Black Forest Cake from Janine Durning

By d_s1

Ingredients

• Chocolate Cake:
• 2 15 or 16 oz cans of pitted, tart cherries
• 1/2 cup kirsch (cherry brandy)
• Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake (or homemade)
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 square semisweet chocolate, grated
• 12 cherries for garnish
• 2 squares semisweet chocolate made into curls
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preparation

Step 1

In medium bowl, place cherries and 1/3 cup kirsch. Leave at room temperature for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bake cake according to package in 3 layers(9 inch round pans). Let cool completely.

Prick the cake layers with a fork, drain cherries well and sprinkle cherry juice over cake layers. Beat cream and icing sugar and 2 Tbsp kirsch until the cream stands in stiff peaks. Place one cake layer on plate. Spread with 1/4 of the whipped cream and 1/2 of the cherries. Repeat with second layer, then top with third layer. Frost sides and top with cream, saving enough for 12 dollops on top. Gently press grated chocolate on sides of cake and top each dollop with a cherry. Pile chocolate curls in center. Store in the fridge.

Chocolate cake: In large bowl, place all ingredients and blend at low speed until well mixed, scraping the sides. Beat 5 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Bake in 3 9 inch round cake pans at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes. Cool on racks 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely. (1-2 hours).