Black Forest Cake. Homemade

Black Forest Cake. Homemade is a delicious recipe and is prepared by using simple ingredients at home. Better taste, better flavors, and amazing texture. So soft and fluffy inside with loads of fresh cherries 🍒 A great way to celebrate any special occasion with this freshly baked Black Forest Cake is so much fun.

The basic base cake prepared using cocoa powder mixed with All-Purpose flour, vanilla essence, milk, oil, eggs, salt, and white vinegar builds the texture so amazing. Would like to mention one thing here is that in place of white vinegar you may substitute it with simple lemon juice. It would not make much difference in taste. As much as my experience using white vinegar so far in my cakes and cookies I have experienced is that it makes it a little more fluffed texture and gives it a sponge consistency. But it doesn’t matter much taste-wise. The taste should be the same.

Ingredients that we need to prepare Black Forest Cake

• All-purpose flour 1 cup
• Baking powder 1 teaspoon
• Baking soda 1/2 teaspoon
• Cocoa powder 1/4 cup (pure cocoa)
• Salt 1/4 teaspoon
• Oil 1/4 cup
• Granulated sugar 3/4 cup
• Milk 1/2 cup (lukewarm)
• Eggs 2 large
• White vinegar 1 teaspoon
• Instant coffee 1 teaspoon mixed with 1/3 cup of warm or hot water
• Chocolate bar shredded or ready-made chocolate shavings. (90 percent cocoa, dark chocolate) unsweetened or sweetened depends on your choice

Total Cook Time:

• Time for pre preparations 30 minutes
• Bake time: 45 to 50 minutes
• Total time consumed 1 hour and 20 minutes approximately

Importance of ingredients that we need to prepare Black Forest Cake. Homemade

• All-purpose flour for density and texture
• Eggs for making it spongy/ fluffy/ and dense texture
• Lukewarm water to adjust the consistency and also helps it cook well.
• White vinegar gives an acidic reaction to the milk mixture which causes the milk to curdle up and thus giving it and forming a fluffy bread texture.
• Sugar for sweetness
• Salt to balance the sweetness
• Cocoa powder for chocolate flavoring
• Instant coffee for taste and flavoring
• Baking powder to bake nicely which makes it fluffy and helps to puff out
• Baking soda helps it bake nicely and adds up a slightly crispy texture
• Oil helps it bake nicely and makes the cake soft and spongy thus forming a texture.

Directions to prepare the Cherry syrup for the Black Forest Cake. Homemade

Into a saucepan add 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of sugar. Turn on the flame and stir and cook on low flame. Once the sugar dissolves completely add 1 cup of freshly chopped cherries with seeds off and cook for around 8 to 10 minutes. The mixture turns slightly sticky (thin syrup consistency) and cherries would be softened slightly. At this point turn off the flame and allow this to cool. Later we are going to use this syrup on our cake. This cherry syrup is light sweet thin liquid consistency and helps the cake to keep moist. Also because of its thin syrup consistency, it soaks into the cake quickly.

Directions to prepare the base Cake 🎂

Into a bowl sieve all the dry ingredients like All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Add granulated sugar and give it a mix. Then into the mixture add 2 large eggs, oil, and mix. Add 1/2 cup of milk (lukewarm) or must be at room temperature. Beat the mixture few minutes.

Take 1/3 cup of warm or hot water and mix 1 teaspoon of the instant coffee and stir to dissolve. Pour this mixture into the cake batter that we prepared. Then add vanilla essence and lastly white vinegar into it and give it a quick mix.

Prepare a cake tin. I have used 6X6 inches round tin for this recipe. Stick a parchment paper using some oil to help it stick at the bottom and also apply some butter or oil on the top of the parchment paper to help it bake nicer and do not stick during demoulding the cake. It becomes very easy.

