, for decorating the top. Use a pastry bag with a large flower tip, and pipe rounds around the top. Top with whole cherries. Cover the sides and top with chocolate shavings, if desired. Store cake in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days.

BLACK FOREST CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
• Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
• Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
• With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.

CLUBFOODY'S BLACK FOREST CAKE

Steps:

• Cake:.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees and lightly grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans; set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine sifted flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt; whisk until well mixed and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer combine sugar, butter and vanilla extract. With the paddle attachment, process the ingredients on medium speed until mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, and process well between each addition; stop to clean the sides of the bowl if needed. Add oil and process until blended.
• Add ½ dry ingredients and half buttermilk; process until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture, buttermilk; pour in brewed coffee and process until all blended - don't over mix.
• Divide batter evenly into the 3 prepared pans using a scale and transfer to preheated oven; bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs on it.
• Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes before unmolding. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
• CHERRY FILLING:.
• While the cakes are baking, start making the cherry filling. Drain the cherry syrup from the can into a measuring cup and set aside - the recipe needs ¾ cup of liquid and if there's not enough, top it up with water.
• In a bowl, combine sliced cherries and Cherry Brandy; stir to coat and let the fruit macerate while heating up the syrup.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the syrup and bring to a simmer. Add cornstarch mixture and stir until well mixed and sauce thickens, about 30 to 45 seconds. Add sliced cherries and brandy mixture. Stir well and bring sauce back to a simmer. As soon as it starts bubbling, remove from the heat and let it cool off.
• CHOCOLATE:.
• When the filling and cakes are cooling off, shave the chocolate using a vegetable peeler, and set aside.
• WHIPPED CREAM:.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add heavy cream and process on high speed until stiff peaks form, slowly adding the powdered sugar. Transfer to the fridge until ready to assemble the cake.
• ASSEMBLY:.
• If each cake needs to be leveled out, use a serrated knife.
• Invert a heavy glass bowl on to a pizza pan (to catch any excess chocolate so it can be reused) and place the removable bottom from a cake pan (a springform pan bottom works as well) on top. Place one cake on it and brush the top with a thin coating of Cherry Brandy. Add half of the cooled cherry filling and spread it out evenly leaving ¾ to 1-inch space from the edge. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream on top of the filling, enough to cover it, leaving the same distance from the edge. Repeat with the second cake; brush on brandy, spread the remaining cherry filling and spread some whipped cream over. Place the third cake on top and brush with a thin coat of Cherry Brandy.
• Spread the whipped cream covering the entire cake; reserve some to decorate the top.
• Wearing latex gloves and working quickly, gently press chocolate shavings around the sides and in the center of the cake top. If there's any left, lightly sprinkle it around the outside edge of the top.
• Using a large star tip or 1M, pipe 8 whipped cream rosettes around the outside edge of the top of the cake. Place a cherry in the center of each rosette. Serves 12.

LITTLE BLACK FOREST CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter and line a 30 x 35cm (or thereabouts) Swiss roll tin. Using an electric hand-held beater, whisk the eggs and sugar until they are thick and pale and the mixture leaves a trail when the beaters are lifted. This will take about 5-6 mins.
• Sift the cocoa powder and flour over the mixture, then fold in using a large metal spoon. Drizzle over the butter, then fold this in, too. Pour the mixture into the tin and gently level and smooth out with a palette knife. Bake for 10-12 mins, until the cake feels firm to the touch and springs back when lightly pressed.
• Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and peel off the paper. Leave to cool. Meanwhile, select and reserve 6 cherries with stalks (to decorate), then stone the remainder. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape.
• Cut 12 rounds from the cake using a 7-8cm cutter or a glass, then sprinkle each with a tsp of kirsch. Set 6 cakes on a large plate or stand, spread with cream, then arrange the stoned cherries on top. Top with a second circle of sponge. Spread with the rest of the cream, sprinkle with chocolate, then set a cherry on each cake and serve.

BLACK FOREST CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with oil and line the bottom of each with parchment paper.
• To prepare the cake, in a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth. Add the buttermilk and 1 cup vegetable oil, and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract, then whisk to combine.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then whisk to combine. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a rack to cool for about 20 minutes, then flip the cakes out onto the rack and let them cool completely. Flip the cakes again, so the domed portion is on top, and trim a bit of the dome off each cake to flatten the top. Carefully cut each layer in half horizontally, creating four layers.
• While the cake cools, prepare the cherry jam: In a small saucepan, combine the cherries and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the cherries down with a wooden spoon or potato masher, until the fruit has released its juice, about 6 minutes.
• Pass the cherry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the syrup in a medium bowl and setting aside the cooked cherries. Measure out 1/2 cup/120 milliliters of the syrup. (If you have more, store the rest in the refrigerator for another use). Transfer 1 tablespoon syrup from the 1/2 cup to small bowl, then stir the Kirsch into remaining syrup; set aside to cool completely.
• Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the reserved 1 tablespoon cherry syrup in the small bowl; whisk to combine. Transfer it to the saucepan, add the cooked cherries and cook over medium, stirring, until the mixture has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool completely. (You should have about 1 1/4 cups/300 milliliters jam.)
• Prepare the whipped cream: In a small saucepan, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and 1 cup heavy cream. Bring that mixture to a low boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thickened to the consistency of thin pudding, reducing heat as necessary to avoid scorching, about 2 minutes. Transfer cream mixture to a large bowl to cool completely.
• Assemble the cake: Whisk the cream mixture to loosen it, then add the remaining 3 cups heavy cream. Using an electric mixer on medium, beat the mixture until you have medium-stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Set one cake layer on a serving plate, cut-side up. Brush it with some of the cherry-Kirsch syrup, spread about 1 cup whipped cream over the top, then 1/3 of the cherry jam. Swirl the jam and the cream together a bit to spread it out evenly. Repeat this process two more times and top it with the last cake layer, cut-side down. Then cover the entire cake with a thin layer of whipped cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• To finish, frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Prepare the chocolate curls: Warm the chocolate bar in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, then use a vegetable peeler to create curled chocolate shavings. Press the chocolate shavings onto the sides of the cake and over a 1-inch of the border on top. Top with the 8 cherries. Store leftovers, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.