BLACK FOREST CAKE

Did you know that the black forest cake originated in Germany?. Well I didn't know that until recently. There are lots of recipes online. This recipe is from the baking class that I had  attended soon after marriage, and by far the easiest.

INGREDIENTS

For the sponge cake: I have used 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder for the chocolate sponge which gives a slight overpowering taste of cocoa. If you don't like that, use only 2 Tbsp. of cocoa powder and 9 Tbsp. of flour. You can always increase the cocoa powder as you like. Substitute 2 Tbsp. of cocoa powder for 3 Tbsp. of flour.

1. 3 eggs , separated
2. 6 Tbsp.  flour(can use whole wheat flour)
3. 1/4 cup cocoa powder(natural  or Dutch processed)
4. 1/2 cup sugar
5. 1/2 tsp of salt
6. 3 tbsp. water

For the Sugar syrup: 

1. 2 Tbsp. sugar dissolved in 1/3 cup of water

Other Ingredients:

1. 1 Tbsp. mixed fruit jam (I have used Kissan mixed fruit jam )

For the Whipped cream:

1. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
2. 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3. 1 tsp cornflour
4. a pinch of salt(a little less than 1/8 tsp)
5. 1/2 tsp vanilla essence(Don't skip)
6. 1/8 tsp lemon juice

METHOD

MAKING THE CHOCOLATE SPONGE:

• Line a 6 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  
• Whisk  all the dry ingredients and keep aside.
  

• Separate the eggs. Pour vanilla essence into the separated yolks and keep aside. Don't forget this step.

            

• After separating the eggs , pre-heat the oven to 225 degree F for 15 minutes.
• Take the separated egg whites into a bowl big enough , because it is in that bowl that the rest of the ingredients will be combined. 

• Beat the egg white using a cake mixer on high speed , until frothy and the volume has increased  ,about a minute.

• Now on maximum speed beat the egg whites and while beating ,gradually add the sugar , maybe 2 Tbsp at a time .Put in all the sugar. The egg whites should be whipped till stiff peaks are formed.

• Put in the egg yolks and essence all at once and beat on high speed for about 5  seconds.

• Now layer the flour all at once on the egg mixture.
  

  

• Add the flour mixture all at once and beat on lowest speed for 5 seconds, then gradually increasing the speed to maximum . Beat until the flour is just incorporated .Then pour in the 3 Tbsp. water and beat on high speed for about 2 seconds or until just combined. Don't over mix.
  

  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

• Scrape the sides of the bowl. Transfer it into the paper lined baking pan.
  

  

  
  
  

  

• Bake in a 225-degree F, preheated oven for 50 minutes and increase the temperature to 300 degree F and bake for 20 minutes.
  

  

  
  

• Cover with a clean kitchen towel until cool.
  

  

MAKING THE WHIPPED CREAM:

Ingredients

1. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
2. 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
3. a little less than 1/8 tsp salt
4. 1 tsp cornflour(optional)
5. 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
6. 1/8 tsp lemon juice

Method

• The whipping cream should be chilled in the fridge overnight.
• Pour the whipping cream in a bowl and using the cake beaters , beat until volume increases slightly. Stop beating , add the rest of the ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.
  

  

  
  
  

  

• Scrape the sides with a spatula. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to use.
  

NOTE

• I have found that 1 cup of whipping cream , when beaten with the ingredients , whips up nicely and stays put . But when I double the amount of whipping cream , it does not stay whipped for a long time(starts to "weep"). So if you are doubling the recipe , whip the cream 1 cup at a time. Then when the cream is all whipped up , gradually add the rest of the cream and ingredients.
• For stabilized whipped cream , mix 1 tsp gelatin with 1 Tbsp. cold water. Let the gelatin bloom, may be about 5 minutes. When you start to whip the cream , microwave the gelatin in the microwave for 5 seconds. This mixture will be very hot . Let it come to room temperature. Then add it to the cream while whipping.

GETTING THE JAM READY

• Microwave 1 Tbsp jam at power 2 for 1 minute mix it thoroughly to make it spreadable. Can add a little bit of water to make it a spreadable consistency.

                                     

MAKING THE SYRUP

• Heat 2 Tbsp. sugar and 4 Tbsp. water , bring to a boil and turn off. Cool and keep aside. It can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator. Add more water to make 1/3 cup.
• Sometimes I just mix sugar and water without boiling. If you plan to make the cake , shortly and it won't have to stay in the fridge for too long , then this will do.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

CUTTING THE SPONGE CAKE INTO 2 LAYERS

• I use a long serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into layers.
  
