The Black Forest Cherry Cake is a highlight at any party. It initially charms with its royal look and immediately convinces with its unique flavor. This three-layer chocolate sponge cake is not only a very special dessert to share but also a wonderful conversation starter for anyone who is interested in learning about the history of Germany.
Ingredients
For the cookie dough (bottom layer):
125 g all-purpose flour
10 g cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
50 g Zucker
75 g soft butter or margarine Optional: 1 package Dr. Oetker vanilla sugar (Amazon)
1 tablespoon Kirschwasser (alcohol)
For the dough (second & third layer):
4 eggs (Size L)
100 g sugar
1 package vanilla sugar
100 g all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
25 g corn starch
10 g cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
For the filling:
1 glass morello cherries (drained weight: 350 g)
250 ml cherry juice (from the glass)
1 package Dr. Oetker red glace (Tortenguss) (Amazon)
25 g sugar
3 tablespoons Kirschwasser
Alternatively, you can simply use two cans of Comstock cherries incl. the juice and add Kirschwasser.
For the cream:
5 packages Dr. Oetker Whip it Stabilizer (Amazon)
5 tablespoons cold water
800 mg cooled whipped cream
40 g powdered sugar
1 package Dr. Oetker vanilla sugar
To decorate the cake:
shaved dark chocolate (100g)
How to make a Black Forest Cherry Cake
1. For the first layer dough (cookie dough), mix flour with cocoa and baking powder in a bowl. Sift the mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients for this dough and knead everything together using a mixer. Once well combined (dough is soft and smooth), use your hands to form a sphere. Roll out the dough in a spring form pan (28 cm, grease the bottom) and distribute it evenly. Use a fork to pinch the dough several times to allow it to breathe. Add the spring form ring around. Place the pan onto the oven rack.
Convection oven: 320 degree Fahrenheit (preheated), Top and bottom heat oven: 356 degree Fahrenheit (pre-heated), Time to bake: approx. 15 minutes
2. Immediately and carefully separate the baked dough from the bottom of the spring form pan with a long non-serrated knife. (If you wait too long, the dough will cool and might break when you try to separate it.) Once separated, let it cool down (on the pan bottom) on a rack.
3. For the dough (second and third layer), mix eggs on the highest setting for one minute until you have a foamy texture. Gradually add sugar and vanilla sugar and mix for another two minutes. In a separate bowl, mix flour with baking powder, corn starch, cocoa and cinnamon. Sift the mixture into the already combined egg-sugar mix. Now slowly combine the two mixtures and don’t overstir. Grease (bottom) of a 28 cm spring form pan and add parchment paper at the bottom. Add the dough to the spring form and distribute evenly. Place the spring form pan on the oven rack and bake at the same temperature as above for 30 minutes.
4. Place the spring form pan onto a rack outside the oven and let it cool down for 10 minutes. Remove the spring form ring. Prepare an oven rack with new parchment paper and place the dough so that you can remove the parchment paper from the bottom. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to slice the dough into two equal layers.
5. For the cherry filling, add cherries to a strainer and collect the juice. Set aside 250 ml of juice and 16 cherries onto a paper towel.
6. Prepare glace (Tortenguss) with juice and sugar according to the instructions on the Tortenguss package. Add remaining cherries and Kirschwasser (optional) to the mixture and let it cool down.
6. To facilitate step 6, you can use 2 cans of Comstock cherries including that juice instead.
7. Whisk together on high speed: cream, Dr. Oetker Whip it Stabilizer, powdered sugar and vanilla sugar until the cream is stiff.
8. Place the cookie dough onto a cake plate and add the cherry filling. Leave about 1/3 inch space towards the edge in order for cherry filling to not squeeze out later. Add 1/3 of the cream mixture on top of the cherry filling. Place the bottom layer of the second dough on the top and gently press it down. Add 1/2 of the remaining cream mixture on top of the dough. Place the remaining dough layer on the top and gently press it down. Set aside three tablespoons of the cream to decorate the top of the cake later. Use the remaining cream to cover the top and sides of the cake evenly. With a cream decorator, add the preferred shapes on the top and position the remaining 16 cherries. Add the shaved chocolate or sifted cocoa on the sides as well as on the top of the cake as desired.
9. Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Enjoy the compliments :)!
