Black Forest Cake

Beautiful Black Forest Cake covered in whipped cream and chocolate. This two layer chocolate cake is coated in a sweet cherry syrup, whipped cream, grated chocolate and fresh cherries. 

Let’s talk homemade Black Forest Cake.

Chocolate cake, cherries and whipped cream all combine to make one heavenly dessert. If you love chocolate cake and can eat whipped cream with a spoon, you’ll fall madly in love with this gorgeous layer cake.

It’s surprisingly easy to make and will wow a hungry crowd.

If you’re on the hunt for a beautiful Christmas dessert, you can’t go past this Black Forest Cake. Honestly, it’s my new favourite cake. My husband and I went absolutely mad for it.

I had to take all the leftovers into work because it was too good not to share.

But even though it looks impressive with its lovely layers, thick frosting and oodles of cherries, it’s surprisingly simple.

Let’s start with the chocolate cake. It’s a spinoff of the deliciously moist choccy cake that I use in my Death By Chocolate Layer Cake. It’s the best. You can use it as the base cake for almost anything.

And it’s perfect for this easy Black Forest Cake. Super quick and easy, but packed with flavour – plus it’s super tender and moist.

Next up, is the simple cherry syrup, just like the one we use in my Chocolate Cherry Cake.

Now often Black Forest Cake recipes call for kirsch or a cherry liquor of some kind. But I never have cherry liquor on hand so I wanted a sweet syrup that could be made in a flash. Plus this one is kid-friendly.

My cherry syrup is made by heating the sweet cherry juice from the morello cherries with a little sugar and cornflour on the stove, until it forms a thick and sweet cherry syrup.

This then gets brushed all over the chocolate cakes for extra cherry flavour 🍒

But perhaps the best part is the clouds of whipped cream that literally cover the top, sides and middle of the cake. Add sour cherries, fresh cherries and grated chocolate and you’re done.

A gorgeous two layer masterpiece that’ll wow your family and friends. Merry Christmas! xx

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Let’s Bake

Black Forest Cake

Yield Serves 12 1x

1x2x3x

★★★★★

5 from 6 reviews

Prep: 60 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 1 hour 30 minutes

Beautiful Black Forest Cake covered in whipped cream.

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Ingredients

Chocolate cake

• 315 grams (2 and 1/4 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
• 80 grams (1 cup) cocoa powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 300 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) caster sugar or granulated sugar
• 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
• 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
• 180 ml (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon full fat sour cream
• 240 ml (1 cup) hot water

Cherry syrup

• 500 grams Morello cherries, in syrup
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour or corn starch

Cream

• 720 ml (3 cups) whipped cream
• 75 grams (1/2 cup) good quality dark chocolate, grated
• Fresh cherries, to decorate

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with baking or parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Then add the sugars. Whisk together.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla, eggs and sour cream. Whisk together. Boil the kettle and pour out 1 cup of hot water.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Start to fold together, slowly pour in the hot water, and continue to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Divide the mixture evenly into two cake tins and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
4. Leave for 10 minutes before gently removing the cakes from their tins and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack.
5. To make the cherry syrup, set aside one cup (200 grams) of Morello cherries, reserving one cup (240 ml) of cherry syrup. In a small saucepan, add syrup, sugar and cornflour. Heat on medium-low, stirring constantly, for approximately 3-4 minutes or until syrup thickens. Set aside to cool completely.
6.  Use a serrated knife to level the tops of both cakes, to ensure they are flat and even. To assemble the cake, place one chocolate cake on a plate or cake stand. Brush cherry syrup all over the top.
7. Add a generous amount of whipped cream on top and spread out into one even layer. Scatter morello cherries all over the top. Drizzle a little extra cherry syrup. Place second chocolate cake on top (I like to place it upside down).
8. Brush more cherry syrup over the top of the chocolate cake. Spread whipped cream all over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with grated chocolate and fresh cherries.

Notes

Store cake in the fridge.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 piece Calories: 495

Nutrition information is a guide only.

Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: DessertCuisine: American

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