Black Forest Cake
A thin chocolate sheet cake cut into four and stacked with whipped cream and a boozy cherry sauce, finished with grated chocolate.
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the cake
- non-stick baking spray, for the baking paper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 stick salted butter
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, heaped
- ½ cup water
For the cherry sauce
- 2 cups frozen cherries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cherry liqueur
For the whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 semisweet or milk chocolate bar, for grating
Method
Make the cake
- Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a quarter-sheet pan (23 × 33 cm, 9 × 13 inch) with baking paper overhanging the long sides, then spray it with baking spray, making sure the exposed sides of the pan are well greased.
- Stir the flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. In a jug, mix the buttermilk, bicarbonate of soda, vanilla and egg.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then whisk in the cocoa. Add the water, bring to the boil and cook for 10–15 seconds.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour and stir briefly to cool it a little, then add the egg mixture and stir until smooth.
- Pour into the pan and bake for about 15 minutes, until cooked through in the centre. Leave to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Make the cherry sauce and cream
- Blend the cherries to a purée. Put the purée, sugar and liqueur in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat, bring to the boil and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened. Leave to cool to room temperature.
- Whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer for 1–4 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to build the cake.
Assemble
- Turn the cooled cake out onto a board and peel off the paper. Cut it in half, then cut each half in half again to make 4 equal pieces.
- Put one piece on a cake stand or plate, spread over a quarter of the cream and scatter over a third of the cherry sauce. Repeat twice more, keeping the layers as straight and even as you can.
- Top with the last piece of cake, spread over the rest of the cream and grate the chocolate over the top.
- Chill for 20 minutes to firm up the cream before slicing.