Black Forest Cake

Cherry season is here! And to celebrate it, what better way than to make a Black Forest Cake!

Black Forest Cake
(makes a 7-inch cake)

4 egg yolks
20g castor sugar
50g corn oil
60g milk
15g cocoa powder
75g cake flour

4 egg white
1/4tsp cream of tartar
60g castor sugar

For decorations
400ml heavy cream
1/2 cup icing sugar
30 fresh cherries (reserved 12 cherries and cut the rest into halves)
30g dark chocolate, melted and cooled


Method

1) Lightly whisk the egg yolks with the sugar.

2) Add in the corn oil and stir to combine.  Pour in the milk and continue to mix till well blended.
3) Sift in the cocoa powder and mix well.

4) Add in the cake flour.  Mix well and set aside.

5) Add cream of tartar to the egg white and using a cake mixer, beat till frothy.  Gradually add in the sugar and continue to beat till stiff.

6) Take 1/3 portion of the egg white mixture and add to the egg yolk mixture. Use a hand whisk to blend well together.

7) With a spatula, fold in the rest of the egg white mixture until well blended.

8) Pour into a 7" removable bottom round pan and bake in a preheated oven at 140C for 25 min (at lower rack), then increase to 170C and bake for a further 25 min.

9) Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack.  Once cake is slightly cool, remove from cake tin by running a spatula around the side and bottom of the pan to loosen the cake.  Cool completely on the wire rack.

10) Add the icing sugar to the heavy cream and whipped till stiff peaks.

11) To assemble the cake, slice the cake horizontally into halves.

12) Place one half layer of the cake on a cake plate or stand. Spread an even layer of the icing cream over the cake and top it with the halved cherries. On the bottom of the other cake layer, spread a thin layer of icing. Place the layers together.

13) Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of icing to contain the crumbs.  Refrigerate the cake for about 20 minutes or until the frosting has firmed slightly.

14) Spread the rest of the icing over the cake until you have a smooth layer. Pipe little dots of icing around the bottom edge of the cake with a small round piping nozzle.

15) Pour the melted and cooled dark chocolate around the top of the cake so it runs over the edge a little. Decorate with whole cherries on top.

                                                                    Cherries galore!