Perhaps I may have given off the impression that I hated making desserts that needed baking. That’s not what I was aiming for at all. In all honestly, I do prefer no-bake sweets and desserts better. If I did go through the trouble of baking some desserts, there are really special people I wanted to please that day.

Today is one of those special occasions. I have just finished off the last slice of this delicious cake. There are many variations of this recipe and rarely do I find something worth doing again and again. In fact, this cake is so delectable that I always give them out as birthday cakes to many of my adult friends and family.

Making this will require an assistant because it’s more fun that way. Gather up your kids when you’re in the process of whipping up the frosting so that they can lick off the extras on the bowl or spatula. I tell you, baking would be less tedious this way.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

Description

  1. Prepare the oven and preheat to 350 °F or about 175°C. Next, grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Dust it with flour and cover each of the bottoms with wax paper.
  2. Combine 2 cups of sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix these dry ingredients well. Then add all the wet ingredients: eggs, milk, oil and a tablespoon of vanilla and beat until well blended. Pour this batter into the greased pans.
  3. Place them in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Another way to test is to thrust a toothpick in the middle of the cake and take it out. When it comes out clean, the cake is done. Let cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack and then remove from the pan.
  4. Prepare your cherries by draining the syrup and reserving half a cup of this juice. Then in a separate bowl, combine the juice, the cherries, cornstarch and a cup of sugar. Next, pour this over a 2-quart saucepan. Allow to cook over low heat until thickened. Make sure you’re stirring constantly. Then add a teaspoon of vanilla and set aside. Cool this before using.
  5. Take out a hand mixer. In a bowl, combine whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar with the mixer until you see stiff forms appearing.
  6. It’s time to slice a layer of the cake with a long serrated knife. Be careful in doing this because you can’t break off any of the cake layers. Break apart one sliced layer into crumbs and set aside. Reserve 1 and ½ cups of frosting for decorating the cake and set aside. To assemble the cake, start by laying down a base – a sliced cake at the bottom. Spread frosting and top with cherry sauce. And then add another sliced layer and repeat the frosting and cherry sauce mix. On the last layer, use up all of the remaining frosting in order to include the sides of the cake. Pat on some of the crushed crumbs on the side. Spoon the rest of the cherry sauce in a pastry bag and start decorating the top of the cake as you wish. Be generous about frosting the top and the sides of the cake and finish off with the last of the cherry topping. Best served chilled.

Black Forest Cake 2