Black Forest Cake

I have noticed that March is a very busy month for birthdays, not only was my husbands birthday last week and mine this week. But I learned that my friend Tess from Slow Cooking Kitchen's birthday too! and I wanted to bake a cake especially for her, call it a virtual birthday cake/party.
This Black Forest Cake is made with chocolate, brandy, and cherries. All chosen just for Tess :)
In between two chocolate cakes is a middle made of  cherry filling sprinkled with coconut. The cake is covered with a Cocoa butter frosting, homemade whipped cream, cherries and shaved chocolate sprinkles.

Happy Birthday Tess!!! I hope you enjoy your cake ;)

Black Forest Cake 

Adapted from Better homes and Garden Special Interest Publication "Cupcakes "

Ingredients

2/3 Cup Butter

2 Eggs

2 1/4 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 Cups sugar

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 Cup water

1/4 Cup Brandy

Recipes for Coca butter frosting, Cherry filling and whipped cream below.

Directions

Let your butter and eggs stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. In the meantime grab two 9inch round cake pans and grease with a vegetable spray and sprinkle with a tiny amount of flour. set aside

In a medium bowl combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. set to the side.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with a electric mixer on medium high for 30 seconds.  Gradually add sugar about 1/4 cup at a time, mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mixing until combined.  Add in melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix until combined.  Alternately add your flour mixture and water to the butter mix, mix on low until all combined.  Stir in Brandy. 

Pour your batter in even amounts into each round cake pan. and place both pans on the middle rack.  Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool out of the pan on a wire rack.  Start your filling and frosting. 

Cherry Filling

3/4 Sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup water

3 cups thawed cherries (I had to use frozen since cherries are not in season)

Directions

Combine your sugar, cornstarch, and water in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stir until combined.  Add your cherries and cook and stir on medium until thickened and bubbly.  remove from heat and let cool. 

Cocoa Butter Frosting

1/3 cup butter (at room temp for at least 30 min.)

4 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate (melted)

3 Tablespoons almond milk (or milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Beat the butter in a electric mixer until smooth, gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 ounce melted unsweetened chocolate. Mix until all is combined. Mix in 2 Tablespoons almond milk and vanilla, slowly mix in 3 1/4 powdered sugar and the additional 1 tablespoon almond milk.  mix well until you have a frosting that consistency is good for pipping. 

Whipped Cream

1 1/2 Cups Whipping cream

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.

Directions

In a chilled mixing bowl combine your whipping cream, sugar and vanilla. beat on medium speed until soft peaks form (takes about 5 minutes)

To assemble the Cake

1. Place one of the cakes on any desired plate

2. Spread your cooled cherry filling on top (be careful you will have some filling left over, if you add all of it, it will spill out once you place the second cake on top.)

3. Sprinkle some sweet shredded coconut on top of the cherry filling

4. Place your second cake on top.

5. Forst your cake with the cocoa butter frosting

6. Add some left over cocoa frosting into a pipping bag and decorate your cake

7. Add some whipped cream into a pipping bag and decorate.

8. Shave some sweetened chocolate with a cheese grater and decorate your cake. 

9. Top the cake with some maraschino cherries. 

Have fun with decorating, I'm pretty new at the whole decorating part. This cake is probably the best attempt I personally have done so far. Practice makes perfect right, now if I can just learned to restrain myself enough to stop licking the spoon when making the frosting and whipped cream ;)