Black Forest Cake

Layers of rich chocolate cake soaked with cherry liqueur and crowned with whipped cream and fresh cherries make this German classic utterly irresistible. The Dutch-process cocoa delivers deep, sophisticated flavor while the tart cherries cut through the decadence perfectly. Perfect for celebrating special occasions or whenever you want to impress with an elegant, showstopping dessert.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 cup hot strong brewed coffee

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 jars (24 oz total) morello cherries in juice, drained, juice reserved

1/4 cup kirsch (cherry brandy)

3 cups heavy whipping cream, cold

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, for shavings

12 maraschino cherries with stems, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Dust with cocoa powder.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.

Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Slowly add hot coffee and mix until batter is smooth and thin.

Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Combine 1/2 cup reserved cherry juice with kirsch in a small bowl. Set drained cherries aside, reserving about 1/2 cup for the top layer.

In a large chilled bowl, beat heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate bar to create curls. Refrigerate until needed.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Brush generously with cherry-kirsch syrup. Spread 1 cup whipped cream over the layer and arrange half the drained cherries on top, pressing gently.

Add second cake layer, brush with syrup, spread with 1 cup whipped cream, and top with remaining cherries (except reserved ones).

Place final cake layer on top and brush with remaining syrup. Frost top and sides of entire cake with remaining whipped cream, creating decorative swirls on top.

Press chocolate shavings onto sides of cake and sprinkle generously over the top. Arrange maraschino cherries around the top edge.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.