German Black Forest Cake
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My daughter recently learned all about ancestors and heritage in school. Part of the curriculum was that they had to 1: interview a family member 2: make and bring in a dish to pass that represents your family culture.
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Despite the fact that I am nearly 100% German (and my husband is at least 50%), we didn’t grow up with very strong German dishes in our houses. In fact, for all of you who have been following me since the beginning, you know that I didn’t grow up with a ton of variety. We simply ate “normal midwestern food” food as I call it. Back in the day I had the same homework assignment but my family and I can’t remember for the life of us what I brought in to share with my classmates. So…my daughter got busy searching the web for German dishes. She found a recipe for German Black Forest Cake and instantly knew that was what she wanted to make!
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The cake is actually really easy to make and I love that the whole thing is homemade, nothing out of a box!
- 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
- 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.
Supplies Needed:
cake decorating bag & start tip (this set has everything you need including the cake decorating spatula!)
My little cutie helping with the decorating!
