Mile High Black Forest Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat three 10-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper; set aside. Combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk mixture, until combined.
• Stir in the hot coffee (the batter will be thin). Divide among the prepared pans. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out mostly clean, 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache: Melt the chocolate chips with the heavy cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Let cool slightly. Add the cherries and let cool.
• Make the buttercream: Combine the egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of a mixer set over the pan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Heat, whisking, until a candy thermometer reaches 185 degrees F, 5 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and beat on medium-high speed until the egg whites are stiff and glossy and the bowl is cool to the touch, 10 minutes. Beat in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the cherry liqueur and continue to beat until smooth. Beat in cherry syrup, 1 teaspoon at a time, to tint the frosting pink.
• Spread half of the ganache on one cake and top with a second cake. Repeat with another layer of ganache and the remaining cake. Trim the sides of the cake with a serrated knife to make them even; crumble the trimmings. Frost the cake with the buttercream and pipe some around the top. Top with cherries and the reserved cake crumbs.

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.