A Blackforest cake for a B'day boy

September 11, a day that some people will never forget.. (due to the attack of the twin towers)

However, this year september, 11 is a special day for someone special..

Its B's birthday.. so I created a cake for him.. He really like chocolates very much, and almost immediately BLACKFOREST CAKE flash across my mind, so without any procastination, I lift my butt off the comfy chair and search online for Blackforest cakie..

I got this recipe from "Do what I like" @ Kitchen Capers Forum.

http://wlteef.blogspot.com/2005/04/black-forest-cake.html

When I saw the picture of the cake florence created, I was so amazed! absolutely stunning! Just like what we will get from those secret recipes, breadtalk etc.. So yeah, a picture determines the birthday boy's cake.. Keke

Presenting to you, this lovely recipe:

BLACKFOREST CAKE

Ingredients

(A)

4 egg yolks

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp rum or kirsch (I use my Sis's chocolate liquer)

40g castor sugar (I use icing sugar)

(B)

5g cocoa powder

85ml warm corn oil

(C)

135ml warm water

(D)
125g cake flour
1/2 baking soda
1/2 baking powder

(E)

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

50g castor sugar

(Fillings)

15 fresh cherries pitted and halved (dried with paper towel)

25 canned pitted sour cherries halved drain well

500ml whipping cream whipped with 2 tbsp icing sugar

100g shaved Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate

10 - 12 Fresh whole cherries with stems for decoration/maraschino cherries with stems

Methods

1. Mix ingredients (A) well with a hand whisk.

2. Stir cocoa powder in warmed oil until dissolved and pour into yolk mixture.

3. Stir (C) into yolk mixture.

4. Sieve ingredient (D) and stir it into yolk mixture.

5. Whip egg whites in a clean mixing bowl until big bubbles are formed. Add in the cream of tartar and whip until white in colour. Add in sugar over 3 times and whip until egg whites is stiff. 6. Pour 1/2 white into yolk mixture and blend well.

7. Pour yolk mixture into the remaining egg white mixture and blend well

8. Pour batter into clean baking pan and bake at 175C for 45 minutes or until cooked.

9. Invert cake and leave to cool. Then cut cooled cake into 2 or 3 layers.

10. Whip the cream with icing sugar until stiff.

11. Add pitted fresh and sour cherries into half portion of the whipped cream.

12. Sandwich the cake with (11).

13. Frost the cake with the remaining half portion of whipped cream and decorate as appropriate with chocolate shavings and fresh whole cherries

I prepared the base cake around afternoon before the night I do up the decorations, this allow the crumbs to settle, and when you slice the cake into 3 individual parts, the crumbs will not fall off.. And a prettier cut as well la..

So after all these hardwork, I came up with this cake:

I did not decorate the cake with marashchino cherries because I couldn't find them at the AMK Phoon Huat, and not wanting to run around the whole "little red dot" (Singapore) for the cherries, I settle for strawberries and Rochers.. The rochers was quite a hit, guess they like the rochers.. Strawberrie wise, quite sour..

Non-dairy whipped cream was used to deco the cake as well, I prefer non-dairy over dairy whipping cream. Because I tends to overwhip the dairy whipping cream and "transform" them into butter.. *Sobs*

Just simply no luck with dairy whipping cream.. So whenever any recipe calls for dairy cream, I'll substitute it with non-dairy ones, the taste will not be compromised (according to my tastebuds) =p

Oh ya, I also used the heart candies to decorate the cake... add on a sweet and feminine touch.. Keke. The side of the cake uses chocolate shavings.. Done by yours truly.. Well, I really dislike making my own chocolate shavings, cos they tends to melt quite fast in hot weather, and resulting in a gooey mess..

Anyone has any idea to make my "Chocolate shaving journey" a less tedious one?? Please tell me! TIA!

Taste wise, I think it might be due to the chocolate liquer that I used, the chocolate scent is strongly enhanced, and the cake is spongy soft! Another point to add, the cake is not too sweet, which makes it even more appealing to me.

*I love desserts, but I don't have a sweet-tooth. Weird uh?

Well anyway, the cake was quite well received by all those who tasted it, and of course, the Birthday boy loves the cake as well! So overall, its worth the hardwork! As I greatly appreciate it when people enjoys my bakes!

Hmm.. Stay tuned, I'll be back with more stuffs!