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Amazing Black Forest Cake

Indulge in a decadent three-layer chocolate cake filled with whipped cream and tart cherries, perfect for celebrations or a special treat.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: European, German
Calories: 380
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
For the Filling
  • 1 jar (24 oz) morello cherries, drained (save the juice!)
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Garnish
  • to taste chocolate shavings for decoration
  • as needed additional cherries for decoration

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk them together.
  3. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.
  4. Carefully stir in the boiling water. The batter will be thin.
  5. Pour the batter evenly into your prepared cake pans.
Baking
  1. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  2. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool completely.
Frosting
  1. While the cakes cool, whip up the frosting. Beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
Assembly
  1. Once the cakes are cooled, slice each layer in half horizontally to create four layers.
  2. Layer them up: Place one layer on your serving plate, soak with cherry juice, spread a layer of whipped cream, and add some drained cherries. Repeat with the next layers, and top with the final cake.
  3. Frost the top and sides with the remaining whipped cream, and then decorate with chocolate shavings and cherries.

Notes

Don’t fret over the layers! If they’re not perfectly even, use more frosting to even it out. Swap cherries for strawberries or raspberries for variations. Serve with vanilla ice cream for a delightful combination.