Black Forest Cake

I LOVE when it's Hubby's birthday because it's the day he finally catches up to me and we're the "same age." I'm five months older and he never lets me forget it. Well, last month, he caught up to me again. YAY! Hubby's parents hosted his birthday dinner and they made him "THE CHOCOLATE CAKE" for dessert. It's a recipe that's been in the fam for years and it's fabulous. He's gotten that cake for many birthdays, and in the past, it was requested quite often for holidays and for cousins' birthdays, too. It's that good! Son #2 can't eat the cake due to his egg allergy so I baked a special cake that he could enjoy.

Hubby's birthday was last month and I made an egg-free Black Forest cake to serve alongside "THE CHOCOLATE CAKE." It was my first attempt and it turned out pretty good. Hubby loved it and Son #2 enjoyed every single bite. He loves when I bake "special" goodies! 

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

I even made the chocolate curls. :)

Black Forest Cake

Yield: 2-layer 9" round cake

Ingredients:

dry:

• 2 c plus 2 tbs all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt

wet:

• 1 c milk 
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (omit if you want to use 2 eggs instead)
• 1/2 c Canola oil

filling:

• cherry pie filling

whipped cream:

• 1 c heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs sugar

Directions:

bake cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prep cake pans: lightly spray with oil and lightly flour the pans.
2. Pour milk into measuring cup and add apple cider vinegar. Let sit for a few mins till it "curdles." Set aside. Skip this step if using 2 eggs.
3. Add dry ingredients in stand mixer bowl and stir well.
4. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and mix until well blended.
5. Pour evenly into prepared pans.
6. Bake 25-30 mins or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool cake in pans on wire racks about 15 mins. 
8. Loosen edges and flip onto cooling racks to cool completely.

make whipped cream:

1. Add heavy whipping cream in stand mixer bowl.
2. Use wire whisk attachment and beat on med-high 1-2 mins till frothy/bubbly looking. 
3. Continue beating and carefully add vanilla and sugar. 
4. Beat on high till fluffy whipped cream consistency is reached.

assemble cake:

1. Place one cake layer on cake plate.
2. Spread whipped cream layer on top.
3. Spread 1/4 c - 1/3 c cherry pie filling on top and cover with thin layer of whipped cream.
4. Place second cake layer on top.
5. Frost entire cake with whipped cream. Reserve some whipped cream for decorating.
6. Set aside 10 nice cherries and add remaining cherries to middle of cake.
7. Use piping bag with star tip for decorating or put whipped cream in a ziploc bag and use that as the piping bag. Just snip a corner and squeeze. Easy.
8. Squeeze stars (or in my case, mini marshmallow sized "puffs") over top of cake. Quickly decorate around the cherries first to contain them in the center of the cake. Work your way out to the edge.
9. I had extra whipped cream so I piped around the bottom of the cake, too.
10. Decorate with 10 cherries set aside earlier. Space evenly apart around the top of cake.
11. Hubby loves chocolate so I made chocolate curls to place on top of the cherry center. I'll post the recipe for chocolate curls soon. :)
12. ENJOY! It's good stuff!

Souce: Adapted from ifood.tv