Baking

Black Forest cake

Not a cake for the kids, which means more for the grownups!
Black forest cake
12
35M
1H 50M
2H 25M

Originating in Germany, black forest cake consists of layers of delicious chocolate cake delicately laced with kirsch and held together by whipped cream and tart cherries. Definitely one for the grownups.

Looking for more chocolate cakes or more chocolate desserts?

Ingredients

Black forest cake

Method

Black forest cake

1.Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Grease deep 22cm-round cake pan, line base and side with baking paper.
2.Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat, stir in combined coffee and the water, then chocolate and sugar; stir over low heat, without boiling, until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl, cool to warm.
3.Beat mixture on low speed with electric mixer; beat in sifted dry ingredients, in three batches. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then extract. Pour into pan.
4.Bake about 1 3/4 hours (105 minutes). Stand 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.
5.Beat cream until firm peaks form.
6.Trim top of cake to make it flat. Split cake into three even layers. Place one layer on serving plate, brush with a third of the kirsch, top with a third of the cream and half the cherries. Repeat layering once more, then top with final layer of cake.
7.Brush top of cake with remaining kirsch; spread with remaining cream. Decorate with grated chocolate and fresh cherries, if desired.

If you like, decorate the cake with mini chocolate curls. To do this, pull a vegetable peeler down the side of a bar of dark chocolate. Black forest cake will keep for up to 3 days if stored, covered, in the fridge.

Note

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