Ann Reardon

Black Forrest Cake Recipe

black forrest cake recipe video

The advent calendar going up kicks off the official countdown to Christmas in our home. It’s a lovely hand-made calendar, stuffed with lollies and nativity figurines in the pockets, providing a great source of post-dinner joy for the kids. With each passing day it grows lighter as the little wooden stable nearby fills up with characters (all standing by for the arrival of baby Jesus) and my 4-year-old knows that Christmas is one step closer! December is such a busy time of year for everybody. We’ve just flown in to Melbourne today, all ready for a meet-and-greet at Myer department store in the city tomorrow where (spoiler alert) they will be unveiling a GIANT replica of one of my gingerbread houses! Amazing, how did this happen?! But the best bit of these sort of events is of course meeting and chatting with all the people. It’s actually a bit surreal meeting people face-to-face who I’ve been talking with in the comments on YouTube and here on my website. You’re all so beautiful and encouraging and I really can’t say a big enough thank you for all of your support.

 

For the black forrest cake recipe you will need

Rich Chocolate Cake Recipe (makes 3 x 8” round)
300g (10.58 ounces) of 70% cocoa dark chocolate
475g (16.76 ounces) or 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp and 2 tsp margarine
12 eggs
3 1/4 cups plus 2 tsp or 729g (25.71 ounces) caster (super fine) sugar
300g (10.58 ounces) or 1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp plain (all purpose) flour
45g (1.59 ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 2 tsp cocoa powder
2 1/4 tsp baking powder

black forrest cake recipe ann reardon

Place chocolate and margarine into a bowl.
Melt in the microwave (30seconds, stir, 30sec, stir…).
Whisk the eggs and sugar together
Combine egg and chocolate mixtures
Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together and mix into cake mixture until well blended.
Pour into three 20cm (7.87 inches) round cake tins
Bake at 180C (356 degrees Fahrenheit)

If the cake is looking done on top but is not yet cooked through put an empty baking tray on the shelf above it in the oven. Insert a knife into the centre to check if it is done, if it is ready it will come out clean.

Syrup
½ cup or 125millilitres (4.23 fluid ounces) water
1/3 cup or 73g (2.57 ounces) sugar
3 Tbsp kirsch or cherry brandy (optional)

Cherry compote
1 can cherries, drain and reserve juice
2/3 cup or 167g (5.89 ounces) cherry juice from above
2 Tbsp kirsch (optional)
1 Tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
Heat juice and cornstarch until thickens. Mix in kirsch and cherries. Cool

Chocolate tree decorations
200g (7.05 ounces) Compound dark chocolate or tempered real chocolate
Pipe trees onto non-stick baking paper

black forrest cake recipe ann reardon

Cream
600millilitres (20.29 fluid ounces) cream
2 Tbsp (powdered) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Whip cream with vanilla and a little icing sugar

Assemble cake using directions in the video.
rich black forrest cake recipe
by Ann Reardon Copyright 2015 How To Cook That

My Cookbook

ann reardon crazy sweet creations cookbook
Stores that sell my book listed by country: http://bit.ly/ARcookbook
All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.

83 Comments View Comments

  1. Rating: 5

    Hi, my name is Rylee, I’m 14, and I love watching your videos! Was wondering if you could also post the messurements in cups, because I i’ve never cooked with grams and ounces please. Thank you!

    • Hi Rylee, Cup sizes vary from region to region, so it isn’t the best way to communicate quantities internationally.

  2. Rating: 5

    oh and I didn’t mean the D in my last post;)

  3. Rating: 5

    hi Ann I LOVE watching your channel d I baked the cake I loved it, hope you can reply 🙂

    • That’s great to hear kate britten.

  4. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann, love your work! I was wondering how long you bake the cakes for. 180c but it doesn’t say how long to bake it. Please let me know. Thank you.

    • Hi Marjorie, Ann prefers not to give a specific time as ovens vary greatly. Check to see if it is baked through using the method described in the method above.

