I am not normally one for big cream cakes, they can be a bit rich for my tastebuds. But with some cherries in the fridge that needed using up, a hankering for something chocolatey, and guests coming to dinner – well who was I to argue!
I made this cake a few weeks ago when Rob’s parents were over for dinner, using a lighter version of a well-known brand of double cream. It came from the supermarket but I can’t find a link anywhere. It worked just as well as the normal stuff, and being lighter, meant we could tuck into big fat slices without feeling (as) guilty.
For some reason a lot of people think of Black Forest cake/gateau as something best consigned to the recipe books of the 70’s and 80’s. Having made it on this occasion I’m in complete disagreement, it’s tasty, looks good and is easy to make – who wouldn’t want that on their dinner table! The cake is very rich and chocolatey, and complemented perfectly by the sweet, tangy cherries, and smooth fresh cream.
Originally I think you’re supposed to make one big cake and slice it in half, I much prefer just to bake in two separate tins.
Black Forest Cake
175g caster sugar
175g butter
3 eggs
125g plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
50g cocoa powder
150g fresh cherries, plus extra to decorate
50g sugar
150 ml cream, whipped
100g chocolate, ideally dark
- To make the cake, cream together the butter and sugar, before beating the eggs, and finally folding in the sieved dry ingredients.
– Divide into two greased, lined 7 inch (or similar) sponge tins, and bake at 180 degrees for 20 – 30 mins, until springy to the touch
– While the cake is cooling make the cherry filling by chopping the cherries, adding to the sugar and simmering on a low heat for 5 minutes.
– Use a teaspoon to take a couple of spoonfuls of the liquid from the cherries and spoon over the cakes, allowing it to soak in. Set the rest of the cherries aside and leave to cool.
All that’s needed now is to assemble the layers – cake, cream, cherries, cake, and finished with a chocolate topping.
I found it easier to do the chocolate topping and decoration before assembly (melt the chocolate bar one piece, spread evenly all over the cake and quickly press in the cherries):
Once this was set, filling and stacking was quick and easy!
I love the way some of the cherry juice tinges the cream purple – so you know it’s delicious and sticky inside!
As only seems fitting I am entering this into #greatbloggersbakeoff2014 European Cakes week. And a fun fact while I’m at it – did you know that the cake is not named after the Black Forest area of Germany itself, but instead after the cherry liqueur, produced in the region, that was originally used in the recipe.
I’d love to have tried one of the Princess Torte’s – how amazing did that look? But time was not on my side this week. Maybe next time… I am a princess after all ;-)