Baking

Pour the batter and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 to 50 minutes. Cracks start to appear on the top so once after around 40 to 45 minutes make sure to check if it’s baked or not? And you can do that by inserting a toothpick/ skewer/ fork inside. If this comes out clean it means it’s completely baked inside. Do not need to further bake it.

Slicing

Allow it to cool sometime. Then demould the cake. Slice it into 3 equal pieces removing the hardtop part a little bit. Try using a long sharp knife or a cake thread to slice this cake.

Frosting

For the frosting, we need whipping cream. Chilled whipping cream 2 cups are required. Adding 1/4 cup of sugar would be fine. It will be light sweet whipped cream frosting. Also if you want you may add a little extra sweetness to the cream. But make sure not to add too much because the texture might change and the whipped cream for frosting this cake would not be suitable as of my experience.

How to whip cream?

For this recipe, I have used 2 cups of whipping cream. It must be chilled right out from the refrigerator just before you whip it for the best results. Use a hand beater and beat it a few minutes say about 10 minutes. The texture changes slowly. It turns light and fluffy. The cream turns stiff and if you turn or tilt the bowl it will not fall or move from its place. That’s when you know it’s perfect for frosting. But also keep in mind that overbearing will turn it into a butter form. So the key is to beat just until it’s light and stiff enough to frost your cakes. Also, the trick is to add the sugar gradually and keep beating it. The sugar must be added at the beginning when you start beating it. I guess that’s a good amount of ideas on how much to whip your cream right.

Frosting the Black Forest Cake 🎂

First, use a single slice. Place it on a small plate. Evenly pour some cherry 🍒 syrup on it. Then spread a layer of whipped cream and then place the cooked slightly softened cherries. Top it with the second layer and repeat the same step.

Finally, top the third layer of the cake with cherry syrup and the cooked chopped cherries followed by the layer of a whipped cream frosting. Cover and spread the whipped cream all over the cake nicely. Once coated refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes or more. Then cover it again with the second layer of whipped cream frosting. This way the thickness of the cream gets right and tastes good too. Then refrigerate it back for about 10 minutes or more if you have no rush preparing it. The idea is to give it sufficient time for the whipped cream to stay stiff on the cake and it works great for further frosting and other ways to work on top of it.

Chocolate Shavings

For this recipe, I am using the grated dark unsweetened cocoa chocolate bar to stick to the walls of the cake and for decorating the top.

I bought a 90 percent dark cocoa chocolate bar unsweetened and shredded at home using a grated. You may get easily a ready-made chocolate shavings pack from the store. Both will work great!

The final step is to use the whipped cream to prepare some cute designs on top and on to the sides below the cake. I have used a small flower nozzle into my piping bag to design this. You may watch the full video for the recipe attached right below the post. Use some fresh whole cherries 🍒 on top to decorate this gorgeous cake.

Step by Step method to prepare Black Forest Cake along with images shown below

Into a sauce pan add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water

Turn on the flame and stir and cook on low flame unless the sugar dissolves completely.

Add 1 cup of freshly chopped cherries with seeds off and cook for around 8 to 10 minutes. The mixture turns slightly sticky (thin syrup consistency) and cherries would be softened slightly. At this point turn off the flame and allow this to cool. Later we are going to use it on our cake. This cherry syrup is light sweet thin liquid consistency and helps the cake to keep moist. Also because of its thin consistency, it soaks into the cake quickly.

Step by Step Directions to prepare the base cake for the Black Forest Cake with the images shown below

Into a bowl sieve all the dry ingredients like All-purpose flour 1 cup, baking powder 1 teaspoon, baking soda 1/2 teaspoon, salt 1/4 teaspoon and cocoa powder 1/4 cup.

Mix all the dry ingredients

Add granulated sugar 3/4 cup

Mix again

Into it then add 2 large eggs,

Add 1/4 cup of oil, and mix..

Add 1/2 cup of milk must be at room temperature or slightly warm.

Beat the mixture few minutes.

Take 1/3 cup of warm or hot water and mix 1 teaspoon of instant coffee and stir to dissolve.

