The Behemoth Of All Black Forest Cakes Recipes

BLACK FOREST CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
• Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
• Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
• With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.

THE BEHEMOTH OF ALL BLACK FOREST CAKES

Steps:

• Combine the cherry filling ingredients together and chill overnight.
• For the mousse: melt the chocolate and the kirsch together in a mixing bowl, in the microwave or over hot water in a double boiler, but do not boil.
• Add the egg into the hot chocolate and stir quickly to avoid scrambling.
• Whip the cream and sugar till soft peaks, then and fold into the chocolate mixture.
• Store in fridge for 2 hours.
• For the cake: beat the egg whites and ½ cup of sugar to soft peaks and set aside.
• Put the dry ingredients, the first 4, into a mixer bowl and blend.
• Add the oil and ½ cup milk, and beat for 1 minute, scraping the bowl often.
• Add ½ cup milk, 2 egg yolks, melted chocolate and beat 1 minute longer, scraping bowl frequently.
• Gently fold in the egg whites and pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans.
• Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool 10 minutes, remove cakes from the pans and let the cakes cool thoroughly.
• When cake has cooled, use a string or monofilament to slice each layer in half (making four layers total) and then set aside to make frosting.
• For the frosting: beat the butter to soften, add 1 cup powdered sugar, beat and then add the milk and vanilla.
• Start adding the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and then beat until frosting is stiff but still spreadable.
• The amount of powdered sugar necessary to reach this point may vary.
• Stiff is necessary for the frosting ‘wall’ later.
• Chill butter frosting for 30 minutes.
• Assembly (4 hours before serving time) Spread ½ cup of butter frosting on cut side of a cake layer.
• Use the remaining frosting to build ‘walls’; two ½” wide and ¾” tall barricades: one ring around the outer edge of the layer and the other smaller ring placed 2 inches inside the first.
• Architectually speaking, this will provide structural support for the layers that will top it.
• Drain the cherries thoroughly and place in the hollowed channels in the frosting.
• (The cherry liquid can be brushed onto the remaining cake layers if you don't want to waste it.) For the second layer, spread the chocolate mousse evenly on top of the second layer and place the bare, cut side down on top of cherry'frosting layer.
• Chill until the layers have set and the construction is sturdy (about one hour).
• In the meantime, whip the cream filling to stiff peaks.
• Place the 3rd cake layer on the mousse layer, spread with ½" layer of the whipped cream.
• Place the 4th layer on top.
• Frost the sides of the cake, only, with the remaining whipped cream and dust the bare top with powdered sugar.
• Garnish with 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries and 1/2 pound chocolate bar shredded into curls.
• Make sure you have enough head room in the fridge for this behemoth and then chill for 2 hours before serving.
• Refrigerate leftovers.

BLACK FOREST CAKE II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottoms of two 8 inch round pans with parchment paper circles. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until combined. Pour into 2 round 8 inch pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool completely. Remove paper from the cakes. Cut each layer in half, horizontally, making 4 layers total. Sprinkle layers with the 1/2 cup kirshwasser.
• In a medium bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar, pinch of salt, and coffee; beat until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a couple teaspoons of cherry juice or milk. Spread first layer of cake with 1/3 of the filling. Top with 1/3 of the cherries. Repeat with the remaining layers.
• In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon kirshwasser. Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with chocolate curls made by using a potato peeler on semisweet baking chocolate.

QUICK BLACK FOREST CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix together: cake mix, beaten eggs, almond extract, cherry pie filling and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool.
• To Make Glaze: Heat 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, butter or margarine, and milk in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once semisweet chocolate chips are melted and mixture is combined stir in confectioners' sugar.
• Spread glaze over cooled cake. Serve cake as is or with whipped cream and a cherry.