Cherries, Chocolate and Cream, so much cream…

YAY my first actual cooking post! Please enjoy =)

Actuallly Written: 24th June 2011

Cake closh – check; fancy topping – check, taste – hell yes, I mean check =]

My brother had a Uni party for the first time at our house and it gave me an
excuse to create a massive 20cm diameter springform cake (I usually have to cut
down recipes to 1/4 – 1/8 for my family unless no chocolate is involved and
still it’s half – sacrilegious no?)

Being the younger sister, I am naturally adorable (psssht!) but a massive cream
filled cake isn’t going to lessen my chances of snagging some good looking
friends will it? Nah, not interested yet, a cake is enough for me!

This cake is the definition of big, bold and beautiful
and the best part is that it is so easy to make!!!

It is true, I decorated this differently to the Women’s
Day recipe booklet I got it from but hey, I would still eat this! I also
swirled some leftover cherry syrup on top for a sophisticated look but it
melted into the icing and became quite see-through – If you plan to do this
PLEASE use red food colouring! I also made it completely non-alcoholic with
syrup reserved instead of cherry liquor!

Black Forest Cake
From:
The Australian Women’s Weekly Chocolate Cakes Mini Recipe Booklet

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 250g butter, chopped
• 1 tbs espresso coffee powder
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) hot water
• 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2 cups (440g) caster sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
• 1 cup (150g) plain flour
• 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder (I love Nestlé’s!)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 600ml thickened cream
• 1/4 cup cherry liquor/reserved cherry syrup
• 2x 425g cans cherries, drained (reserved if
  desired) and halved

Method

1. Preheat
   oven to  150 degrees C. Grease a deep
   22cm-round cake pan. Line pan with baking paper on base and sides.
2. Melt
   butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in combined coffee and hot water. Add
   chocolate and sugar and stir over a low heat until all ingredients are combined
   and smooth (do not let boil). Take off heat and let cool to warm.
3. Combine
   all dry ingredients in a bowl.
4. Beat
   the cooled mixture on low speed using an electric mixture for 1 minute.
   Gradually beat in dry ingredients in three batches, letting each batch be
   completely incorporated before adding the next.
5. Beat
   in each egg at a time. Beat in essence. Pour mixture into prepared cake tin.
6. Bake
   for 1 3/4 hours. Stand cake in pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire
   rack. Cool completely.
7. Beat
   cream until firm peaks form. Trim cake top until flat and level. Split cake
   into 3 layers (must be cool to do this!). Place on layer on a serving plate,
   brush with reserved syrup/liquor. Top with 1/3 of cream and spread evenly. Top
   with 1/2 the cherries. Repeat with second cake layer. On top cake layer, evenly
   spread remaining 1/3 cream. Decorate as desired.