It’s “The Busy Apron’s” first birthday! So, it is time to celebrate with a cake people. A cake that is perfect for every birthday or in fact every occasion. Yep! You guessed it right people! It is Black forest gâteau (commonly called black forest cake)!
So, January 7th was our blog’s first birthday! And if you have been following m on my social media profiles, then you would have noticed that I has done a three day surprise reveal of the special day. To make it even more special I thought of making a cake. So, when it comes to birthdays, then what better that the most love black forest gâteau?
I still remember the days when cake shops overtook all the bakeries. It was when I was a school going kid. I was not very fond of cakes from bakeries for the only fact that It was very creamy and very very sweet. So, when these cake shops opened, I became a fan of all the cakes made there only because they used whipped cream and also it was mildly sweet and not over powering.
I bought cakes that were frosted with whipped cream only! But, now that I make cakes at home, everything is under my control, right from the amount of sugar to the amount and the quality of the frosting of the cake. Yet, whipped cream frosting was my all time favorite!
I love black forest gâteau aka black forest cake mainly because of the combination of fresh cherries along with whipped cream. So, when I found these tinned cherries, my first thought was to make black forest cake.
Cherries are not available commonly in India. The ones that we get here are those that have a very hard and are covered in sugar syrup. If you visit any supermarket here, then you would know what I mean. I personally did not like that. So, I wanted the real cherries, the ones that would bring the perfect flavor to the black forest gâteau.
For those of you, who still do not know what a black forest gâteau is, just remember that it is more than a chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting. A black forest gâteau combines layers of chocolate sponge cake with a rich cherry filling and a simple whipped cream frosting.
I wanted to post this recipe on the day itself, but I was so busy for the past few days that I was not able to do it. Anyways, I guess any time is good for a cake, right?! This black forest gâteau has everything in it. I mean it is the perfect cake!
To make this the traditional way, you have to prepare a cherry syrup using kirsch-cherry liqueur to brush onto the cake layers and each layer is topped with some whipped cream and pitted cherries. Of course, you can leave it out if you want to keep it non-alcoholic. You can use cherry juice instead.
I made a cherry filling with some cherry juice, sugar and pitted cherries. This filling was spreadable. So, I spread a thin layer of whipped cream over one layer of the cake and fenced it with some cream to hold the cherry filling. Then, i spread the cherry filling and some whipped cream on top of that. And then the next cake layer. This is how I did it. It was like, I between the cake layers, there was the whipped cream and the cherry filling inside that. It was so magical!
For the chocolate shavings that I decorated the cake with, I grated a block of compound dark chocolate. You would get small pieces of the chocolate if you slightly crumble the grated chocolate with your hands. There are a few important things that I want to mention before I move on.
Instead of using fresh cherries, you can also use preserved ones in sugar syrup or even try using maraschino cherries. While making the whipped cream, make sure that the whipping cream / heavy cream and the beaters along with the bowl is cold. If not, then you might not get stiff peaks. Frost chilled cake. Since the cake is very moist and is also made with whipped cream, it does not stay fresh for more than two days in refrigeration also. So, consume by then.
So, this black forest gâteau is one hell of a cake and is also a must try one! Enjoy this delicious, moist, rich and creamy black forest gâteau with your loved ones on any special day! Stay safe; stay healthy! Happy cooking and eating!
While you are here, do checkout my other dessert recipes. Oh, and yeah, make any and all of your special days even more special with my other cakes recipes!
Has meal planning been a little bit difficult during this lockdown? Look through my No Veggies, 21-Day Lockdown Series for ideas on what to cook during this lockdown.
If you have tried any of my recipes, then tag @the_busy_apron and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #thebusyapron. Also tag @TheBusyApron and share it on Twitter with the hashtag #thebusyapron.
Black forest gâteau
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup milk
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot water
For the cherry filling
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cherry liquer / juice / water
- 2 cups pitted cherries
- 3 tbsp corn starch
For the whipped cream frosting
- 2½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1½ cups powdered sugar / icing sugar
- 2½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the cake
- Add all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and combine well. Set aside.
- To another mixing bowl, add all the wet ingredients (except hot water) – milk, oil, eggs, vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined. Slowly add the hot water while beating continuously on a low speed until combined.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Prepare three cake pans by greasing and lining with parchment paper. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool completely before frosting.
To prepare the cherry filling
- To a saucepan, add sugar, cherry liqueur (or juice or water), pitted cherries and cornstarch and stir on medium heat. Cook until the cherries soften and sugar is melted. Set aside to cool completely.
To prepare the whipped cream
- Add the whipping cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Whip until stiff peaks form.
To layer the cakes
- Place one layer of the cake on a serving plate and apply a thin layer of whipped cream on it. Pipe a fence around the outside of the cake with some whipped cream. Spread half of the cherry filling inside the fence. Fill the cherry mixture with some whipped cream on top and spread evenly. Repeat till the top layer.
- Crumb coat the cake and chill for 30 minutes. Frost the cake as desired. You can also place some chocolate shavings around the cake.
- Serve chilled.
Notes
- Do not over mix the cake batter.
- While mixing the hot water with the rest of the batter, make sure you beat simultaneously.
- Scrape down the sides to make sure the batter is evenly combined.
- Make sure all the ingredients used in the cake are at room temperature except for the water.
- The water should be hot and not boiling.
- You can divide the cake into 2 or 3 pans or as desired.
- Cool the cherry mixture completely before using it on the cake.
- Chill the beaters and the bowl you are using to make the whipped cream before making the whipped cream for 15 minutes.
- If your whipping cream does not form stiff peaks, then chill for sometime before beating again. Alternatively, you can place the bowl inside a bowl of ice cold water and then beat.
- Cook the cake layers for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist cake crumbs.
- For the chocolate shavings, great some dark chocolate with a vegetable peeler and use it.
- Do not leave the whipped cream outside for a long time.
- Frosting a chilled cake is much easier.
- If your whipped cream loses its stiffness, then beat for another minute or two or try chilling it for sometime.
- Since the cake is moist and uses whipped cream, it stays best for 2-3 days if refrigerated.