  5. Rating: 5

    I baked this cake and it was so, so cool. I felt like I was truly lost in a dark forest with only my thoughts. It reminded me of my husband leaving me ten years ago.

    • I’m not sure if that means you enjoyed it or not, baking can be very therapeutic

  6. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann:) thanks for your recipe. One thing I would ask you about cream, how cream could be in white and look nice? Whenever I make the cream cake, it is getting yellow. I am using thickened cream for it. Do I have to use any other products? Thanks

    • Hi Rami, Cream is naturally cream in colour and not white. The more you beat it the more yellow it will become. Just whip it enough to get the consistency you need and don’t overbeat.

  7. Hi Ann, would it be alright to leave out the syrup as a whole? Or maybe replace it with simple syrup? Thanks!

    • Hi Noelle, If you leave out the liquer/alcohol you will basically have a simple syrup. It would be good to use that to keep it nice and moist.

  8. Rating: 4.5

    Hi Ann, i love your creations and i want to surprise my family with this cake for our christmas get together but our oven is only working on the fan forced setting at the moment. I was wondering, what would the time and temperature be for a fan forced oven for the cakes?

    • Hi Brigette, Ann uses a fan forced oven.

      • How long does it take to bake? thank you

        • Hi Beatrice, Ann prefers not to give a specific time as ovens vary greatly. Check to see if it is baked through using the method described in the method above.

  9. Hi ann. Love ur recipes. I have one large 26cm diameter round tin and one 20cm round tin. Using ur recipe can I do it in these two tins. Would the cake in the large tin not sink?

    • Hi Asma, The larger tin would take a lot longer to cook. It wouldn’t necessarily sink.

  10. Rating: 5

    Hey Ann! Can you make a milkaoreo chocolat? Please?

  11. Rating: 5

    Hi, I was really inspired when I first saw your videos and would love to make them but, unfortunately my Dad is a diabetic and I would love it if you could make something that my Dad could have for Christmas

    Thanks Caely

  12. Rating: 5

    Love this cake recipe but it is very hard for me to convert it to cups could you please post the measurements in cups
    Thanks much

    • Hi Diane, what constitutes cups varies a lot. For example 1 cup in Australia is different from 1 cup in the USA. So to avoid confusion we make sure to include a measurement in grams which you can easily convert to local cup measurements via a legend or online if you prefer.

  13. Rating: 4.5

    Good recipe nice clear instructions pleasure to watch Ann’s cooking programs

  14. Rating: 5

    HI!
    Is there any way to sub the flour for a gluten free version? I would like to make this for my family’s christmas party but some of my family members don’t eat gluten because of medical reasons!
    thank you!

    • Hi Lorraine, Ann hasn’t tested this but a few subscribers have made Ann’s recipes using gluten free flour, with a good degree of success.

  15. Rating: 4.5

    ohhhh soo good!!!!! Where are you baking? Because it doesn’t look like your house…

  16. Rating: 5

    Hi!
    I want to know if I can substitute the cherries as well. I can’t find natural ones where I live and the canned ones here are extremely artificial and nasty

    • Hi Alina, You cold substitute for a berry or stone fruit that you have available.

  17. Rating: 5

    In 2007 , my then European boyfriend , now husband , was coming to visit. I wanted to surprise him with an authentic Black Forest cake .
    I could not buy one at any bake shop , just a chocolate cake with fake whip cream and a few cherries stuck on top .
    I did some research and found an authentic recipe for this cake , course I never heard of kirsh but did find it 🙂
    The cake turned out beautifully , but your video just reminded me , I ve never made it since .
    I must try your version , looks lovely

  18. Shouldn’t it be in three 20cm pan?

  19. Rating: 4

    I love ur recipes and all bt I hate cherries and seeing them now make me puke, and my brother is allergic to cherries, can I use other fruits?

  20. May i know what do you mean by ” bake in slow oven” ?

    • Hi Andrea, moderate=180C slow=150C

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