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Black forest cake

The easiest way to make the perfect black forest cake!
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Ingredients
  

For the cake

  • 6 eggs
  • 200 grams or 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 64 grams or 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 50 grams or 1/2 cup cocoa unsweetened or Dutch processed

For the icing and filling

  • 360 ml or 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream I used tropolite
  • 45 grams or 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 150 grams or about 12 -15 cherries

For the syrup

  • 180 ml or 3/4 cup cherry juice from the can or 5-6 cherries with 180 ml or 3/4 cup water
  • 50 grams or 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Optional for decoration

  • 8 cherries with stems on
  • chocolate shavings from about 50 gram chocolate

Instructions
 

To make the cake

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F. Butter and flour two 8 inch round pans / line the bottom with parchment.
  • Beat eggs and sugar for 12-15 minutes until pale, fluffy and tripled in volume.
  • Sift in flour and cocoa. Fold in gently until you cant see flour anymore.
  • Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges shrink away from pan and top springs back on pressing.
  • Cool for 5 minutes in pan and then unmould to cool completely on wire rack.

To make the soaking syrup

  • Take 3/4 cup of the juice from the can of cherries or puree 5 to 6 cherries and mix with 3/4 cup water if you are using fresh cherries.
  • Taste and add sugar accordingly.
  • Bring to boil until sugar is dissolved.
  • Simmer for five minutes and cool completely .

To make filling and icing

  • Prepare your cherries by draining any juice from cherries and dry them with a clean paper towel.Remove pit and chop into pieces .
  • Beat chilled heavy cream with the 3 tablespoons sugar and vanilla until firm peaks. Chill until required.

To Assemble the cake

  • Let cakes cool completely and using a serrated knife , split each into 2 halves . You ' ll have 4 layers
  • Place one layer of cake on a serving plate or board . Using a pastry brush or spoon , brush it with the soaking syrup on top and sides. Spread about 1/4 cup whipped cream . Using a piping bag or spatula , build a dam on the side, this is so that cherries stay in and dont get into your icing . Spread chopped cherries.
  • Top with another layer of cake , brush with syrup , dam and fill as above, and repeat with 2 more layers.
  • Soak the top layer of cake and spread whipped cream on the sides and top of the cake.
  • At this point , you can rest it in the fridge / freezer for 15- 20 minutes so it all settles a bit.
  • Smoothen the cream , adding more if you require.
  • Decorate as you wish. I used chocolate shavings and stemmed cherries.
  • Refrigerate until you serve!

Notes

If you can't bake two 8 inch cakes at once in your oven , make half the recipe (3 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar , 1/4 cup flour , 1/4 cup cocoa) one after the other.
You can prepare the cakes, syrup , cherries before hand , but making whipped cream just before using is best.
Keep chilled at all times and bring to room temperature before serving
This cake tastes best once it has a few hours to rest and soak in the flavours.
My measuring cup is 240 ml