Cherry season is here! The Okanagan cherries that you get here in BC are soooo ridiculously good, they are deep red, juicy and sweeeet. Black Forest cake, its layers of moist chocolate cake filled with the most sweetest brandied cherries. The cherry sauce soaks up the layers of the black forest cake. Lightly whipped unsweetened whipped cream frosting to fill and frost. A layer of the silkiest and rich bittersweet chocolate ganache aaaaand to top it all off, a bunch of the sweetest cherries.
I fancied up the cherries using some gold prism dust and gold leaves from fancy sprinkles.
Black Forest Cake
Black forest cake is Layers of Chocolate cake filled with brandied Cherry filling and frosted with whipped cream filling and topped with bittersweet chocolate ganache and fresh cherries
Ingredients
Brandied Cherries
- 0.5 kilo Cherries 1 Pound cherries
- 3 tbsp Brandy
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1 tbsp Water
Dark Chocolate Cake (3 x 6 " cake)
- 115 gm Butter 1 Stick
- 120 ml Oil ½ Cup
- 3 L Eggs
- 200 gm Brown Sugar 1 cup
- 120 gm Sour Cream ½ Cup
- 2 tbsp Instant Coffee
- 120 ml Hot Water ½ Cup
- 50 gm Black cocoa ½ Cup
- 2.5 tsp Baking Powder
- 240 gm All Purpose Flour 2 Cups
Chocolate Ganache (Pourable)
- 120 gm Bittersweet Chocolate ¾ Cup
- 125 ml Heavy cream/ Whipping Cream ½ Cup
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 240 ml Heavy cream/ Whipping Cream 1 Cup
Garnish
- 10-15 Cherries
- Gold Prism Powder
- Edible Gold leaves
Instructions
Brandied Cherries
Pit the cherries using a cherry pitter or a small paring knife.
In a small heavy bottomed pan, add all the ingredients into the pan. Cook for 20-25 mins on low heat. Once the cherries are cooked, remove from heat and keep aside until needed.
You can also store in a small sterilised bottle, it lasts in the refrigerator for upto 2 weeks.
Dark Chocolate Cake (3 x 6 " cake)
Preheat the oven to 350° F/ 180° C. Grease and line the cake tins with parchment paper.
In a bowl attached with a paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Add the butter, oil and brown sugar. Cream and beat until its light and fluffy.
Add and beat one egg at a time. Add the instant coffee powder and sour cream into the bowl and whip gently.
sift the black cocoa, baking powder and the all purpose flour. Mix t all together by slowly adding little bit of hot water at a time. Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Divide the batter into 3 pans and bake for about 30 mins or until the cake is baked light.
Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Ganache
Heat the cream in a small pan until it starts simmering. Add the bittersweet chocolate in a bowl, pour the hot cream over the chocolate and start whisking.
The Ganache will be pourable consistency. If the cream is too hot, the ganache might split. Let it cool to room temperature before pouring it on the cake.
Whipped Cream Topping
In a bowl fitted with a whisk attached of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream/ whipping cream. Whisk until stiff peaks are formed. Transfer the whipping cream into the piping bags for ease of decorating.
Assembly
Place the bottom layer of the cake on a cake board or a cake stand. Pipe a dam of whipped cream around the border of the cake. Pour a tablespoon of the cherry brandy syrup on the cake and scoop the brandied cherries in the middle of the cake.
Repeat this for the middle layer. Place the top layer of the cake and pour the chocolate ganache on top. Let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Once the ganache is set, pipe whipped cream on top of the cake.
Garnish with cherries that are coated in gold prism powder and gold leaves (optional). Check out the video in the post for better understanding of the assembly.
This cake batter makes 24 standard size cupcakes.
To make the black forest cake cupcakes
- Divide the batter into 24 cupcake liners in a cupcake tin. Fill up to 2/3rd of the cupcake liner, bake for 18 minutes.
- Check with a wooden skewer to see if baked completely. Let it cool.
- Core the center of the cupcakes and fill it with the boozy cherry filling
- Add dollops of whipped cream on top and drizzle with chocolate ganache ( I would double the whipped cream portion for cupcakes for a generous amount :D)
- Top it all with your fancy cherries and its done.
Happy Baking
xx