Pick 'N' Cook

Black Forest Cake

The dessert is named after the Black Forest mountain range in southwestern Germany.

Black Forest consists of several layers of chocolate sponge cake sandwiched with whipped cream and cherries. It is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings. In some European traditions, sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top.

Ingredients
Base:

• Unsalted butter - 3 tbsp
• Cake flour - 1/2 cup
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Cocoa Powder- 1/3 cup
• Eggs - 4
• Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

Cream:

• Heavy cream - 1 cup (250 ml)
• Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
• Powered sugar - 2-4 tbsp

Topping:

• Cherries as needed
• Dark Chocolate - 1/4 cup (grated)

Directions

Base:

1. Preheat oven for about 3570 degree F/ 180 degree C.
2. In a bowl add cake flour, cocoa powder and salt.
   
3. Sift all together and mix them.
4. In a separate bowl add eggs, sugar and whisk them together, keep aside.
   
5. Put them over a sauce pan adding water in pan, put them on stove at low heat.
6. Keep whisking on stove top till egg mixture reaches Luke warm temperature.
7. Transfer egg mixture into a mixing bowl and beat them on high speed for 5 mins till it becomes thick.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Flavor the mixture by adding vanilla extract and beat again.
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Now, add the flour mixture into egg mixture by sifting them.
10. Use wide whisk or spatula to mix them together.
    
11. Repeat above two steps by dividing flour mixture into three parts. 
12. Now, add melted butter in Luke warm temperature (mix little amount of cake mixture made into melted butter and then mix with the whole mixture).
13. Grease cake tin and pour the mixture into them, level them.
14. Bake in oven for about 20 - 25 mins till the tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
    
    
    
    
15. Cool them completely.

Cream:

1. Take two bowls in which one bowl gets easily fitted in the second bowl.  Put 1 tray ice cubes in big bowl and palace the small bowl above the ice, pour heavy cream in it.
2. Whip the cream with the help of electronic mixture.
3. Firstly keep the speed at normal pace and slowly-slowly increase the pace.  After beating for a while,add sugar powder and vanilla essence to it and stir. Beat the cream until it becomes thick.
4. It takes about 8 to 12 mins to whip the cream.  After whipping the cream store it in a air tight container and whenever to want to use it, take it out from the fridge 10 mins before.  If the cream gets loosen up whip it again.The cream doubles in quantity once whipped.

 
       

         

           

Arranging Cake & Topping:

1. Divide cake horizontally into two pieces, apply whipped cream between them and also apply all around the cake.
   
   
   
   
2. Now, Place cherries and decorate cake as per need.
3. sprinkle grated dark chocolate on top and sides of cake.
   
   
   
4. Refrigerate and serve.