This week saw another birthday celebration in Elizabeth’s Kitchen. I wanted to make something a little extra special for my significant other, seeing as how this was the first time in four years I’ve actually been home for his birthday. My weeks at Open University summer residential schools always seemed to coincide with his birthday, unfortunately. I could have planned it better, I suppose, but I was always really keen and wanted to register for the first week of the summer school to get it done and over with and give me more time to write up the final reports on our scientific findings.
So, since I was home I wanted to make up for past neglect and abandonment and make an extraordinary cake for an extraordinary person. After much pondering about the logistics of making a Dairy Queen-esque multilayer ice cream cake with chocolate fudge sauce and crushed biscuit crumbs I decided to postpone the ice cream cake, perhaps for my own birthday later in the year as I’ve always wanted a Dairy Queen ice cream cake! For my UK readers, Dairy Queen is a North American ice cream/ fast food restaurant chain who make the most awesome ice cream cakes. I settled instead on my tried and tested rich chocolate cake recipe with whipped cream and fresh cherries. Except, I first stewed the fresh cherries in brandy and sugar and left them for a few days to develop in flavour.
This is not strictly a true Black Forest cake in that it doesn’t include Kirsch and it is not decorated with maraschino cherries, but it’s my own improvisation using the ingredients I had on hand.
You may have noticed the unusual shape of the cake edge in the photos. I thought I would use this opportunity to play with the new ‘I Heart Cake’ silicone cake mould I’d been sent by the lovely people at Mustard to review.
I’ve recently fallen in love with silicone cake moulds after amassing quite a collection of them as a gift from someone who knew I liked to bake, so when I was approached by Mustard about this mould I simply had to say yes please!
The unique shape of the cake mould means that you can cut your cake into six heart shaped slices, sharing them, should you desire, with six people you might love. The cake mould itself is quite large, nearly 10 inches in diameter, meaning that if you make a three layer cake like I did those slices are going to be hearty indeed! That is fine for those with an appetite to match but I think this mould might be more suited to a thinner cake recipe which could be served in larger sized heart-shaped slices.
I will be experimenting again, as the children were very disappointed they didn’t get a heart shaped slice of Daddy’s birthday cake! Also, as it is a large mould I’d recommend placing it on a baking sheet before baking, so it doesn’t crack when you take it out of the oven. All in all I’m really happy with the mould and I am looking forward to playing with it further.
I have shared this recipe with Tea Time Treats, a food blogging challenge co-hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage and Kate from What Kate Baked. This month Karen has challenged to share our tea time treat creations made using fresh fruit. This recipe is made using fresh cherries and the chocolate cake recipe is one I often make for birthdays and celebrations, a recipe I have adapted from one found in Reader’s Digest The Cook’s Scrapbook (1995). It last appeared on my blog as a Halo Reach birthday cake for our teenage son.
I also shared a good portion of this cake with my fellow RNLI lifeboatmen, much to their delight, during our evening first aid training course (with permission, of course. It was a large cake and needed eating up before the cream went off). Is that a terrible thing to do with one’s partner’s birthday cake? I did bring home the leftovers! 🙂
- 250 grams fresh cherries, de-stalked and pitted
- 75 grams granulated sugar
- 50 ml brandy
- 275 grams plain flour
- 1 1/2 bicarbonate of soda
- 175 grams caster sugar
- 150 grams dark muscovado sugar
- 225 ml water
- 60 grams cocoa powder
- 115 grams unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp distilled malt vinegar
- 150 ml single cream
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 450 ml whipping cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 grams dark chocolate (>80% cocoa solids)
1. Place cherries, sugar and brandy in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
2. Simmer gently for ten minutes, until the cherries are softened but still slightly firm.
3. Remove from heat and transfer into a sterilized bottle.4. Store in the refrigerator for a few days to allow the flavours to develop.
1. Preheat oven to 190 C. Grease and line two 9 inch round cake tins (or one I Love Cake mould.
2. Sift together flour, bicarbonate of soda and sugars.
3. Heat water, cocoa powder and butter in a small saucepan until the butter melts. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
4. Stir vinegar into the single cream.
5. Add cocoa mixture, cream and beaten eggs to the dry ingredients, stirring well.
6. Spoon into the prepared tins, dividing the mixture equally.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes (round tins) or 35 minutes in the I Love Cake mould, until cakes are springy and firm to the touch.
8. If using the round tins, transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. If using the I Love Cake mould leave the cake in the mould until completely cold before removing.
1. Whip cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Keep in the refrigerator until needed.
1. Break the chocolate and place into a heat proof bowl suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Allow to melt.
2. Pour melted and slightly cooled chocolate onto a marble slab or piece of grease proof paper and leave to cool.
3. When cold and hardened, use a knife or cheese slice to scrape curls/bark off the top. This takes some practise, but persevere, you’ll get there.
