This fudgy black forest cake has a rich, not-too-sweet chocolate cherry cake base. Swirls and poofs of cherry-coffee whipped cream add lightness and reinforce the flavors. You're going to love this one!
You can bake this cake as one thick layer and cut it in half like I did, or you can bake in two pans. It is your choice. Either way will work.
1Tablespooninstant coffee or 2 teaspoons coffee extract
8.5oz(about 2 cups, whisked, lightly spooned and swept) all purpose flour
1 ½teaspoonsbaking powder
¾teaspoonsalt
2large eggs
5oz(generous 1/2 cup) sour cream or creme fraiche
½cupvegetable oil
1teaspoonvanilla
3ozcocoa powder
10oz(about 1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
For the Cake Soak
Either use the liquid from the jarred or canned sour cherries or use sour cherry syrup diluted with an equal amount of water. You will need abou 3/4 cups of liquid.
For the Whipped Cream Filling and Topping
2-2 ½cupswhipping cream(depending on how much swirling and decoration you want to put on top of your cake)
3-5Tablespoonssour cherry syrup(to taste)
⅛teaspoon(or a touch more) fine sea salt
1 - 1 ½teaspoonscoffee extract
For the Ganache
½cupsemi- or bittersweet chocolate chips or 3/4 cups milk chocolate chips
½cupheavy cream
For the Chocolate Shaviings
A small piece of good quality chocolate bar, milk or dark
Instructions
For the Cake
Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325F.
Prepare a 9" x 3" pan or 2 9" x 2" pans by fitting a parchment circle in the bottom of the pan/s and spraying the sides lightly with pan spray. Set aside.
Place the sour cherry syrup, water, butter and instant coffee/coffee extract in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, covered, until the butter has melted. No need to bring this to a boil. You just want it hot enough to melt the butter. Swirl the pan occasionally to speed up the process. Remove from heat and leave the lid on while it cools just a bit.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream or creme fraiche, vegetable oil and vanilla until evenly combined. Set aside.
Remove the lid from the cherry syrup/butter mixture and thoroughly whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar.
Whisk the cherry/cocoa mixture into the egg/sour cream mixture thoroughly. Then, scrape the wet mixture into the flour mixture and combine thoroughly but quickly. Try to bring the batter together in no more than a minute.
Scrape into a 9" x 3" pan (or evenly divide between 2 9" x 2" pans and bake until risen and firm on top. The internal temperature should be 200F, give or take a couple of degrees.
Remove the pans to racks. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15-20 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan/s and turn out to cool completely.
Use a large serrated knife to trim off any dome/s and then cut the cake in half horizontally if you have only made a 9" x 3" cake. Otherwise, you're good to go with two thinner layers.
For the Whipped Cream Filling and Topping
Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl if you're whisking by hand). Bring the mixture to medium-medium/firm peaks.. Refrigerate until needed.
For the Ganache
Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat the cream just to a boil and then pour over the chips. Allow to sit for a minute and whisk slowly until all the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is glossy and smooth.
For the Cherries
Dump out the can/jar of cherries into a strainer set over a bowl. Reserve the juices. Place the drained cherries on an old, clean, lint-free kitchen towel or on 2-3 layers of paper towel and blot off the excess liquid.
To Assemble
Place about a Tablespoon of ganache in the center of your serving platter and press one layer of cake down into it so the ganache acts as glue.
Brush/sprinkle on about half the cake soak as evenly as you can, allowing it to soak in before adding more.
Spread a cup or so of the whipped cream over that layer. Arrange half the cherries evenly over the cream and then spread another thin layer of cream over the cherries. This will help the next layer stick to the filling instead of floating on a bed of cherries.
Place the other layer of cake on top of the filling, flat side up. Press down gently so some of the cream sort of squeezes out of the sides.
Sprinkle/brush the rest of the cake soak onto the top of the cake.
Pour all the remaining ganache into the center of the cake, spreading it out with a small offset spatula and encouraging artful drips down the side of the cake. Keep the ganache a bit thicker in the center since that's where the cherries will go.
Arrange the remaining cherries in a circle in the middle of the cake. Spread or pipe the remaining whipped cream decoratively all around the edges of the cake.
Use a microplane to grate some chocolate all over the top of the cake.
Refrigerate until serving. Cut the cake cold but allow the slices to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating for best flavor and texture.
Notes
Baking time will vary from about 30 minutes if baking 2 layers to around 50 minutes if baking one layer. Keep an eye on them and start checking your 2 layers at around 25-30 minutes and your one layer after about 45 minutes.I almost always whip my cream by hand, and it holds up under refrigeration for a good 3-4 days. The cherries may weep a bit of red into the surrounding cream, but otherwise, quality isn't affected.