The Iconic Black Forest Gateau

Do you want to make someone special to really enjoy a delicious cake.A cake filled with whipped cream and luscious red cherries for that perfect celebration ?
Yesterday was my hubbys birthday and I made this cake for him.It was a moment to cherish ... here is a recipe that can make any girl win her man's heart ...

Ingredients for the cake

• 125 gms all purpose flour
• 150 gms powder sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt

Baking
Preheat oven 190 C .Grease the baking pan, I used a 9 inch dia pan. Sieve the flour,cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and corn flour 3 times together.
Beat the eggs and sugar well with a beater approximately for 10 min or till it becomes fluffy. Add vanilla essence and beat for another minute.Now gently fold it with sifted flour and mix softly so that air does not escape. Now shift this batter to the baking pan.
Bake first ten minutes at 190 C and and reduce to 180 C.Bake for 30-35 minutes, check with a toothpick till its done. Once done let it sit for 5 min then remove the cake from the pan to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cut horizontaly into 2-3 layers.

For filling

• 1/2 tin canned cherries
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp corn flour
• 600 ml whipped cream (I used 3 packs of Blue bird whipped cream)

Whisk the 3 packs of blue bird whipping cream with cold water as per instructions. Refrigerate it. Reserve half of the cherries for decoration and the remaining half can be finely chopped.
Mix 1 tsp of corn flour in 2 tbsp of cherry syrup and keep aside.Bring a  half cup of cherry syrup to boil and the above corn flour mix and boil till it thickens. Remove from the flame and add the add lime juice and keep aside to cool.

Assembly
Reserve half of the cream for icing the top, take the remaining half add the chopped cherries and mix nicely.
Place the bottom most layer of sponge cake on the serving plate, sprinkle 1/3 of prepared syrup and spread 1/3 of the cherry mixed whipped cream over it.Repeat the same with the remaining layers. Spread the remaining cream with the cherries on the top and sides.

Decoration

• 1/2 cup grated semisweet chocolate / dark chocolate
• reserved cherries

Sprinkle and pack the sides with the grated chocolate.Fill the whipped cream in a piping back with your choice of tip.And make small swirls on the edge with a 1/4 inch gap.Top it with cherries.Sprinkle the remaining grated chocolate on the center. Chill well before serving.Note: Adding corn flour to cake makes the cake texture lighter.
And the special midnight celebration when I wished him with the cake : )