We celebrated Mr. Doughmakers birthday this past week with this decadent treat. Every bite offers double chocolate, juicy cherries and silky whipped cream.
I started by baking the cakes the night before so they had plenty of time to cool and thank goodness I did. As it turned out, we had a crazy storm come through and we lost power somewhere between the melting the ganache and making whipped cream….and now I know I can whip whipped cream by hand. This was truly a labor of love and well-deserved treat for my main man.
| Ingredients Cake: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs, room temperature 3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup hot water | Cherries: 2 15oz cans dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup 2 Tbsp Luxardo cherry liqueur Chocolate Ganache: 1 cup heavy whipping cream 2 4oz semi-sweet baking chocolate bars Whipped Cream: 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream 1/4 confectioners’ sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch round, spring release cake pans with butter. I usually use a cold stick of butter from the fridge and just unwrap one end, and wipe in on the bottom and inside of the ring. Cut parchment paper circles to line the bottom of the pans and grease the parchment paper as well. This process takes 15 minutes but it’s well worth it to have the cake come out perfectly.
Combine milk and vinegar in a measuring cup. In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Combine eggs, sour cream, milk/vinegar mixture, and vanilla. Beat until just combined. Pour in dry ingredients and hot water. Mix until combined.
Divide batter evenly between the three pans. Bake 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centered comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool at least 20 minutes in pans. Remove them from the pans to a cooling rack to completely cool. Using a serrated knife, level the top of each cake.
If you plan to store the cakes in the fridge overnight, which I recommend to allow them to cool before decorating, be sure to cover or wrap them individually in plastic wrap to keep them moist.
After the cakes have cooled completely, you can begin making the cherry filling. Drain the cherries, reserving the juice. Save a few whole cherries to garnish the cake. Cut the rest in half and set aside.
Combine 3/4 cup of the cherry syrup and the cherry liqueur in a small sauce pan. Simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup. Drizzle each layer of cake with the reduction sauce.
Traditionally, Black Forest cherry cake is made with Kirsch liqueur however the store did not have any left so I substituted the Luxardo and was not disappointed. It’s slightly sweeter than Kirsch but pleasantly light. Also, a reminder that this cake is safe for children to consume as the alcohol is cooked off during the process.
To make the ganache, grate the chocolate bars over a medium bowl. (Did I mention this was a labor of love? My arms got quite the workout between this and hand-whipping whipped cream.)
Pour one cup of heavy whipping cream into a small saucepan and heat on low until hot. Do not allow it to boil.
When the milk starts steaming, it’s done.
Pour over the shredded chocolate and allow it to melt a bit before stirring until smooth. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer, or a hand whisk if you missed arm day, whip 2 cups heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla at medium speed until stiff peaks form.
I prefer to use my steel mixing bowl for this step and put it in the fridge 30 minutes ahead of time. The cold bowl helps the cream to form better.
Finally, it’s time to assemble. Start by placing the bottom cake layer on your cake stand. top with a heaping spoonful of whipped cream followed by half of the cut cherries. Place the second cake layer and repeat with whipped cream and the remaining cherries. Place the final layer. Top with remaining whipped cream, spreading on the tops and sides.
Pour ganache on top, starting in the middle and working your way out to allow it to drip down the sides. Place the few whole cherries on top. Cover and return to fridge to chill until ready to enjoy!
