Black Forest Cake Recipe
Among the most popular birthday cakes in India, Black Forest cake is the favorite among kids. This cake looks incredibly gorgeous and isn’t difficult to make at home. On your kid’s birthday this year, be a star mom and make this cake at home. Believe me, this will be way better than store bought cake.
Preparation Time: 45 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes Serves: 8-12
Ingredients:
For Cake
All Purpose Flour (Maida) - 2 1/4 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Butter - 1 cup
Eggs - 3
Milk - 1/3 cup
Water - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Baking (Cooking) Soda - 2 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
For Frosting & Topping
Whipping Cream (Double Cream) - 3 cups
Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
Cherries - 1 can
Chocolate Bar - 1 (grated/ shaved)
Chocolate Rice (optional) - as needed
For Syrup
Water - 1/4 cup
Syrup from cherry can - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/3 cup
Method:
For the Cake
Mix together the dry ingredients - all purpose flour (maida), cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
Melt the butter in the microwave. Beat the eggs in a bowl using a hand blender until it becomes very creamy and frothy.
Mix together all the wet ingredients (melted butter, sugar, vanilla essence, milk and water) along with the beaten eggs.
Finally fold in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients in 2-3 parts. Combine with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth batter.
Grease two 9" round cake pans with butter and dust some flour and cocoa powder on it and keep it ready.
Pour equal quantities of the prepared cake batter into both the pan. Bake it in a oven preheated to 350 degree F (180 C) for about 30-35 minutes. You can also use a single cake pan to bake a big cake and later cut into half.
Check if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the cake. It should come out clean.
Switch off the oven and cool the cake before applying the syrup and frosting.
For the Syrup
Pour the cherry syrup and plain water into a small sauce pan.
Add the sugar to it and heat until everything combines.
Finally add the vanilla essence to the syrup and switch off. (Traditionally a tbsp of rum or cherry brandy is added to the sugar syrup. I do not prefer adding that.)
Cool it and keep it ready.
For the Frosting
Beat the whipping cream with sugar and vanilla essence until a nice fluffy frosting is ready.
Final Cake Assembling
Cut the top to make it flat before applying the frosting.
Cut both the cake laterally into 3 equal halves.
Take all the 3 cake pieces and pierce it with a fork at random places. This will help the syrup to penetrate into the cake.
Drizzle few spoonfuls of the syrup on each cake piece and let the cake absorb it. This step is very very important to make the cake moist and delicious.
Take a cake stand or serving dish and place one piece of cake. Apply a generous amount of frosting and top it with chopped cherries and some chocolate shavings.
Place the second piece of cake on top and apply the frosting and toppings. Repeat the same with the 2nd and 3rd slices of cake.
Apply the remaining frosting generously on top of the cake and on all the sides of the assembled cake.
Sprinkle chocolate shavings (grated chocolate bar) and chocolate rice (or sprinkles) on top and all around the cake.
Top the cake with cherries. Yummy black forest cake is ready.
