Black Forest Cake
Black Forest Cake was just never a cake that was at the supper table or at any of our family gatherings as a kid. It wasn't on the table during the Holiday Season at my house either. It wasn't until I became an adult, moved to Florida, married and was introduced to the delicious cake for the very first time. I remember how impressed I was when I saw the cake. The visual look of it was so enticing that I just knew it was going to be delicious; and delicious it was! How on earth we missed this recipe growing up is beyond me!
Thousands of different recipes for black forest cake!
Yes, that statement has to be true. I know personally that I have never made this cake the same twice. True fact. Sometimes I use can cherries sometimes I use real fresh cherries and sometimes I mix and match anything and everything I can find to make the cake. I'm not kidding either. If I find 4 different types of cherries, I'm going to make a black forest cake with 4 different kinds of cherries. Below is "1" of the versions of the cake.
Black Forest Cake / Cherry Brandy Version / Whipped Cream Version
- 1 dark chocolate cake mix (or your own from scratch)
- 1/4 c. kirsch (cherry brandy)
- 1 can cherry pie filling or a can of dark black cherries
- 16 oz. heavy whipping cream
- 1 chocolate cool whip
- 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
- Maraschino cherries, drained, optional, for garnish
- milk chocolate curls or shavings, for garnish
PREPARATION:
Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.
Bake cake, as directed, in two 9-inch layer cake pans. When cool, sprinkle kirsch cherry brandy over both cake layers.
Chill electric beaters and large mixing bowl; beat cream until it thickens slightly, gradually add confectioners' sugar and beat until thick enough to hold its shape. Now if you don't want to go to all the trouble of making the real whipped cream like this...... then use the cheaters method and buy yourself the new Chocolate Cool Whip. It's delicious for this cake.
Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Assemble cake; place one layer on serving plate and spread its top with 1/2-inch-thick layer of whipped cream and strew the cherries over the cream. Set other layer on top of cherries and spread top and sides of cake with remaining cream. With fingers, gently press chocolate curls into cream on sides of cake if you want or just leave it a stacked look like in the photo above.
For me personally..... I love soft yummy chocolate pored on top just like the photo above. I also like to top the cake with all the different types of cherries I can find. Be it red cherries, dark cherries, black cherries, small cherries, or fat cherries. And I have to say it... I'm a chocolate curl nut so I shave chocolate curls so I can sprinkle them around on the top too. Is that over kill? Yes I think it's over the top but I love it. How do you love it?
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Black Forest Cake Definitions & Facts
- Black Forest gateau (also commonly called Black Forest cake in Canada, the USA and Australia) is the English name for the southern German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (literally "Black Forest cherry cake").
- It is a popular dessert throughout Germany, Austria and the world. Typically, Black Forest gateau consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. These layers are topped with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings.
- In some European traditions sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top.
- Traditionally, Kirschwasser is added to the cake, although other liquors are also used (rum is common in Austrian recipes).
- In the USA, Black Forest gateau is most often prepared without alcohol.
- In Germany, only the traditional recipes with Kirschwasser are widespread, and other variants are very rare.
- The confectioner Josef Keller claims to have invented Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in its present form in 1915.
- Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was first mentioned in writing in 1934.
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Closing Thoughts ~
It tastes so light. I know that sounds shocking to say but I guess it's because of the whipped cream center. Some recipes call for a chocolate pudding layer. I think creams and puddings will tone down the extreme sugar taste and the fruit will too. Love love love cherries! There are sooooo many versions of black forest cake now.
Ohhh and... don't skip the cherry brandy! What a difference it makes.
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