Double Chocolate Black Forest Cake

Double Chocolate Black Forest Cake

It's official, we now have 2 teenagers in the house! Number one son celebrated his 13th birthday this past weekend and got to choose his birthday cake. He chose chocolate and cherry and I immediately thought black forest cake but with such beautiful, ripe, sweet cherries on hand I wanted to use them in their natural state rather than making a cooked filling. Instead I layered them with whipped chocolate ganache frosting and plain layers of whipped cream in this utterly decadent cake. I think the cherries on top makes for a beautiful presentation too. Who wouldn't want this as a birthday cake?! 

The recipe here is all ages friendly but if you want to add some Kirsch or other cherry liqueur to the cake by sprinkling about an ounce or so of the liqueur on each of the cake as you construct it.

Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup soured milk (just add a tablespoon of lemon juice or plain vinegar to a cup of milk)
• 1 cup black coffee
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
Pour into 2 greased and floured (or dusted with cocoa) 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. When completely cooled, split the two layers into four with a sharp serrated bread knife.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

To prepare the filling/frosting, melt together in a double boiler

• 3 cups dark chocolate chips
•  1/2 cup whipping cream

Stir constantly over a gentle simmer in the double boiler, just until melted and smooth throughout. You do not want this mixture to get hot, it should be just at the melting point and only lukewarm to the touch.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whip to firm peaks:

• 2 cups whipping cream

Add the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture in four portions, folding gently after each addition until the whipped cream is completely incorporated into the chocolate. 

At this point you will probably have to chill this frosting for a half hour or more in the fridge if it is too soft to work with. Just give it a quick fold with a rubber spatula every 10 minutes so that it cools evenly in the fridge.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 4 rounded tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Whip together to firm peaks.

• 1 pound ripe fresh cherries, pitted
• chopped chocolate for garnish

To construct the cake, split the two layers of cake into four using a sharp serrated bread knife. Place the first layer of  cake onto the cake plate and cover with a little of the vanilla whipped cream followed by the next layer of cake. Spread a thin layer of the whipped chocolate ganache on this layer and place a layer of pitted cherries on top followed by more whipped ganache to completely cover the cherries.

Add the next layer of cake, more of the vanilla whipped cream and the final layer of cake. Frost the entire outside of the cake with the remaining whipped ganache frosting and place another layer of pitted cherries on top of the cake. Garnish with borders of vanilla whipped cream and with chopped chocolate on the sides.