A black forest cake makes it to the top in the 'most favorite desserts list' for almost everyone. This popular German dessert was originally known as Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, which means Black Forest Cherry Torte. It offers one of the best combination of flavors: chocolate, cherries and alcohol in the form of kirschwasser (cherry brandy). Although the traditional recipe calls for brandy, the American versions are devoid of alcohol. Given below are some of the recipes for this deliciously yummy and creamy party cake.
Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte
Here's a 'what-you-need' list and the 'how-to' details to make this German delight, in not more than 2 hours. Bake away!!
Cake Layers
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour, 2 cups
- Buttermilk, 1 cups
- White sugar, 1 cups
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup
- Kirsch (brandy), cup
- Shortening, cup
- Baking soda, 2 tsp.
- Vanilla extract, 1 tsp.
- Salt, 1 tsp.
- Eggs, 3
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line three 8-inch circular pans with parchment paper. If parchment paper is not available, grease the pans with tbsp. of butter and then dust the pan with all-purpose flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder, and keep aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream the shortening and sugar to get a fluffy mixture.
- Beat the eggs and vanilla extract and add to the above mixture.
- Now, beat in the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately.
- Pour this cake batter equally into the three 8-inch pans, and bake for about 35-40 minutes. Test the doneness of the cakes using the toothpick test.
- Once baked and ready, let the cake layers cool. Sprinkle cup of Kirsch onto each cooled cake layer.
Ingredients
- Maraschino cherries, 2 cans
- Confectioners' sugar, 4 cups
- Butter (unsalted), cup
- Salt, a pinch
- Beat the butter until soft and creamy.
- Beat in the confectioners' sugar and a pinch of salt to get a nice smooth filling of buttercream icing.
- Drain the cherries and cut them into halves or four pieces each. Reserve some for decorating the cake.
Ingredients
- Heavy cream, 3 cups
- Confectioners' sugar, cup
- Kirsch, 2 tbsp.
- Vanilla extract, 1 tsp.
- Maraschino cherries
- Chocolate shavings or curls
- Before beginning with the actual preparation for frosting, allow the bowl and beater/whisk attachment to be used, to cool in a refrigerator for around 20-30 minutes.
- Take the heavy cream in this cool bowl and whisk it.
- Gradually add the sugar, vanilla extract and Kirsch.
- Whisk until stiff peaks are observed, and your frosting is ready. Store in the refrigerator until required.
- Place the first layer of moistened chocolate cake onto a plate (moistened side up).
- Spoon half of the buttercream icing onto the first layer.
- Spread the chopped cherries evenly onto this layer of icing.
- Now, gently place another moistened chocolate cake, and spoon the remaining icing and chopped cherries.
- Assemble the last layer of chocolate cake in place. Frost the top and sides of the entire cake assembly with a thin layer of the chilled whipped cream frosting. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Once the cake is set, add a thick layer of the frosting. Use a decorating tip of your choice to pipe beautiful rosettes and top each of them with a Maraschino cherry.
- Decorate with chocolate curls and cover the sides and top. Don't forget to be extremely generous with the chocolate curls.
Quick Cake Mix Recipe
Are you running short of time, and wish to use the ready cake mixes and fillings? Follow the current recipe and assemble your torte in an hour.
Ingredients
- Devil's food cake mix, 1 packet
- Cherry pie filling, 1 can
- Vanilla ready to spread frosting, 1 can
- Water, 1 cup
- Vegetable oil, cup
- Kirsch, cup
- All-purpose flour, 2 tbsp. (for dusting the pans)
- Eggs, 3
- Maraschino cherries
- Chocolate curls
- Grease and flour two 8-inch baking pans. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Blend the cake mix, water, oil and eggs together and beat to get a uniform cake batter.
- Pour it in the greased baking pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. Check the doneness and let the layers cool.
- Use the Kirsch for moistening the cooled chocolate cake layers.
- Take one layer of moistened chocolate cake onto a cake plate.
- Spread one-third of the vanilla frosting onto the layer followed by cherry pie filling.
- Place the second layer and frost the top and sides uniformly.
- Decorate the cake using frosting and cherries.
- Garnish with chocolate curls and refrigerate to allow the cake to set.
Recipe without Alcohol
If you wish to avoid alcohol in your cake, simply replace it with cherry syrup or regular sugar syrup. You can prepare a cherry filling using cherry syrup, cornstarch and cherries to enhance the cherry flavor.
Ingredients
- Chocolate cake layers, 2
- Maraschino cherries, 2 cans
- White sugar, 2 cups
- Heavy cream, 2 cups
- Water, 1 cup
- Confectioners' sugar, cup
- Cornstarch, cup
- Vanilla extract, 1 tsp.
- Drain the cherries and reserve the drained syrup. Cut the drained cherries in halves or into 4 pieces. (You might spare some of them for decorating the cake.)
