Black Forest Cake

July 10, 2023

Black Forest Cake

Servings

8

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

31 minutes

This classic masterpiece is a symphony of rich chocolate and tangy cherries, creating a heavenly dessert that will captivate your taste buds. The moist chocolate cake is generously filled with layers of cherry compote and frosted with whipped cream, adorned with chocolate shavings for the perfect finishing touch. Indulge in the timeless allure of our Black Forest Cake and experience pure bliss in every forkful.

Image of Black Forest Cake

Ingredients

For cake

1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pans
2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour plus more for dusting pans
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (10.5 ounces) granulated sugar
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks

For syrup

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
1/3 cup cherry liqueur

For frosting and assembly

5 cups, plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, cold, divided
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix (optional)
2 cups halved and pitted cherries, plus 12 whole cherries for garnish
3 (3.5-ounce) bars semi-sweet chocolate, shaved
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

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Directions

For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 3 6-inch cake pans with butter and line with parchment paper rounds. Dust pans with flour.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together on medium speed, scraping down the sides, as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, beat in eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, until combined.
Add half the flour mixture until just combined. Add buttermilk. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, stopping and scraping down the sides, as needed, until fully combined.5. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.
For syrup: Combine water, sugar and liqueur in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside for brushing the cake.
For frosting and assembly: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment, beat 5 cups heavy cream, sugar and pudding mix together on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Once cakes have cooled, create a flat cake surface by removing a 1/4-inch from the crown of the cake with cake level. Transfer one cake to a 10-inch cake drum. Place on cake turntable. Brush with 1/3 of the syrup. Using an offset or straight spatula, spread roughly 1 to 1 1/2 cups of frosting evenly over the top, right to the edge of the cake. Press roughly 1 cup cherries into frosting. Place another cake layer on top, pressing gently to adhere.
Brush with another 1/3 of the syrup. Spread 1 to 1 1/2 cups frosting over top of the second cake. Press 1 cup cherries into frosting. Place the third cake on top, and brush with remaining syrup.
Using an offset or straight spatula, spread icing on the top and sides of cake. Smooth sides of cake by holding the spatula or upright against the cake, and rotating the turntable. Press the shaved semi-sweet chocolate halfway up the side of the cake.
Place bittersweet chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons cream until smooth.
Spread melted chocolate mixture on top of cake, leaving a 1-inch border. Transfer remaining frosting to a piping bag fitted with a coupler attachment and tip T17, T38 or T05. Pipe 12 rosettes at the top edge of the cake. Top each rosette with a whole cherry.
Slice and serve.