Black Forest Cake

This post has been pending for quite sometime now.... So I decided I would post this recipe today. This is going to be my longest post I guess. If you manage to read through it and make one, you really have great patience. Let me know if you have any trouble with this. I would be updating this with a few more pictures very soon.

Unlike the traditional Black Forest Cake that uses Kirsch Syrup(it is a liquor made from fermented cherries) for soaking the baked cake, this one just uses the syrup from a can of cherries for soaking. What makes this cake so much similar to the black forest wedges you have enjoyed at your favourite cafe` or bakery is that, you could make it look exactly like that one and taste like that one too.... It is so very amazing that this could be put together easily and for people who love to surprise their loved ones, this is the challenge. With this simple recipe you could easily make the best black forest cake and woo your loved ones. What more, this cake is a pure vegan cake so does well for the eggless eaters too..... Please plan to start the process, a day and a half ahead.

Without bragging more about this recipe, lets get to it, get your baking supplies ready and wear your apron and oven mittens. Here we go. I have divided the recipe into 4 parts. Part 1 - Basic chocolate sponge cake. Part 2 - Soaking syrup. Part 3 - Preparing the frosting . Part 4 - Assembling

PART 1

Basic Chocolate Sponge Cake ( Vegan Version)  

Preparation Time: 25 minutes  Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
 
All Purpose Flour / Refined Flour / Maida – 2 and 1/4 cup

Cocoa powder – 3/8  cup

Baking soda – 1.5 tsp

Salt – 3/8 tsp

Cooking oil – ½ cup + ¼ cup

Warm water – 1.5 cup

Vinegar – 1.5 tbsp

Vanilla essence – 1.5 tsp

Sugar – 1.5 cups

Items needed 

Measuring cups and spoons

8 " Cake tin  

Foil for lining the cake tin / cooking spray

A medium bowl for mixing the dry ingredients

A balloon whisk / a sieve

A large bowl to mix the wet ingredients and the final cake mix

Procedure

1. In a medium bowl, mix thoroughly the maida, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. If possible, sieve them thrice for even mixing.
2. Add sugar to the mixed dry ingredients and mix once again.
3. Combine and mix the wet ingredients separately in another large bowl
4. Switch on the oven for preheating at 180 degrees C
5. Fold the dry ingredients in the wet mixture until even.
6. Pour into a greased / foil lined baking pan and bake for 40 minutes / until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. If the top has risen too much, scrap off the portions to make it flat, since we will be using frosting on this.
8. Allow the cake to cool completely before proceeding to soak the cake.


NOTE : If you have an oven that does not have a provision to keep the top and bottom heating elements on at the same time, first choose to bake the cake using the bottom heating element till the cake rises and is almost done ( about 30 minutes) , then transfer it to the upper rack and turn on the upper heating element for 10 minutes till the top portion of the cake is done.  I have this problem, hence this comment. :(

PART 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes

Soaking syrup

Ingredients

Sugar - 1/2 Cup

Water - 1/2 Cup

Cherry syrup drained from a can of red cherries ( Place the cherries back to use later)

Items  needed

A vessel to make the sugar syrup

Procedure

1. Cut the cooled chocolate sponge cake into three layers. Now there are multiple techniques that you could use to achieve even layers. ( I will give  a detailed post on the same a little later)

2. Once you have the three layers, use a pastry brush and smear the cherry syrup on each of the layers. 

3. Don't over do it though else your cake will get too soft and may not stand the test of time. It might break midway. 

4. Incase you think the cherry syrup from the can is not enough, you may need to make the sugar syrup. 

5. The key is to use cold syrups. So in case you are making the sugar syrup after running out of cherry syrup, make sure you cool it sufficiently before using it for soaking.

6. Keep stirring the sugar and the water mixture till it reaches a slightly syrupy consistency( approx : 3 minutes on a high flame)

6. Once all the layers have been soaked, put them together and let them lie in the refrigerator for half a day atleast. Works best if you could let all the flavours mature for a day. 

PART 3

Preparing the frosting

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Whipping cream - 3 cups(If the whipping cream does not have added sugar you will need to add sugar)

Sugar - 1/2  cup (preferably powdered)

Items Needed

A large bowl to whip the cream

Beater

Procedure

1. Chill the beater blades and the bowl in the refrigerator for 4- 6 hours. Preferably a stainless steel bowl but melamine also works well.

2. If the whipping cream does not have added sugar, mix the sugar and the whipping cream.

3. Else, whip the cream till it holds stiff peaks. This take anywhere between 8 - 10 minutes.

4. Once done, proceed to assemble the cake.

PART 4

Assembling

Preparation time:  45 minutes

Ingredients

Frosting prepared in step 3

Cherries from the can chopped into halves or pieces

Chocolate gratings prepared from a bar of dark chocolate at room temperature.

Full cherries for garnishing

Items needed

Icing Set with flower / shells nozzle

Frosting Spatula

Procedure

1. Take out the individual layers that have soaked. On top of the bottom most layer, spread a uniform layer of the frosting. The second layer will press the first layer and press some frosting to the sides so spread as much giving room for this. Ideally you should have a 1/4 inch thickness of the frosting.

2. Spread the 1/2 of the cut cherries on the frosting.

3. Place the second layer on the first layer aligning it with the bottom most layer.

4. Repeat the procedure above. 

5. Now place the top layer above the second layer. 

6. Spread a layer of frosting above the top layer and on the sides of the cake. (Have a bowl of ice cold water while doing this. This way the frosting won't stick to the spatula)

7. Finally make sure the entire frosting is smooth. To achieve a even frosting, dip the spatula in ice cold water every three to four strokes.

8. Using a suitable icing nozzle, pipe some designs around the cake, now let creativity take over, use the chocolate gratings and model the cake the way you want. You could also use the whole cherries set aside to give it that final look.

Your delicious Black Forest Cake is ready to devour. :)

In case you are looking to reduce or increase the quantity try this blog. -  http://www.cakesandmore.in/2014/01/a-basic-baking-conversions-chart.html