1. If using round cakes, slice each cake in half lengthwise. If using the cake mould, slice the cake into three.
2. Sprinkle approximately two tablespoonfuls of the cherry brandy syrup over each layer.
3. Coarsely chop the cherries, reserving some for the decoration on top.
4. Place a layer of chocolate cake on a cake stand and spread with enough whipping cream to cover. Sprinkle with one-third to half the cherries, depending on how many layers you have. Repeat, finishing with a layer of whipping cream on the top. Garnish with chocolate shavings and cherries.
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: Serves 12, generously!
I’ve also shared this post with the Alphabakes food blogging challenge co-hosted by Caroline of Caroline Makes and The More Than Occasional Baker. This month Caroline has challenged us to bake something involving the letter F, and this Black Forest Cake certainly fits that bill!
Mum of three, daydream adventurer, OU Life Sciences graduate, occasional crafter, ex-pat Canadian & quite possibly Britain's most northerly food blogger.
Heather Haigh says
I love blackforest cake. That one looks splendid.
Baking Addict says
Such a beautiful cake – definitely a celebration cake! I love the heart mould too and will be trying one out soon. Thanks for entering AlphaBakes.
Jean says
Your black forest cake looks fabulous, really special and beautiful in the heart shaped portions.
I might have to put that mould on my Christmas list – if I can wait that long!
miumeo says
What a gorgeous cake you got there! I always love black forest cake but never gather enough courage to have a go at it, seems like a lot of work. And I love your cake mould so much, that’s a very special one!
Karen S Booth says
I made a lemon cake in my mould, but your Black Forest Cake looks DIVINE and so elegant! What a FAB classic and a wonderful entry for tea time treats too! Karen
Caroline says
What a gorgeous cake – I love the mould you’ve used as well! Thanks for sending this in to Alphabakes.
chitchatchomp@yahoo.com.au says
One of my favourite cakes to eat, yet one I’ve never made. Looks wonderful.
Victoria Lee says
Hello! It’s my birthday on Sunday too… please would you come and make one for me? 🙂 x
Anonymous says
Me and my family ate that very slice of cake and it was DELICIOUS!!! Thank you Elizabeth! Laura x
Elizabeth S says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It was the least I could do after you took my children out for an afternoon adventure, thank YOU! 😀
helen says
oh wow, what a gorgeous looking cake…& I love that mould too!
Elizabeth S says
Thanks! I agree, I’m in love with the mould too!
Choclette says
Ooh, what a marvellous birthday cake, it sounds absolutely scrummilicious and looks gorgeous. Your cake mix sounds different, so I shall have to try it out sometime. After all these years of blogging chocolate cakes, I have still not made a Black Forest Gateau.
This reminds me that I was expecting one of these moulds in the post and haven’t yet received it.
Elizabeth S says
It’s a nice budget chocolate cake recipe, using cocoa powder instead of solid chocolate, which appeals to me. It keeps very, very well, and improves with age. It freezes fantastically well too.
Ai Lin Leow says
The cake looks absolutely divine. I totally love the cake mould and the heart shape slices it creates, must definitely get myself one.
Elizabeth S says
Thanks Ai 🙂 The cake mould is pretty awesome, I totally recommend it! 🙂
Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes says
That’s a brilliant cake, looks so rich and delicious.
Love the tin too, I have a massive silicone bakeware collection but don’t have one of these yet, must add it to my collection!
Elizabeth S says
Thanks Jen 🙂 It’s a pretty nifty cake mould, I’m glad I was sent one to play with.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
That cake looks stunning Elizabeth! I am also glad to have the oven tray tip, as I have the same tin, but haven’t used it yet.
Elizabeth S says
Thanks Jac 🙂 Most of the silicone moulds I have are sturdy enough (small enough) to not warrant use of a tray, but this one does as it’s large and wobbly. Can’t wait to see what you make with yours!
Johanna GGG says
I love black forest cake though I don’t have it often – love the heart shaped slices – am sure your significant other couldn’t ask for more than a heart shaped slab of chocolate cake covered with cream and fruit – though I am sure having your home would have been the icing on the cake (ha ha)
Elizabeth S says
I love it too. The first time I ever had it was back in Canada and it was made with tinned cherry pie filling, chocolate custard, chocolate cake, whipped cream and cherries. I fell in love! The mould is pretty awesome, I think, and I can’t wait to try it out again!
Steph - Mean Miss Mustard says
I really like that cake tin! I was hoping you’d mention what it was as soon as I started reading haha. I have a silicone muffin tin but I think I’ll get something like that or a bunt soon.
I’ve never made a black forest but yours looks brilliant. I’ll try one one day for a special occasion 🙂
Elizabeth S says
It’s a pretty awesome cake mould 🙂 I don’t have any silicone muffin tins – I’ll have to invest in those, I think. I really do like the non-stick aspect of the silicone. I do hope you try the cake recipe sometime, you won’t be disappointed 😀