Author Notes: It has been years since I’ve had Black Forest Cake, it’s so wonderful I really don’t know why I haven’t made one in such a long time. Honestly, you don’t hear them mentioned very much anymore. A Black Forest Cake is chocolate cake, cherries and whipped cream, pretty simple really, decorate with chocolate shavings and you have a wonderfully delicious cake. In the US and some other parts of the world the cake does not contain alcohol but in Germany they use Kirschenwasser or Kirsch a fruit (sour cherry) liquor, I happened to have some on hand so I macerated the cherries in some Kirsch and sugar. I thought it would be fun to make individual cakes in jars, they are portable and neat. The cake is a chocolate sponge cake, the cake will hold up well with the moist cherries and whipped cream. I didn’t have sour cherries but did have some beautiful Rainier cherries so I used those and whipped cream of course. Very simple and very delicious.
—sdebrango
Makes: 12 depending on size of jar
Ingredients
The Cherries and cake
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2
cups Cherries pitted and cut in half (I used rainier)
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1/4
cup sugar
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1/4
cup kirsch
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Cake
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1/4
cup milk
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2
tablespoons butter unsalted preferably
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8
large eggs at room temperature
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2
cups sugar
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3/4
cup flour
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1/2
cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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1
teaspoon baking powder
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1
teaspoon salt
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1
teaspoon vanilla
The whipped cream and assembly
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1
pint very cold heavy cream
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2-4
tablespoons sugar (to taste)
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2
teaspoons syrup from macerated cherries or vanilla extract
Directions
The Cherries and cake
- Place the cherries, sugar and kirsch in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Place milk and butter in glass measuring cup and microwave for 45 seconds or until butter is melted. Using stand mixer with wire whisk or electric mixer whip the eggs and sugar on med/high for approximately 8 minutes or until the mixture is pale yellow, tripled in volume and thick, with the machine running slowly add the heated milk and buter. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Fold into the egg mixture, there should be no lumps. Fold in the vanilla. Grease a 1/2 sheet pan, lay parchment sheet and grease the parchment, and sprinkle with sugar. Pour batter into the pan, spread so that it is evenly distributed and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes in the pan run a knife around the edges to loosen then invert onto wire rack, remove parchment and let cool completely.
The whipped cream and assembly
- Pour cream into cold bowl and whip with hand held or stand mixer until it thickens, add some sugar (to taste) and instead of vanilla I used some of the syrup from the cherries, about 2 tsp. If you use vanilla add 2 tsp. Whip until thick and billowy.
- Break off small pieces of the cake and place in the bottom of each jar, spoon some of the cherries and the juice on the cake, add a dollop of whipped cream and repeat. End with whipped cream on top, add some chocolate shavings.