Black Forest Wedding Cake Recipe
A Black Forest wedding cake is a classic and elegant choice for a special occasion. This recipe combines the richness of chocolate with the refreshing sweetness of cherries and the delicate flavor of Kirsch, a cherry liqueur.
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee
For the Filling and Frosting:
- 1 (12 ounce) bag frozen sweet cherries, thawed and drained
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup Kirsch (cherry liqueur)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Decoration:
- Chocolate shavings
- Maraschino cherries
Instructions:
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Stir in the hot coffee.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto wire racks to cool completely.
Filling and Frosting:
- In a saucepan, combine the thawed cherries, sugar, and Kirsch.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the cherries have released some of their juice.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
Assembly:
- Once the cakes are completely cooled, level the tops of the cakes if necessary.
- Place one cake layer on a serving platter.
- Spread a generous layer of cherry filling over the cake layer.
- Top with another cake layer and repeat the process.
- Top with the final cake layer.
- Frost the entire cake with the whipped cream frosting.
- Decorate the cake with chocolate shavings and maraschino cherries.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving.
Tips:
- For a richer flavor, use dark chocolate cocoa powder.
- You can substitute Kirsch with amaretto or another cherry liqueur.
- To make the cherry filling even more intense, add a few tablespoons of cherry juice.
- If you don't have chocolate shavings, you can use chocolate sprinkles or chopped chocolate.
Enjoy!