  
  
  

• Run the knife all around the horizontal center of the cake . It's like making an outline of where you are going to cut.
• After you have run your knife around the cake , start cutting the cake  horizontally around the center along the knife-drawn line. As you slice the cake , simultaneously keep rotating the cake. This way , by the time  the knife reaches the middle of the cake , the cake will be horizontally sliced in half. Move one half to another plate.
• After slicing the cake into 2 halves , leave the bottom half as is, on the plate.Take the top half of the cake and place it , glossy part facing the top on another plate. It's because the glossy part tends to separate after being soaked and if it's at the bottom , it tends to stick to the plate and will have trouble transferring for the final assembling.

SOAKING THE CAKE WITH THE SUGAR SYRUP AND SPREADING WITH JAM

• Keep the syrup  ready beside the layered cakes. Using a brush or a spoon , dab the cakes with the syrup. Start with the outer edges and work into the center of each layer. Soak the sides of the cakes too. Make sure not to oversaturate the layers with syrup.
• Let the syrup soak in for 5 to 10 minutes , then proceed with the filling and layering. If the syrup hasn't fully soaked in , it'll make it more difficult to spread the filling, so make sure to give it enough time.

• Spread the jam syrup on top of the cake. Spread the jam only on the bottom half of the cake.
  
  
  
  

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE WITH THE WHIPPED CREAM

• Take the prepared whipped cream from the fridge and keep it ready , along with soaked cakes.
• Keep a cup of boiling water and a knife ready , for making the icing smooth.
• Use a kitchen towel to wipe the knife dry.
• Line a cake stand with 4 strips of cut parchment paper.

  

• Place a layer of the soaked cake on the lines stand.
  

• Using a spatula , drop a blob of icing on the cake.
  

  

• Dip the knife in the hot water , wipe dry with the towel and use the knife to smoothen the frosting .
  

• Place the top layer of the cake(the glossy part facing top). Align it with the bottom layer as you place the top. Any slight misalignments will be covered up by the cream.

         

• Put a blob of the cream and smoothen it out. Apply on the sides too.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Use the knife to smooth out the frosting on the sides and on the top. This is my least favorite part of frosting the cake: The attempt to get the picture perfect look. But then , the best thing about homemade things , is that you don't have get professional with it.
• I have used an icing comb in an attempt to give it a neat look without much effort. be gentle with the comb. Don't push it very hard.
  
  
  
  

• I piped  rosettes(my favorite) , using a piping bag and topped each with a frozen raspberry.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  






• I have used an 8 inch cake pan to cover the cake. Refrigerate for atleast 2 hours or keep it overnight. The cake tastes best when refrigerated for at least 24 hours. 
• Before serving , take out the 4 strips of parchment paper . Using  a paper towel to clean the cake base , to give it a neat look. 
• Slice and serve. Don't keep it outside for more than an hour. The whipped cream will start to "weep".
  
  
  
  
  

NOTES

• The cornflour for the cream is completely optional. The ingredients in heavy whipping cream available in stores nowadays already  makes a stabilized whipped cream  without adding anything. 
• I have found that 1 cup of whipping cream whips up perfectly, in a small bowl . When I increase the amount to more than a cup , the whipped cream does not stabilizes well and starts to weep. So even if I want to double the cream , I whip it , 1 cup at a time.(I wonder how they do it in bakeries)
  
• I have tried to stabilize the whipped cream , by using gelatin , but I prefer otherwise.
• If thick whipping cream is used (which I had used almost 16 years back ), it has to be diluted. For 200 gms of  thick(not diluted)cream , dilute it with 100 mil milk. Cream and milk have to be chilled overnight. Whip it with 2 Tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tsp cornflour.
• The natural cocoa powder can be swapped for dark (alkalized)cocoa powder.
• For making a 3-layer black forest cake , double the batter and bake in an 8-inch pan for 60 minutes on 225 degree F and for 20 minutes on 300 degree F.
• For 2 , 8-inch cakes , make a 12 egg batter(i.e. the basic cake batter * 4 times) , bake in 2 , 8 inch pans . The 2 cakes can be baked simultaneously on the same rack at 225 degree F pre-heated over for 60 minutes and at 300 degree F for 30 minutes.( no change in temperatures)
• I made the batter separately i.e. one 6-egg batter in one bowl and the second 6-egg batter in another bowl.
• If you feel lazy to make the sugar syrup, heat 2 Tbsp of jam in microwave and dilute it to make 1/3 cup diluted jam syrup and just soak the cake. This way you don't have to apply jam on the cake. I usually follow this step now. 
• When cherries are in season, make cherry syrup, with water, cherries and sugar and use that syrup for soaking the cake. 
• For chocolate whipped cream, add 2 Tbsp of chocolate fudge sauce to the cream while whipping.