Black Forest Cake With A Difference!

In the past, when a big family party was coming up or grandma invited us for coffee on the occasion of her milestone birthday, there was no plain apple pie, but the queen of cakes: Black Forest cake!

Baking one is a bit more complicated (otherwise you wouldn’t be able to brag about it) – but we have a step-by-step guide for you that will get you there! Let’s go…

What you need

For the dough

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1 cup frozen cherries, pitted
1 cup warm coffee
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

For the filling

3 cups frozen cherries, pitted
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the cream

2 cups cold whipped cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the chocolate ganache

1 cup whipped cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

And so it goes

For the dough

Thaw the frozen cherries overnight in the refrigerator and drain the juice (and save it, put aside!).

Mash one cup of cherries, drain the juice, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease three small cake pans (about 20 cm long) and sprinkle with a little flour.

Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a bowl and mix.

In another bowl, whisk together the liquid ingredients: butter, oil, vanilla extract, buttermilk, eggs and the pureed cherries (don’t add the warm coffee yet).

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry and whisk until smooth.

Now add the warm coffee and mix.

Add the mini chocolate chips and mix them in by hand.

Pour the batter into the three prepared cake pans, then bake 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes.

For the filling.

Place the three cups of pitted cherries, sugar and water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir regularly.

Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Pour some of the cherry mixture into a bowl and stir in the cornstarch.

Add the mixture of cherries and cornstarch back to the cherry mixture in the saucepan and fold in; set over low heat until thickened.

Pour cherry filling into a bowl and let it cool a bit, then cover and chill in the refrigerator.

For the cream.

Put the cream in a bowl and and add the powdered sugar and cornstarch, stir until smooth.

For the ganache

Bring the cream to a simmer, stirring constantly.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips.

Let stand for about ten minutes, then stir until smooth.

You can put the ganache in a piping bottle or just use a spoon.

Assemble

Put a layer of the dough on a pie plate.

Put some cherry juice (a few tablespoons) from dripping on top.

Then spread a thin layer of the whipped buttercream on top.

Put half of the cherry filling on top.

Add another layer of the cake, cherry juice, a thin layer of whipped cream and the last half of the cherry filling.

Add the last layer of cake and add some more cherry juice.

Cover the entire cake with a layer of whipped buttercream.

Chill for 20- 30 minutes.

Pour the ganache on top of the cake and let it drip down the sides a little, then chill again.

Spread the remaining whipped buttercream on the cake, decorate with cherries.

How did your Black Forest cake turn out? Tell us in the FB comments!