- To prepare the cherry filling, start heating cup of the reserved syrup and the cut cherries in a saucepan and add sugar to it. Mix cornstarch in 2 tbsp. of the reserved syrup and add it to the mixture in the saucepan. Stir continuously and let the mixture boil until thick. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.
- Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract to prepare your frosting and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Now, in a pan, mix water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil and let it cool. The simple sugar syrup is ready for moistening the cake layers.
- You can use ready chocolate sponge cake layers or bake the chocolate cake as explained in the above recipes. Moisten them with the sugar syrup.
- Take a pastry bag and fill it with half cup of the frosting.
- Place the first cake layer on a plate and pipe the frosting around the edge. Spread the cherry filling onto the cake within the boundary created by the piped frosting.
- Place the second layer on this assembly and cover with frosting. Decorate as desired with frosting and cherries.
Eggless Black Forest Cake
Here's a quick recipe for an eggless and alcohol-devoid black forest cake.
Ingredients
- Cherry pie filling, 1 can
- Butter, 2 sticks
- All-purpose flour, 2 cups
- Confectioners' sugar, 2 cups
- Heavy cream, 2 cups
- Condensed milk, 1 cup
- Water, 1 cup
- White sugar, 1 cup
- Cocoa powder, cup
- Baking powder, 2 tbsp.
- Vanilla extract, 3 tsp.
- Bing cherries (for decoration)
- Chocolate shavings (for decoration)
- Sift the flour, 1 cups of the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder together and keep aside.
- Melt the butter and add condensed milk, cup of water and 2 tsp. of vanilla extract. Blend well.
- Beat in the dry mixture prepared earlier. Pour in two 8-inch greased pans and bake in preheated oven at 350F for 30-35 minutes.
- While the ready chocolate cake cools, whisk the cream and gradually add remaining cup confectioners' sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the sugar syrup by mixing together and boiling 1 cup water and white sugar.
- Once the cake cools, cut the cake horizontally to obtain three layers. Moisten one layer with sugar syrup and spread cup frosting on the layer. Spread half of the cherry pie filling onto this.
- Place the next cake layer, moisten it, and spread cup frosting and the remaining cherry pie filling.
- Place the last layer, moisten it, and cover up the entire cake with frosting. Decorate with more frosting, cherries and chocolate shavings.
Black Forest Cupcakes
Are you a fan of cupcakes, and want to enjoy the flavor of a black forest cake in the form of a cupcake? Here's an easy recipe that will help you to bake cupcakes stuffed with a cheesy cherry pie filling.
Ingredients
- Swiss chocolate cake mix, 1 packet
- Cherry pie filling, 1 can
- Confectioners' sugar, 2 cups
- Heavy cream, 1 cups
- Water, 1 cups
- Vegetable oil, cup
- Cream cheese softened, 2 cups
- Vanilla extract, 2 tsp.
- Eggs, 3
- Beat the cream cheese. Add 1 cup of confectioners' sugar and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract. Blend well and refrigerate this cream cheese filling until further use.
- Whip up the heavy cream and 1 cup of confectioners' sugar. Blend in 1 tsp. of vanilla extract and refrigerate the frosting.
- Blend together the cake mix, water, oil and eggs. Beat well.
- Line the cupcake molds with parchment paper. Spoon about 2 tbsp. of cake batter into each mold.
- Add 1 tbsp. of the cheese filling followed by 1 tbsp. of cherry pie filling onto the batter.
- Pour the remaining cake batter equally, and bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven at 350F for 20 minutes.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool. Frost them, and decorate each of them with cherries and chocolate shavings.
Some More Variants
Once your chocolate cake layers are ready, cut out mini circles (or any shape you like) to get mini-chocolate cake layers. Assemble 3 such mini layers with cherry pie filling and frosting in between them. Decorate each of them with frosting and cherries, to get the cutest mini black forest cakes!
You can add more colors to your mini cakes and cupcakes. Simply divide the frosting into equal portions depending on the number of colors you want, and add a different food color to each portion. Use these colored frostings to decorate the mini cakes and cupcakes to have a plate of colorful cakes.
To attract your little devils, you can use fruit jams, fruit toppings, colorful candies and chocolate wafers while decorating. You may use pineapple, apricots, oranges, kiwi, etc. along with the cherries.
Instead of using milk/dark chocolate, use white chocolate for decorating the cake. This will give a unique white look, as well as a distinct blend of white chocolate, chocolate cake and cherry flavors.
I hope these simple recipes have made the preparation of this torte a piece of cake for you! To welcome the new year, to rejoice becoming a year older and wiser, to rejuvenate your love, to celebrate the years of togetherness, or to bid adieu to someone -- all the celebrations are incomplete without a black forest cake!
No comments:
Post a Comment