The Behemoth Of All Black Forest Cakes Recipes

ULTIMATE BLACK FOREST CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 8-inch round pans with parchment paper.
• Sift 1 1/2 cups of the white sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Beat shortening and remaining 1/2 cup white sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat 1 egg at a time into the shortening mixture; add vanilla extract with last egg. Add portions of flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into prepared baking pans.
• Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Remove parchment from cake bottoms. Cut each layer in half horizontally, making 4 layers total. Pour 2 tablespoons cherry liqueur over each cake half.
• Beat cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Beat in 2 tablespoons cherry liqueur and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat in confectioners' sugar and salt until cream filling is smooth and stiff.
• Spread 1 cake layer with 1/4 of the cream filling; top with 1/3 cherries. Repeat with 2 additional layers. Place 4th layer on top; frost top and sides of cake with remaining cream filling.

BLACK FOREST CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
• Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
• Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
• With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.

BLACK FOREST CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Make the cake according to the package instructions, but substitute half of the water with coffee, and the other half with buttermilk (most likely it will call for 1 cup total of water). Bake in two 8-inch round cake pans according to package instructions. Let the cakes cool completely.
• For the cream: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar and almond extract together in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
• For the cherries: Combine the cherries and kirsch in a small bowl.
• To assemble: Use a serrated knife to cut the cakes in half horizontally. Create layers of cake, cherries and whipped cream, repeating. Top the cake with whipped cream, a few cherries and chocolate shavings.

30-MINUTE BLACK FOREST CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a rimmed 17-by-12-inch sheet pan with baking spray and line it with parchment paper, then lightly spray the parchment with baking spray. Set aside.
• Combine the cocoa powder and hot water in a large glass measuring cup and stir to combine. Stir in the cold water and set aside.
• Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the egg, beating until incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda, then pour in the cocoa mixture. Beat for 2 minutes on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until completely blended with no visible streaks.
• Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, spreading evenly. Bake 10 minutes. Do not overbake.
• Place a sheet of parchment paper on the countertop and invert the baked cake on top of it. Peel off the parchment on top of the cake. Spread the Cherry Kirsch Compote (minus 1/2 cup reserved for the Cherry Cream) evenly across the cake. Roll the cake into a log from the short end, place on a serving platter and set aside.
• When ready to serve, pour the Microwave Dark Chocolate Ganache over the top of the cake, spreading it smoothly with an offset spatula and allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake. Serve each slice of cake with a large spoonful of the Cherry Cream on top.
• Combine the cherries, jam, kirsch, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon and salt in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are soft and mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely; reserve 1/2 cup of the cooled compote for the Cherry Cream (recipe follows). Can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
• Place the chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave the cream in a glass measuring cup for 1 minute. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Whisk in the instant espresso, whisking until completely smooth. Can be refrigerated for up to 1 week and reheated as necessary. Makes about 2 cups.
• Place the heavy cream, sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. The cream can be refrigerated at this point in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, gently fold the compote into the prepared whipped cream. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

QUICK BLACK FOREST CAKE

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.

THE BEHEMOTH OF ALL BLACK FOREST CAKES

Steps:

• Combine the cherry filling ingredients together and chill overnight.
• For the mousse: melt the chocolate and the kirsch together in a mixing bowl, in the microwave or over hot water in a double boiler, but do not boil.
• Add the egg into the hot chocolate and stir quickly to avoid scrambling.
• Whip the cream and sugar till soft peaks, then and fold into the chocolate mixture.
• Store in fridge for 2 hours.
• For the cake: beat the egg whites and ½ cup of sugar to soft peaks and set aside.
• Put the dry ingredients, the first 4, into a mixer bowl and blend.
• Add the oil and ½ cup milk, and beat for 1 minute, scraping the bowl often.
• Add ½ cup milk, 2 egg yolks, melted chocolate and beat 1 minute longer, scraping bowl frequently.
• Gently fold in the egg whites and pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans.
• Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool 10 minutes, remove cakes from the pans and let the cakes cool thoroughly.
• When cake has cooled, use a string or monofilament to slice each layer in half (making four layers total) and then set aside to make frosting.
• For the frosting: beat the butter to soften, add 1 cup powdered sugar, beat and then add the milk and vanilla.
• Start adding the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and then beat until frosting is stiff but still spreadable.
• The amount of powdered sugar necessary to reach this point may vary.
• Stiff is necessary for the frosting ‘wall’ later.
• Chill butter frosting for 30 minutes.
• Assembly (4 hours before serving time) Spread ½ cup of butter frosting on cut side of a cake layer.
• Use the remaining frosting to build ‘walls’; two ½” wide and ¾” tall barricades: one ring around the outer edge of the layer and the other smaller ring placed 2 inches inside the first.
• Architectually speaking, this will provide structural support for the layers that will top it.
• Drain the cherries thoroughly and place in the hollowed channels in the frosting.
• (The cherry liquid can be brushed onto the remaining cake layers if you don't want to waste it.) For the second layer, spread the chocolate mousse evenly on top of the second layer and place the bare, cut side down on top of cherry'frosting layer.
• Chill until the layers have set and the construction is sturdy (about one hour).
• In the meantime, whip the cream filling to stiff peaks.
• Place the 3rd cake layer on the mousse layer, spread with ½" layer of the whipped cream.
• Place the 4th layer on top.
• Frost the sides of the cake, only, with the remaining whipped cream and dust the bare top with powdered sugar.
• Garnish with 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries and 1/2 pound chocolate bar shredded into curls.
• Make sure you have enough head room in the fridge for this behemoth and then chill for 2 hours before serving.
• Refrigerate leftovers.

"PRETTY MUCH A PIECE OF HEAVEN" BLACK FOREST CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
• Combine chocolate cake mix and instant pudding mix in a large bowl. Add eggs, water, and vegetable oil; mix well to combine. Mix in 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice until smooth. Stir in cherry pieces and chocolate chips. Divide cake batter between prepared pans, filling each halfway.
• Bake cakes in the preheated oven until toothpicks inserted in the centers come out clean, 26 to 32 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, 10 minutes. Remove from pans and transfer to wire racks to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Beat heavy cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and cream of tartar. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Spread 1/4 of the whipped cream evenly over the bottom cake layer. Cover whipped cream with a thin layer of pie filling. Place second layer of cake on top. Spread another 1/4 of the whipped cream over the second layer; cover with pie filling. Place third layer of cake on top. Spread remaining whipped cream on top; cover with remaining pie filling.