Pour coffee mixture into the cake batter that we prepared.

Then add vanilla essence 1 teaspoon,

Lastly add white vinegar into it and give it a quick mix.

Give it a quick mix…

Preparing to Bake

Prepare a cake tin. I have used 6X6 inches round tin for this recipe. Stick a parchment paper using some oil to help it stick at the bottom and also apply some butter or oil on the top of the parchment paper to help it bake nicer and which helps not to stick during demoulding the cake. It becomes very easy.

Pour the batter into the cake tin.

Tap it few times to remove any air bubbles trapped inside.

Bake

Preheat the oven before you put the cake tin inside. This helps the oven to heat up at the required temperature. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 to 50 minutes. Cracks start to appear on the top so once after around 40 to 45 minutes make sure to check if it’s baked or not? And you can do that by inserting a toothpick/ skewer/ fork inside. If this comes out clean means it’s completely baked inside. Do not need to further bake it. Note: Bake time also depends on the wideness and sometimes on the type/material of the container used for baking.

Allow it to cool sometime. Then demould the cake. Slice it into 3 equal pieces removing the hard top part a little bit.

Once done baking take out the cake immediately from the oven and allow it to cool sometime.

How to check its baked or not?

After 40 to 45 minutes make sure to check. If you see cracks appear on top and look baked insert a toothpick/skewer/Fork inside. If it comes out clean then it means it is completely baked inside.

Demoulding

Demould the cake when slightly cold. Turn the cake tin upside down and remove the parchment paper.

Slicing

Once you demould the cake place it on top of an icing roller or any flat surface and slice it into 3 equal parts. This step is important to understand. because if we cut the slices uneven it would be hard to do a nicer frosting.

Note- Using a longer shaped sharp knife or a bread cutting thread works best to evenly cut out the cake into slices.

First cut the top bulged part a little bit to give it a flat shape.

Very soft and fluffy texture inside.

Cutting with a longer knife works the best. Evenly Sliced cut out cakes are easier for frosting.

The top bulged part has to be removed a little bit for getting just the flat slices.

Frosting 🧁

For the frosting, we need whipping cream. Chilled whipping cream 2 cups are required.

Beat for 1 minute in the beginning, then add the icing sugar gradually…

Add 1/4 cup of icing sugar gradually at the beginning and continue beating until light stiff and fluffy.

Note: Adding 1/4 cup of sugar would be fine. It will be light sweet whipped cream frosting. But if you want you may add a little extra sweetness to the cream. But make sure not to add too much because the texture might change and the whipped cream for frosting would not be suitable for frosting the cake as of my experience.

Frosting the cake 🎂

First use a single slice. Place it on a small plate. Evenly pour some cherry 🍒 syrup on it. Then spread a layer of whipped cream and then place the cooked slightly softened cherries. Top it with the second layer and repeat the same step.

Finally, top the third layer of the cake with the syrup and then the chopped slightly cooked cherries. Cover and spread the whipped cream all over the cake nicely.

Once covered well from all around refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes or more

Cover it with the second layer of frosting. Then refrigerate it back for about 10 minutes or more if you have no rush preparing it. The idea is to give it sufficient time to stay stiff and works great for further frosting and other ways to decorate it.

Take it out from the refrigerator and clean around a little bit then do the decorating part of it.

Chocolate Shavings

Use Chocolate shavings on the sidewalls of the cake by using a butter knife or hands. These will stick immediately as soon as you apply using light hands.

Sprinkle some dark chocolate shavings on the top.

Use a zip lock bag for piping the cake with a star nozzle fitted inside. Designing is completely on your choice.

I’m also designing up the cake with some cream frosting on the outer lining below of the cake because it will definitely give a better look to the corner and looks gorgeous and covering up much unevenness.

Finally top it with some some fresh whole cherries.

Serve and Enjoy this delicious cake.

Watch the Full video for the recipe