Black Forest Cake

Chocolate and cherry are a classic pairing in this traditional cake from the southwest region of Germany, which has inspired our own mile-high rendition.

Black Forest Cake

Yield: one tall 9" layer cake.

Ingredients:

   Cake

•     1 cup Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
•     2 cups Unbleached Cake Flour Blend
•     2 cups sugar
•     ½ cup buttermilk powder*
•     2 tablespoons Cake Enhancer, optional, for moist texture
•     2 teaspoons baking powder
•     ½ teaspoon baking soda
•     1 teaspoon salt
•     2 cups water*
•     2/3 cup vegetable oil
•     2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•     4 large eggs

    *Or substitute 2 cups liquid buttermilk for the buttermilk powder and water.

   Filling

•     28.5-ounce jar Sour Cherry Pie Filling, or 1 can cherry pie filling
•     1/8 teaspoon cherry flavor, optional
•     3 cups heavy cream
•     6 tablespoons whipped cream stabilizer, optional*
•     ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
•     1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     4 ounces grated dark chocolate

    *If you don't use stabilizer, whip the cream to stiff peaks, rather than soft.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9" cake round cake pans.
2. To make the cake: Combine the cocoa, flour, sugar, buttermilk powder, cake enhancer, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, oil, and vanilla. Gradually beat the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
5. Bake the cakes until a tester comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.
6. To make the filling: If you're using a jar of sour cherry pie filling, strain the cherries from the syrup and reserve both; add the cherry flavor to the syrup. If you're using canned pie filling, don't drain; if you're using cherry flavor, simply stir it into the pie filling.
7. Whisk together the confectioners' sugar and whipped cream stabilizer.
8. Whip the cream, slowly adding the stabilizer/sugar, and then the vanilla. Whip just until soft peaks form.
9. To assemble the cake: Cut each layer in half horizontally. Place the first layer on a cake board or plate and brush a coating of cherry syrup over the surface. If you're using canned pie filling and don't have cherry syrup, skip this step.
10. Spread a 1/2" layer of cream onto the cake, and top with 1/3 of the cherries. Repeat with two more layers of cake-syrup-cream-cherries, and top with the final layer of cake.
11. Use the remaining cream to coat the sides and top of the cake. Decorate with the grated chocolate. Refrigerate the cake until you're ready to serve.

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