Black Forest Cake
Moist and Delicious Black Forest Cake: Works in a Rice Cooker or Oven!
Love cream cakes but miss fresh strawberries in the summer? This Black Forest Cake is your perfect alternative! Made with sweet and tart canned dark cherries, it’s just as delightful as a fresh strawberry cake. Plus, it’s achievable even with a rice cooker, making home baking a breeze!
Moist Chocolate Cake Layers
- All-purpose flour 225g (approx. 1.8 cups)
- Sugar 250g (approx. 1.25 cups)
- Valrhona Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 78g (approx. 1 cup)
- Baking soda 8g (approx. 1.5 tsp)
- Baking powder 4g (approx. 1 tsp)
- Eggs 2 (room temperature)
- Milk 180ml (approx. 3/4 cup)
- Lemon juice 2 tbsp
- Warm water 130ml (approx. 1/2 cup)
- Vegetable oil 60ml (approx. 1/4 cup)
- Vanilla extract 1 tbsp
Rich Chocolate Cream
- Heavy cream A 100g (at least 35% fat)
- Corn syrup 1 tbsp (for shine and smoothness)
- Dark chocolate couverture 85g (finely chopped)
- Heavy cream B 150g (cold)
- Sugar 15g (approx. 1.5 tbsp)
Fresh Whipped Cream
- Heavy cream 350g (at least 35% fat, cold)
- Sugar 30g (approx. 3 tbsp)
Garnishes and Extras
- Canned dark cherries 1/2 can (drained)
- Cake syrup 1/2 cup (made by boiling 2 parts water to 1 part sugar, then cooled)
- Dark chocolate bar 200g (for chocolate curls)
- Snow sugar (or powdered sugar) for dusting
- Water 1/2 cup
- Sugar 1/4 cup
- Heavy cream A 100g (at least 35% fat)
- Corn syrup 1 tbsp (for shine and smoothness)
- Dark chocolate couverture 85g (finely chopped)
- Heavy cream B 150g (cold)
- Sugar 15g (approx. 1.5 tbsp)
Fresh Whipped Cream
- Heavy cream 350g (at least 35% fat, cold)
- Sugar 30g (approx. 3 tbsp)
Garnishes and Extras
- Canned dark cherries 1/2 can (drained)
- Cake syrup 1/2 cup (made by boiling 2 parts water to 1 part sugar, then cooled)
- Dark chocolate bar 200g (for chocolate curls)
- Snow sugar (or powdered sugar) for dusting
- Water 1/2 cup
- Sugar 1/4 cup
- Canned dark cherries 1/2 can (drained)
- Cake syrup 1/2 cup (made by boiling 2 parts water to 1 part sugar, then cooled)
- Dark chocolate bar 200g (for chocolate curls)
- Snow sugar (or powdered sugar) for dusting
- Water 1/2 cup
- Sugar 1/4 cup
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, sift the cocoa powder finely. This ensures no lumps and a smoother, richer chocolate flavor in your cake layers.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine the milk and lemon juice. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. This process slightly curdles the milk, which helps to create a more tender and moist cake crumb.
Step 3
In a large mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk them together gently. Pre-mixing the dry ingredients helps them distribute evenly.
Step 4
Add the milk mixture from step 1, warm water, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed with an electric mixer or whisk vigorously by hand for about 10 minutes, until the batter is smooth and well combined. Don’t overmix, but ensure no dry pockets remain.
Step 5
Divide the batter evenly between two 6-inch (1-go size) round cake pans. Baking two layers allows for a taller, more impressive cake. If you only have one pan, halve the batter recipe. If you use the full amount in one pan, it may overflow or take much longer to bake. Alternatively, you can bake this in a rice cooker: lightly grease and flour the inner pot, then pour the batter in. For rice cooker baking, ensure your batter doesn’t fill more than half the pot, as the cake will rise significantly.
Step 6
If using a rice cooker, select the ‘Cook’ or ‘Cake’ setting and run it 3 times consecutively. For an oven, bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 7
Once the cake layers are baked, let them cool completely in the pans before inverting them onto a wire rack. Once cooled, carefully slice each cake layer horizontally to create two thinner layers, about 1.5 cm thick.
Step 8
If you baked the cake in a rice cooker and the diameter is larger than desired, place a smaller plate on top of the cake and carefully trim the edges with a knife to achieve a uniform shape.
Step 9
To make the chocolate cream: In a saucepan, gently heat Heavy Cream A and corn syrup until warm (do not boil). Remove from heat and add the finely chopped dark chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then stir until smooth and fully melted, creating a ganache.
Step 10
Stir the cold Heavy Cream B and sugar into the chocolate mixture until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to meld and the cream to thicken.
Step 11
Drain the canned dark cherries thoroughly. For easier handling, you can halve them. Pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Step 12
In a chilled bowl, whip the cold Heavy Cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. This is for the whipped cream frosting and decoration. Keep it refrigerated until ready to use.
Step 13
Take the chocolate cream mixture out of the refrigerator. Whip it briefly until it reaches a spreadable consistency – not too stiff, but thick enough to hold its shape. Avoid over-whipping.
Step 14
Place one cake layer on your serving plate or cake board. Brush the surface generously with the cake syrup. This step is crucial for a super moist cake.
Step 15
Spread a thick, even layer of the whipped chocolate cream over the syrup-brushed cake layer. Don’t be shy with the filling!
Step 16
Arrange a generous amount of the prepared dark cherries over the chocolate cream layer.
Step 17
Place the second cake layer on top. Now, cover the entire cake (top and sides) with the whipped heavy cream. Reserve some whipped cream for final decoration if desired. Add another generous layer of dark cherries on top of the cake.
Step 18
Roughly frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream to cover the chocolate layers. Since you’ll be covering it with chocolate curls, a perfectly smooth finish isn’t necessary. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to firm up. This makes applying the chocolate decorations much easier.
Step 19
To create chocolate curls: Leave the dark chocolate bar at room temperature for 4-5 hours until slightly pliable. (In summer, room temperature is fine; in winter, you might need to gently warm the surface with a hairdryer on a low setting.) Once softened, use a scraping tool, a large knife, or a vegetable peeler to create curls by scraping the surface of the chocolate. Place the finished curls in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to firm up before decorating.
Step 20
Carefully cover the sides and top of the chilled cake with the prepared chocolate curls, pressing them gently to adhere to the whipped cream.
Step 21
Use a pair of tweezers or chopsticks to place the chocolate curls into any gaps or areas where more decoration is desired, creating a beautiful, textured finish.
Step 22
Finally, dust the cake lightly with snow sugar (or powdered sugar) through a sieve for a final, elegant touch. Your decadent Black Forest Cake is ready to be enjoyed!
