When is the last time you made a cake from scratch? It’s truly not hard: you just have to move step-by-step through Chef Kevin’s recipe. Perhaps you invite a friend over the day before the party to sip something nice. Four hands will make light work of this totally scrumptious layered dessert. How could chocolate, cherries, and cream be anything but satisfying in this Black Forest Cake?
Go online to Penn State’s Berkey Creamery to help your grocery shopping process. They’re a great Pennsylvania source for the cream cheese needed.
Beer Pairing from Burghers for Black Forest Cake
Oat Black Water: Milk chocolate and gentle roast will match intensity and lift the bitterness of the dark chocolate as the lightly sweet and subtle nuttiness of the oats along with increased mouthfeel supports the cake substrate and crème component. Brandied cherries will shine through the decadence.
Black Forest Cake
- Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
Description
For when you’re craving true indulgence…
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate cake (see below)
- Brandied cherries
- Crème (see below)
- Dark chocolate (see below)
For the chocolate cake:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup butter, unsalted, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cups water, boiling
For the crème:
- 1 lb butter, softened
- 3 lb cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup honey (add additional if you like sweeter desserts)
- 1 pinch salt
For the dark chocolate:
- 2 lb chocolate chips, dark
- 2 cups dark chocolate cake trimmings, crumbled
Instructions
For the dark chocolate cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease the bottoms of two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add milk and butter; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated.
- Stir in boiling water.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from cake pans and allow to cool to room temperature on a wire resting rack.
For the crème:
- Using a stand mixer and whisk attachment, whip butter on medium until pale white.
- Add softened cream cheese and honey. Whip until fluffy.
- Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until needed. Chill overnight for best results.
For the dark chocolate:
- Using a food processor, pulse the chocolate chips until finely ground.
- Mix ground chocolate chips and cake crumbles together. Mix until uniform.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container until needed.
To assemble:
- Trim cakes to ensure even thickness, level and flat. Using a bread knife will give you the best results.
- Gently apply an even layer of crème onto on cake round, roughly the same thickness as the cake.
- Gently place second cake round on top of crème and top with an additional layer of crème.
- Lightly apply a thin layer of crème around the outer edges of the cake.
- Gently press chocolate chip mixture into the exterior icing of the cake.
- Sprinkle bee pollen around outer top edge of the cake for a stunning look.
- Top cake with cut cherries.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours prior to serving.
Recipes and Styling by Chef Kevin Hermann, 408 Heirloom
Beer Pairing by Neil Glausier, Burghers
Photography by Dave Bryce
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