Easy Black Forest Cake

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Easy Black Forest cake is a visually stunning dessert consisting of layers of chocolate cake filled with whipped cream and cherry pie filling, topped with a velvety chocolate ganache and fresh cherries.

Course Baking, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, German

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 650kcal

Author Lise Sullivan Ode

Ingredients

For the cake

4 ounces dark chocolate chips, melted or 3/4 cup
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons 100% cocoa powder, Dutch processed
1/2 cup boiling water

For the filling

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 can Lucky Leaf Cherry Pie Filling

For the chocolate ganache & decoration

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup fresh cherries for top decoration

Instructions

For the cake

Grease and line three 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, almond flour and chocolate. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cocoa and salt into the cream mixture. Fold in slowly and stir in boiling water. Spread batter evenly in prepared pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

For the filling and ganache

Whip cream until soft peaks form. Spread first cake layer with whipped cream then top with cherry pie filling. Repeat for second layer. Set aside. Make chocolate ganache: Place 1 cup chocolate chips in bowl. Heat whipping cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add final cake layer and drizzle with about 1/2 cup of chocolate ganache. Top with fresh cherries. Slice and serve with the remaining ganache. Store the cake in the refrigerator due to the whipped cream frosting. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to prevent drying out.

Notes

Is it possible to use cherry liquor in the recipe? Cherry liquor adds a distinct flavor to the cake, but it's optional. If you want a more intense cherry flavor, I prefer a non-alcoholic version by brushing the cake layers with cherry juice or cherry syrup before adding whipped cream. Totally optional.

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