Black Forest cake originated during the 16^th century in the Black Forest, a region  that’s well known for sour cherries and Kirschwasser (a double distilled, clear cherry brandy made from Morella cherries).  The cake probably began as a dessert that evolved into a cake – many variations exist  in other parts of Germany and Switzerland. Credit for the cake in it’s current form goes to Josef Keller who created it in 1915 for a coffee shop known as Café Agner in Bad Godesberg.  Today we feature two recipes, one classic and one vegan to satisfy all our readers. Both are delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients

For the  cake

• 340g golden caster sugar
• 340g unsalted butter
• 6 eggs
• 240g self-raising flour, sifted
• 100g cocoa
• For the filling
• 2 tins of black Morello cherries in syrup, drained and syrup reserved
• 2 tbsp Kirschwasser

For the icing

• 600 ml  double cream
• 200 g dark chocolate, broken into small bits
• To decorate
• 50 g dark chocolate, for shaving

Method

• Preheat the oven to 190  C.
• Lightly butter a 20 cm  loose-bottomed cake tin then dust with a little plain flour and shake off any excess and line it with greaseproof paper.
• Whisk the butter and the sugar until it is light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs in one at a time then fold in the flour and the cocoa powder.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, smooth the surface with a knife and bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes until firm and springy.
• To test if the cake is done, insert a clean skewer into the middle of the cake – if it’s clean,  the cake’s ready.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
• Add the Kirschwasser to the reserved syrup.
• Use a large serrated knife or cotton and slice the cake horizontally into three equal rounds.
• Place each round on a plate or a working surface and add the cherry syrup evenly over each round of cake – allow it  to soak in.
• To ice, warm 200 ml of the cream until almost boiling and then pop in the chocolate pieces, stirring well so that the chocolate  melts completely.
• Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and refrigerate so that it can thicken slightly.
• Whip the rest of double cream until thick and cover one of the cake rounds with half of the cream, cover with half of the cherries, and press them in lightly.
• Top with the second round of sponge and repeat the process, finishing with the third disc left plain on top.
• Gently press the whole cake together with the palms of your hands.
• Remove the chocolate icing from the fridge and give it a quick stir.
• Use a palette knife to thickly spread the top and sides of the cake with the icing, starting with the top first so that, if the chocolate oozes down the sides of the cake, it won’t matter.
• Leave the cake to set in a cool place then slice into large wedges and serve.

VEGAN BLACK FOREST CAKE

Ingredients

For the cake

• 250g self-raising wholemeal flour
• 250g soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 heaped tsp carob powder
• 125ml  rapeseed oil
• 150ml soya milk
• 1 tbsp vegan coconut cream (you could also use soy yoghurt)
• 1 dessertspoon cider vinegar
• pinch of salt
• 25g dairy-free dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)
• fresh cherries  to decorate

For the filling

• 4 tbsp Vegan cream cheese
• 1 tsp lime rind
• 4 tbsp morello cherry  jam
• 2 tbsp  Kirschwasser

Method

• Oil two 20cm circular sponge tins and line them with baking parchment.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
• Place all the cake ingredients, except the chocolate and cherries, in a food processor and mix together thoroughly.
• Coarsely grate or chop the chocolate and add to the cake mixture.
• Divide the mixture between the sponge tins and level the tops with a spatula.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre of each sponge comes out clean.
• Allow to cool a little, then turn out on to a wire rack until completely cold.
• Place the vegan cream cheese in a bowl and stir in the lime rind and Kirschwasser.
• Spread one side of a cold sponge with the lime cream cheese, and spread the other sponge with jam.
• Sandwich together and place on a serving plate.
• Decorate the cake with fresh cherries and serve