Black Forest Gateau
Black Forest Gateau is a German layered cake — Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte — made with chocolate sponge soaked in kirsch syrup, then stacked with whipped cream and cherries. Assembly takes patience, but each component can be prepared separately before building the final cake. Set aside about 2 hours of active work plus chilling time.
Equipment
- 9-inch round cake pans
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Mixer
- Spatula
- wire rack
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Filling and Topping
- 2 cups heavy cream cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 3 tablespoons kirsch (cherry liqueur)
- 2 cups pitted sour cherries drained if using canned
- ¼ cup dark chocolate shaved
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir until evenly blended.
- Add in the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and eggs. Mix on medium speed using an electric mixer until smooth, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- For the filling, whip the cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form.
- Once the cakes are cooled, drizzle each layer with kirsch. Place a cake layer on a serving plate, spread a quarter of the whipped cream over it, and scatter half of the cherries on top.
- Place the second cake layer on top and spread with another quarter of the cream. Use the remaining cream to cover the sides and top of the cake.
- Decorate with the remaining cherries and sprinkle with shaved chocolate. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- For a twist, try using almond extract in the cream or substitute kirsch with a quality cherry syrup.
- To simplify, pre-made chocolate cakes can be used instead of baking from scratch.
Nutrition
Calories: 564kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 7gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 220mgPotassium: 292mgFiber: 4gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 1426IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 3mg
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