This black forest cake uses the Guinness cake as a base and adds in a sweet and tart mixture of cherries and cream.
Black Forest Cake
Servings: 8 – 16
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 c Guinness Extra Stout
- 10 tbsp Butter
- 6 tbsp Cocoa Powder
- 2 c Sugar
- 6 tbsp Sour Cream
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tbsp Vanilla
- 2 c Flour
- 2 ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 ¼ tsp Molasses
Cherries
- 24 oz Jarred Sour Cherries in Water
- 4 tsp Corn Starch
- ¼ c Kirsch
- 6 tbsp Sugar
Cream
- 4 c Heavy Whipping Cream
- ¾ c Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 3 tbsp Kirsch
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Add Guinness and butter to a saucepan and place over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Remove from heat. Add cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, and molasses. Whisk to combine.
- Combine flour and baking soda in a large bowl, whisk to combine.
- Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla to a mixer, and mix well. Add the Guinness mixture and continue mixing.
- Add the flour mixture a little at a time and mix well.
- Butter two 9in cake pans and line with parchment.
- Evenly distribute the batter to the cake pans.
- Bake until risen. Be careful not to over bake. Around 25 mins.
- Allow to cool completely.
Cherries
- Drain cherries, keep water in a separate bowl.
- In a separate bowl combine corn starch and ¼ cup of the cherry water.
- In a sauce pan bring ¼ cup of cherry water, kirsch, and sugar to a simmer.
- Add the corn starch mixture and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cherries and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Cream
- In a stand mixer, whisk the cream on medium-low speed.
- Slowly add the sugar, vanilla, and kirsch.
- Increase speed to medium-high and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.
Assembly
- Cut the two cakes in half width-wise so that you have 4 round sponges of equal thickness.
- Add one sponge to a cake plate. Spread a thin layer of the cream on top of the sponge, and pipe a thicker layer around the edge.
- Add ⅓ of the cherry mixture to the top, contained by the piped cream.
- Continue to layer, you will have three layers of cream and cherries with the fourth sponge on top.
- Use the remaining cream to cover the top and sides of the cake.
- (Optional) You can decorate the cake with shaved chocolate and fresh pitted cherries.