Black Forest Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix together: cake mix, beaten eggs, almond extract, cherry pie filling and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool.
• To Make Glaze: Heat 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, butter or margarine, and milk in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once semisweet chocolate chips are melted and mixture is combined stir in confectioners' sugar.
• Spread glaze over cooled cake. Serve cake as is or with whipped cream and a cherry.

Steps:

• Pit most of the cherries leaving about 10 for decoration on top of the cake. Take the pitted cherries and soak them in a jar of the 1/2 cup Kirsch overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F Line the bottom of three 9 inch round cake pans with parchment.
• Sift the dry cake ingredients together.
• Cream the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk and mix well.
• Pour evenly into the cake pans. Bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.
• Cool and remove the cakes. Prick the tops of the cakes with a toothpick and pour the 1/2 cup of Kirsch (that the cherries soaked in) onto the cake.
• In a bowl beat the butter until light and creamy. Add the icing sugar, salt and espresso and mix well. If the icing is too thick add Kirsch or cherry juice.
• Cut the cherries into halves.
• Place the base layer on top of your cake tray, spread 1/2 of the filling over one top, cover with cherries and top with another layer of cake.
• Spread the second half of the filling over that layer of cake, cover with cherries and top with the third layer of cake. Cover this and let sit in the fridge for a day or two to allow the kirsch to soak into the cake and become moist.
• The day you're going to serve this cake prepare the icing. Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
• Gently fold in the dry milk and icing sugar.
• Add the vanilla and pour in the Kirsch until it's a good consistency.
• If you like more icing double this recipe. Spread the icing over all of the cake.
• Place the fresh, intact cherries on top for decoration and cover the top with the chocolate shavings. Serve and enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with oil and line the bottom of each with parchment paper.
• To prepare the cake, in a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth. Add the buttermilk and 1 cup vegetable oil, and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract, then whisk to combine.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then whisk to combine. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a rack to cool for about 20 minutes, then flip the cakes out onto the rack and let them cool completely. Flip the cakes again, so the domed portion is on top, and trim a bit of the dome off each cake to flatten the top. Carefully cut each layer in half horizontally, creating four layers.
• While the cake cools, prepare the cherry jam: In a small saucepan, combine the cherries and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the cherries down with a wooden spoon or potato masher, until the fruit has released its juice, about 6 minutes.
• Pass the cherry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the syrup in a medium bowl and setting aside the cooked cherries. Measure out 1/2 cup/120 milliliters of the syrup. (If you have more, store the rest in the refrigerator for another use). Transfer 1 tablespoon syrup from the 1/2 cup to small bowl, then stir the Kirsch into remaining syrup; set aside to cool completely.
• Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the reserved 1 tablespoon cherry syrup in the small bowl; whisk to combine. Transfer it to the saucepan, add the cooked cherries and cook over medium, stirring, until the mixture has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool completely. (You should have about 1 1/4 cups/300 milliliters jam.)
• Prepare the whipped cream: In a small saucepan, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and 1 cup heavy cream. Bring that mixture to a low boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thickened to the consistency of thin pudding, reducing heat as necessary to avoid scorching, about 2 minutes. Transfer cream mixture to a large bowl to cool completely.
• Assemble the cake: Whisk the cream mixture to loosen it, then add the remaining 3 cups heavy cream. Using an electric mixer on medium, beat the mixture until you have medium-stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Set one cake layer on a serving plate, cut-side up. Brush it with some of the cherry-Kirsch syrup, spread about 1 cup whipped cream over the top, then 1/3 of the cherry jam. Swirl the jam and the cream together a bit to spread it out evenly. Repeat this process two more times and top it with the last cake layer, cut-side down. Then cover the entire cake with a thin layer of whipped cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• To finish, frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Prepare the chocolate curls: Warm the chocolate bar in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, then use a vegetable peeler to create curled chocolate shavings. Press the chocolate shavings onto the sides of the cake and over a 1-inch of the border on top. Top with the 8 cherries. Store leftovers, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a quarter-sheet pan with parchment paper overlapping the longer sides, then spray with baking spray, ensuring the exposed sides of the pan are well-greased.
• Combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl. Stir together and set aside.
• Mix the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and egg in a small pitcher. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the cocoa. Whisk together to combine. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil, then cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the chocolate mixture to the flour and stir together for a moment to cool slightly. Add the egg mixture and stir until smooth. Add the batter to the prepared pan and bake until cooked through in the center, about 15 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• For the cherry sauce: Combine the cherries, granulated sugar and liquor in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and thickened, 6 to 7 minutes,. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• For the whipped cream: Whip together the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla with a stand mixer until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator until ready to build the cake.
• Once the cake has cooled completely, flip it onto a cutting board and remove the parchment paper. Cut the cake in half, then cut each piece in half again, giving you 4 equal pieces.
• Carefully put the first piece of the cake on a cake stand or platter. Spread a quarter of the whipped cream on top, then scatter a third of the cherry mixture over the top. Repeat two more times, trying to build the cake layers as straight and even as possible. Place the final piece of cake on the top and spread the remaining whipped cream over the top. Grate the chocolate bar over the top of the whipped cream for the finishing touch.
• Chill the cake for 20 minutes to help firm up the whipped cream before slicing and serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• Make and bake cake as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch rounds. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until slightly thickened. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in brandy. In another small bowl, mix pie filling and almond extract.
• On serving plate, place 1 cake layer, rounded side down. Spread with half of the whipped cream, then 1 cup cherry mixture to within 1 inch of edge. Top with second layer, rounded side up. Frost top with remaining whipped cream. Spoon remaining cherry mixture over top. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Store covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• GARNISH:.
• Using a vegetable parer, scrape across chocolate to make curls; refrigerate until needed. Loosely grate remainder of chocolate bar and refrigerate until ready to garnish.
• GLAZED CHERRIES:.
• Combine cherries with kirsch; let stand 1 hour. In small saucepan, mix cornstarch with cherry juice. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; simmer 5 minutes until thickened. Let cool; add cherries and stir well to mix.
• CAKE:.
• Prepare three 8-inch-diameter layer-cake pans by greasing and flouring.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In large bowl of electric mixer, beat eggs at high speed until light. Add 1 cup granulated sugar gradually, beating well after each addition. Beat 10 minutes or until very thick. Add vanilla.
• Sift sifted flour with cocoa; fold into egg mixture in fourths, using a wire whisk or rubber spatula. Fold in butter, in fourths, until just combined. Gently turn into prepared pans. Bake 15 minutes or until surface springs back when pressed with finger.
• Place pans on wire rack and cool 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.
• SYRUP:.
• In a small saucepan, stir granulated sugar and ½ cup water over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes. Cool, and stir in kirsch.
• ASSEMBLE CAKE:.
• Using a skewer, make several holes in each cake layer; drizzle syrup over layers.
• Beat heavy cream with confectioners' sugar until stiff.
• Invert one cake layer onto serving plate; spread with glazed cherries; top with 1 cup whipped cream. Top with second layer and 1 cup cream.
• Add top cake layer; spread side and top of cake with whipped cream, decorating with 12 whipped-cream rosettes around top edge. Refrigerate cake.
• Just before serving, arrange chocolate curls on top of cake and sprinkle side of cake with grated chocolate.