Black Forest Cake

The other day, Ella was using my computer and got frustrated when the screen froze.  She was yelling my name, “MOMMMMMY!”  I rush downstairs thinking there was a fire or something, only to hear my four year old say, “the ‘puter locked up!”  Kids!!!

I am simply amazed at how children adapt so easily so our computer orientated society.  They know just as much as we know in a shorter amount of learning time!  Which is typical since their minds are like sponges… but still I am always in awe!  I watch my kids play with my computer at times on games or learning programs and they find out all sorts of secrets to the page before I ever see them.  Craziness.  And the iPhone or Blackberry?  Their cute little fingers glide on that screen as if it was never something for them to figure out; it was ingrained when they were born.  HA!

When I was making this Black Forest Cake, I was completely nervous.  Why?  I’m not one to create cakes all too often, but it’s not that I can’t make them.  It’s just that I never do, so when it comes time to creating these beautiful treats, I tense up a bit.  Only because I wanted it perfect too.  You see, this cake was meant for a friend of mine.  She was surprising her husband with his favorite cake in the world, and I was the chosen person to make the cake.  Honestly, I am flattered and I really appreciated the opportunity!

I pulled the recipe from a favorite blogger of mine, Brown Eyed Baker.

Black Forest Cake

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Prep Time: 40 minutes  | Bake Time: 30 to 35 minutes

For the cake:
2 cups sugar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

For the cherries:
1 can (20 ounces) cherries, drained
¼ cup Kirsch or other brandy

For the whipped cream:
1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
½ cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Divide batter between the two prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until thin knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

4. Reserve 12 cherries for decorating. Combine the remaining cherries and the Kirsch; set aside.

5. To make the whipped cream, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whip until soft to almost-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate whipped cream until ready to use.

5. Once the cakes are cool, level the tops and place one layer on a serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cherries and place on the cake layer. Top with about ½ to ¾ cup whipped cream, spreading over cherries (that’s an estimation, as I didn’t measure, just covered the cherries and spread into an even layer). Place the second layer on top, and frost the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream. Decorate as desired. (I used a 1M tip to pipe on top and placed the reserved cherries on top of each decorative star, and then lined a bottom border with chocolate shavings.)

* Note: If you do not have Kirsch or brandy, or would rather not use alcohol, reserve ¼ cup of the juice/syrup from the canned cherries before draining.

* Note: To make chocolate shavings, scrape a melon baller across a block of chocolate (or back of a candy bar). To attach them to the cake, lift them with an offset spatula and gently touch them to the sides of the cake.

(Chocolate cake recipe adapted from Hershey’s)

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