Black Forest Cake is a very popular cake. Every bakery will have it on its list. Many people like this cake but are reluctant to make it. However, be assured that this is a very simple and easy cake to make at home. If you make it once, you will always want to make it again. You need not worry about getting the perfect sharp edges and cake finishing as the cake will be covered with chocolate curls on sides and top.
Black Forest Cake is a sandwiched cake whose based is a chocolate sponge cake. It is generally cut into four layers but can be a bit more or less. The sponge is soaked with cherry syrup. The layers of the cake are sandwiched with fresh whipped cream and pieces of fresh cherries or tinned cherries. Once the layers are stacked, the entire cake is frosted with the whipped cream and decorated with chocolate curls or shaving and cherries. Always keep the cake chilled and remove from the refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes before cutting and serving.
I had made this cake for a friend’s daughter’s birthday party order. They wanted an eggless cake and I was happy to bake for them.
Earlier, I had shared with you the recipe for eggless chocolate sponge. You can find the recipe at the below link:
I use this cake as the base for making different types of cake. I had made eggless chocolate truffle cake for my son’s birthday using this base. The eggless chocolate sponge cake is a full proof recipe and the cake comes out very soft and spongy.
Since I was making the birthday cake for around 35-40 people, I have doubled the recipe of the base and have made it in a square 9″x9″ pan.
However, for convenience, I will share the measurement for making the whipped cream and syrup for a single base cake. This will serve around 15-20 people. While making the base divide the batter into two parts and bake the cake in a square 6″ x6″ pan or a circle pan.
I like to bake two cakes. It makes it easy while cutting into layers.
I bake the base a day before the day of frosting. The base cools down and that makes it easy to cut the cake into desired layers and shapes.
I have used dried cherries for making syrup. You can use fresh, frozen or tinned cherries. I have boiled the cherries with cinnamon and lemon slice. It gives a very nice flavor and aroma to the cake.
For making whip cream: Try to use fresh heavy whipping cream. The cream should be very chilled. I put the bowl in which the cream is to be whipped and the whipping blades in the freezer for an hour before using them. This gives the cream the necessary coolness while whipping. Start whipping the cream on a slow speed for 4-5 minutes. It will start getting thicker. Add vanilla essence. Whip it again for 2 minutes. It will start forming soft to medium peaks. At this moment add icing sugar and whip it for a minute on slow speed till the sugar mixes and then whip on high speed till the mixture thickens and form stiff peaks. It will take around 3 minutes. Do not over whip the cream. Stop whipping immediately after the stiff peaks are formed. Overbeating will result in the formation of butter and the cream will start curdling.
Whipping cream in hot weather is tricky. Try to keep the whipping bowl, blades, cream as cold as possible. If while whipping the cream takes a long time to get stiff, stop beating and put the bowl back in the fridge to chill. Start whipping again once the bowl and cream are chilled again.
Making Chocolate curls: Use a thick grated or a peeler to grate or peel the chocolate bar. I have used a dark chocolate bar. You can use milk chocolate too.
Once everything is ready, cut the cakes into two halves. Start assembling the cake by soaking the layers with syrup and filling whipped cream and cherry pieces in between the layers. Once the layers are sandwiched and stacked on each other, refrigerate the cake for one hour and then cover the cake with the whipped cream and decorate with chocolate curls and cherries. In hot days, try to refrigerate the cake more to avoid the cream getting lose.
Chill the cake and remove 20-25 minutes prior to cutting. Enjoy making and eating this yummy dessert and you will want it more and more!!
Eggless Blackforest Cake
Ingredients
Eggless Chocolate Sponge
- 2 eggless chocolate sponge make two square or circle sponge 6"x6"
Cherry syrup
- 15 cherry dried
- 1 cup water
- 1 lemon slice
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1/4 cup sugar I have used raw sugar. You can use plain sugar.
Whipping cream
- 600 ml heavy cream
- 4 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Assembling and decorating cake
- 200 g dark chocolate slab
- cherries to decorate
Instructions
Eggless Chocolate Sponge
- Cut the eggless sponge cake into layers of the two sponge. It should be total of 4 layers.
making cherry syrup
- In a pot add sugar, water, cherries, lemon slice. Mix well and let it boil.
- Boil it for 10 minutes. The colour will change and the cherries will get soften.
- Cool the syrup and strain it in a bowl. Cut the cherries into small pieces and we will use it while assembling the cake.
Making Whipped cream
- In a chilled bowl, add the chilled heavy cream.
- Whip it for 4-5 minutes on low speed. The cream will start getting thicker. Add vanilla essence to it and beat it again for 2 minutes. It will start forming soft to medium peaks.
- Add the icing sugar and beat it on slow speed for a minute till the sugar mixes. Whip on high speed till the mixture thickens and form stiff peaks. It will take around 3 minutes. Do not over whip the cream. Stop whipping immediately after the stiff peaks are formed. Overbeating will result in the formation of butter and the cream will start curdling.
Assembling and Frosting the cake
- Put a spoon of whipped cream on the cake board or plate in which the cake is to be served. This will help cake to stick to the base of the board or plate. Place one layer of the cake over it. The uneven surface of the cake should face down. Soak the cake with cherry syrup. Put around 2-3 tbsp of syrup.
- With a flat knife or palette knife spread the whipped cream over the soaked cake. Put around two big spoons of cream.
- Add the chopped cherries from the syrup.
- Cover the cake with the other layer. The smooth and even surface of the cake should face top. Soak it in syrup.
- Repeat again by spreading whipped cream and cherry pieces.
- Cover the cake with the third layer. The uneven surface facing down. Soak cake with cherry syrup.
- Repeat again by spreading whipped cream and cherry pieces.
- Cover the cake with the final layer. The smooth and even surface facing on top. The cream will come out of the layers. Spread it on the sides evenly. Refrigerate the layered cake and whipped cream for 1 hour.
- Now remove the cake and coat the cake with the whipped cream. Use a generous amount of whipped cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. It's ok if you do not get the smooth edges. The cake will be covered with chocolate curls.
- Decorate the edges with chocolate curls and write the message on the top if you want.
- Put the left whipped cream in a piping bag and make round spiral designs on the top of the cake. Put a cherry on each spiral. Sprinkle some more chocolate curls. The eggless black forest cake is ready. Chill it and serve.
The cake looks so yummy. Cannot believe it is eggless.