Black Forest Cake

Picture this…rich cake, fluffy as a cloud, with fudgy icing and a rustic cherry liqueur. I live in Washington and we have a lot of cherries in the summer months. This cake is a great way to use them.

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbs plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbs brewed black coffee

For the chocolate icing:

• 1 8 ounce bag chocolate chips
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1/2 stick butter

For the vanilla icing:

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 Tbs vanilla
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

For the liqueur:

• 2 cups Bing cherries
• 1 shot of rum
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

For the decorations:

• Fresh cherries
• White chocolate chunks
• Crushed peanuts

DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, Greek yogurt, and black coffee.

Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer.

Pour the cake batter into 3 greased cake pans.

Cook for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Meanwhile, boil a pot of water. Place a heatproof bowl on top of the pot to create a double boiler for melting the chocolate chips.

Add whipping cream and butter to the melted chocolate chips. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy.

For the vanilla icing, place whipping cream, vanilla, butter, salt, and sugar into a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer.

In a medium saucepan add cherries, rum, and sugar. Carefully light the rum with a lighter. Shake the pan to distribute the flame.

To ice and decorate your cake, place one layer on a serving platter. With a knife or offset spatula, spread 1/2 of the cherry liqueur on the bottom layer. Place the middle layer on top and add the remaining cherry liqueur to the middle layer. Add the top layer. Spread chocolate icing on the sides and top of the layered cake. Use a piping bag with star-shaped fitting to pipe vanilla icing around the top of the cake. Use fresh cherries to mark each slice. On the sides of the cake, make mountains with crushed peanuts and white chocolate chunks.

Chill in the fridge overnight until ready to serve.