EASY Black Forest Chocolate Cake!

IT IS HERE! For all of you that loved our “Best Chocolate Cake Ever”,  here comes an upgrade! A classic chocolate cake developed years ago but perfected by The Chocolate Plate.  Introducing our EASY Black Forest Chocolate Cake!

This Black Forest Chocolate Cake teams chocolate, bourbon soaked cherries and fresh whipped cream in a showcase that will kick your grandma’s chocolate cake off the podium! So grab that chocolate and lets get to work on this easy masterpiece!

Cake Recipe:

330 grams – Water
87 grams – Guittard Cocoa Powder (GREAT Cocoa Powder!)

450 grams – All-Purpose Flour
540 grams – Sugar
11 grams – Salt
22 grams – Baking Powder

330 grams -Whole Milk
235 grams – Vegetable Oil
3 Large – Eggs
10 grams – Nielsen-Massey Vanilla

Cake Instructions:

1.  Place water in a pot and bring to a boil. Take off heat.
2.  Dump cocoa powder into water.  Whisk until smooth.  Place in refrigerator to cool.
3. Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk together.
4. Combine milk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk together.
5. Combine the flour and milk mixture together.  Whisk until combined.
6. Add the slightly cooled cocoa powder/water mixture to the mixture from step 5.

****Important Step***** – Whisk final batter for 1 minute!

Baking Instructions:

1. Pour chocolate cake batter into two, non-stick, greased 9-inch pans.(*Trick – place parchment paper down in the pan first.  Grease under the parchment and on top.)
2. Bake at 325 F for 55 minutes to 1 hour.  Do not open oven until at least 50 minutes has passed!
3. Once you can stick a tooth pick in the middle and it comes out clean take it out of the oven to cool.
4. Chill in the refrigerator.

Building Your Cake:

1. Remove cake from pans once they are fully chilled.
2. Place a thick layer of whipped cream on the first cake and add CHERRIES in the whipped cream (see picture). Be generous with the cherries! The cherries not only add flavor but also stability to the cake.
   
3. Place the next cake on top of the cake/whipped cream/cherries.
   
4. Frost the sides and top of cake fully with whipped cream.  You can make your own whipped cream or use whipped cream from a can.  This layer should be thin (see picture).  Then take shaved chocolate and place it on the sides of the cake with your hands.  (Whipped cream recipe: 700 grams heavy cream.  Mix with stand mixture/whisk attachment until fluffy.  Add 1 cup sugar and then whip until firm.)
   
5. Next, pour melted ganache onto the top of the cake and push it to drizzle down the sides (see picture above). Chocolate Ganache topping recipe: 1/2 cup heavy cream & 1 cup chocolate. Heat heavy cream to a low boil. Pour over chocolate and then whisk together.
6. Lastly, place small dollops of whipped cream on top of cake and put a cherry on each dollop.