Eggless Black Forest Cake With Bajri (Pearl Millet) Sponge
Eggless Black Forest Cake With Bajri (Pearl Millet) Sponge is a variation of the regular sandwiched Black Forest Cake with no refined flour, no eggs, no butter. The sponge is made with the healthy whole wheat flour and pearl millet flour (bajri) . The layers of the cake are soaked in the cherry syrup and sandwiched with fresh whipped cream and pieces of fresh cherries or tinned cherries and chocolate shavings. Once the layers are stacked, the entire cake is frosted with the whipped cream and decorated with chocolate curls or shaving and cherries. Cut the chilled black forest cake into pieces and enjoy it!! It is healthy and tastes divine!!
1cupchocolate shavingsI had used dark chocolate and milk chocolate shavings
Instructions
To make chocolate Bajri cake (sponge)
Get ready with the wet ingredients : In a big mixing bowl add milk, thick curd, oil, vanilla essence, and honey.
Mix everything together with a whisk. Mix till light and fluffy.
Add the sugar.
Mix well till the sugar dissolves and keep aside.
Dry ingredients : Sift for 3-4 times whole wheat flour, bajri flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients in two batches in the prepared wet ingredients and mix very gently till the everything is mixed well and lump free. Do not over mix it.
Pour the prepared cake batter into the greased and dusted cake tin. ( I had used 8"x8" square tin). Tap the tin for 3-4 times on the kitchen counter. This will help to remove any extra bubble.
Bake in the pre heated oven @ 180 C for 40 -45 minutes or till the inserted skewer comes out clean.
Remove the tin from the oven. Run knife through the edges of the tin and unmould the cake on the wire rack. Let it cool.
Cut into pieces and enjoy as a tea time cake or pack it as a treat for your kids lunch boxes. The cake can be refrigerated for 4-5 days in an air tight container.( I had cut cake into 6"x6" for assembling and decoration. So these pieces are from the cut out pieces).
Cherry syrup
Heat water in a pot. (I had used canned cherries and had drained the cherries and used the reserved water from it.If using canned cherry liquid, the cherry syrup would be dark in colour. This pic is from the cherry syrup that I make using regular water). Add chopped cherries( I had used the canned cherries), sugar, lemon slice and cinnamon stick to it.
Bring the water to boil and let it boil for 4-5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Cover and keep aside.
whipped cream
Keep the bowl in which the cream is to be whipped and the electric beater blades in the freezer for a minimum of two hours. I had kept it overnight. This will keep the cream cool while whipping and it will not curdle. 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 mix.
Add icing sugar to it.
Beat on slow speed for a minute till the sugar mixes. Beat for 4-5 minutes on on low 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. Over beating will result in the formation of butter and the cream will start curdling. The
Smoothen with a spatula in the bowl. Cover and let it refrigerate for couple of hours or a minimum of 30 minutes.
Assembling cake
Add some whipped cream to the cake board or the plate in which cake needs to be assembled. This will help the cake to stick to it and will not slide.
Cut the cake sponge into halves with a help of a serrated knife. Take the top uneven surface of the cake and invert it on the plate. Brush and soak the cake with the prepared cherry syrup. If you do not have brush then spread the syrup on the cake sponge with a spoon.
Put the whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with nozzle. Pipe the whipped cream in line as shown on the soaked sponge. Add 2-3 chopped cherry pieces and sprinkle a tbsp of chocolate shavings. (I forgot to take the pic of it).
Sandwich the cake with the inverted bottom layer of the sponge. The smooth surface of the cake should be at the top. Brush and soak the layer with cherry syrup.
Pipe again the whipped cream on it as above and on the sides of the cake. Smoothen the cake with an offset spatula and remove excess cream if any. (The surface does not need to be smooth and perfect as we are going to sprinkle the chocolate shavings on it).
Cover the cake with the chocolate shavings.
Pipe some rounds on the top surface and decorate with cherries. Refrigerate the cake for minimum of 1 hour to set and use. Keep it refrigerated. Remove 5 minutes out of the refrigerator before serving.
Cut the cake with a sharp knife and serve the yummy dessert and enjoy!! (The cake looks so soft and moist).