Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Black Forest Cake
Serves 6-8
125g unsalted butter, chopped
1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
400g dark chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
2 tbs arrowroot
300ml thickened cream
2 tbs kirsch
Maraschino cherries, to decorate (optional)
Filling
400g can pitted sour cherries, drained, juice reserved
3 tsp arrowroot
300ml thickened cream
2 tsp icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a deep 20cm springform cake pan. Place butter, sugar, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, 60g chocolate and 1 cup (250m1) water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring until melted and combined, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3 minutes or until smooth and slightly thickened. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Stir the eggs, flour and arrowroot into the chocolate mixture, then pour into the pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool slightly, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, to make the ganache icing, place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point. Place the remaining 340g chocolate in a bowl and pour over the hot cream, then stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
For the filling, place cherry juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Dissolve the arrowroot in a little cold water, then stir into the juice and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Set aside to cool. Whisk the cream and icing sugar with electric beaters to stiff peaks.
Cut the cake horizontally into 4 layers. Place one layer on a serving plate, drizzle with one-third of the kirsch and a little cherry syrup, then spread with one-third of the whipped cream. Dot with the sour cherries. Repeat layering, finishing with a cake layer. Spread the ganache over the cake and garnish with maraschino cherries.