Black Forest Cake
Serves 10, Prep and Cook: 1 hour, 10 mins
670g jar pitted morello cherries ¼cup cherry-flavoured liqueur (Kirsch)
600ml tub thickened cream 180g block black forest milk chocolate, finely chopped, Extra chopped black forest chocolate, to decorate
CAKES
½ cup cocoa powder 225g unsalted butter, chopped,
at room temperature
1¼ cups caster sugar
3 eggs
1½ cups plain flour
½ cup self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda ¾ cup milk
1 Grease two 20cm round cake pans. Line bases and sides with paper, extending paper 2cm above pan edges.
2 To make cakes, combine cocoa with ½ cup boiling water in a heatproof jug. Whisk until smooth. Cool.
3 Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Reduce speed to low. Beat in cocoa mixture. (Mixture will look curdled at this stage.)
4 Fold in combined sifted flours and soda with milk, in two batches. Divide evenly between prepared pans. Smooth over tops.
5 Cook in a moderately slow oven (160C) for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Remove. Stand in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.
6 Drain cherries, reserving
¼ cup syrup. Combine reserved syrup with liqueur in a small jug. Set aside 15 cherries for decoration.
7 Beat cream in small bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Transfer 1½ cups whipped cream to a separate bowl. Refrigerate, covered. Fold chocolate into remaining whipped cream.
8 Using a large serrated knife, cut cakes horizontally in half. Place one cake layer, cut-side up, on a serving plate. Brush with some of the syrup mixture. Spread with one-third of the chocolate cream. Top with one-third of the remaining cherries. Repeat layering with remaining cakes, syrup mixture, chocolate cream and cherries, finishing with a cake layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
9 To serve, beat reserved cream until firm peaks form. Spread over top of cake. Decorate with reserved cherries and extra chopped chocolate.