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Black Forest Cake
Growing up in the South..... Black Forest Cake was just never a cake that was at the supper table or at any of our family gatherings. It wasn't even on the table during the Holiday Season either. It wasn't until I became an adult, moved to Florida, married and was introduced to the delicious cake for the very first time. I remember how impressed I was when I saw the cake. The visual look of it was so enticing that I just knew it was going to be delicious; and delicious it was! How on earth did we miss this recipe in the South! After all..... the south is known for food recipes and family feasts that's for sure.
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Black Forest Cake Recipe
1 dark chocolate cake mix (or your own from scratch)
1/4 c. kirsch (cherry brandy)
1 can cherry pie filling or a can of dark black cherries
16 oz. heavy whipping cream
1 chocolate cool whip
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
Maraschino cherries, drained, optional, for garnish
milk chocolate curls or shavings, for garnish
PREPARATION:
Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.
Bake cake, as directed, in two 9-inch layer cake pans. When cool, sprinkle kirsch cherry brandy over both cake layers.
Chill electric beaters and large mixing bowl; beat cream until it thickens slightly, gradually add confectioners' sugar and beat until thick enough to hold its shape. Now if you don't want to go to all the trouble of making the real whipped cream like this...... then use the cheaters method and buy yourself the new Chocolate Cool Whip. It's delishious for this cake.
Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Assemble cake; place one layer on serving plate and spread its top with 1/2-inch thick layer of whipped cream and strew the cherries over the cream. Set other layer on top of cherries and spread top and sides of cake with remaining cream. With fingers, gently press chocolate curls into cream on sides of cake.
For me personally..... I like to use the white whip cream for the inside of the cake and I use the chocolate cool whip for the outside of the cake. This makes the cake really colorful. I also like to use both types of cherries. (dark and maraschinos) The last thing I do is shape whipped cream into decorative swirls on top with white whipped cream and I place a maraschino cherry on top of each swirl.... then sprinckle a few more chocolate curls or sprinckles around on the top.
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Black Forest Cake Definitions & Facts
- Black Forest gateau (also commonly called Black Forest cake in Canada, the USA and Australia) is the English name for the southern German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (literally "Black Forest cherry cake").
- It is a popular dessert throughout Germany, Austria and the world. Typically, Black Forest gateau consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. These layers are topped with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings.
- In some European traditions sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top.
- Traditionally, Kirschwasser is added to the cake, although other liquors are also used (rum is common in Austrian recipes).
- In the USA, Black Forest gateau is most often prepared without alcohol.
- In Germany, only the traditional recipes with Kirschwasser are widespread, and other variants are very rare.
- The confectioner Josef Keller claims to have invented Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in its present form in 1915.
- Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was first mentioned in writing in 1934.
Find more definitions at:
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