Black Forest Cherry Cake and a Black Forest Cherry Trifle

Cook's notes: Black Forest gâteau and Black Forest cake are the English names for the German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte literally means "Black Forest cherry torte", where it originated.

Typically, Black Forest cake consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, cherries and chocolate shavings. In some European traditions sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top. Traditionally, kirsch is added to the cherries. True Black Forest cakes are decorated with black cherries. 

Several Black Forest dessert options are posted. 

Black Forest Cherry Trifle

Black Forest Cherry Individual Trifles 

Ingredients:

• 1 chocolate cake mix (18.25 oz box)
• 2- cans Dark Bing Cherries, pitted in heavy juice
• Fresh orange juice, as needed
• 1 cup + 2 TB. sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons Chambord or Kirsch
• 4 oz. Chocolate mousse mix (commercially prepared) found in baking aisle
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract, pure
• 1 oz. shaved chocolate 

Directions:

• Bake cake according to package instructions. Cool. Cut 6 by 8 into 1 1/2" squares.
• Drain cherries and reserve juice. Add enough orange juice to cherry juice to equal 1- 3/4 cups.
• Heat juice and add 1 cup of sugar. Bring to a light boil. Reserve 2 TB. sugar for whipped cream.
• Blend cornstarch with water. Add to boiling juice. Blend with a whisk to thicken.
• Add cherries and cook for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature and add Chambord. Chill. 
• Whip mousse mix with cold milk and refrigerate to thicken slightly. Mix well with a whisk.
• Whip heavy cream on medium speed. Add remaining 2 TB. sugar and vanilla extract and whip until cream forms soft peaks.
• Assemble torte in an 8" round, 5" deep glass trifle bowl.
• Line the bottom of the bowl with 1 layer of chocolate cake cubes. Fit cake cubes tightly against sides of bowl. (This should take approx. half of the cake.)
• Spread a layer of the cherries and sauce over the cake cubes, making sure they're visible against the side of the bowl. Then add a layer of mousse. Repeat the layers of cake, cherries, and mousse. Reserve 5 to 9 cherries for garnish.
• Spread a layer of whipped cream over the top and garnish with the remaining cherries, Grate chocolate over the top.

Black Forest Cherry Bundt Cake 

Ingredients:

• 1 box of chocolate cake mix with pudding 
• 1 can cherry pie filling (reserve 1 cup for cake mix ingredients and save rest for the topping) 
• 3 eggs 
•  ¾ cup water 
• ¼ cup oil 
•  2-3 TB cherry brandy or 1 tsp. almond extract 

Directions:

• Grease a bundt pan or a 13 x 9 pan and sprinkle with 1 TB. sugar 
• Mix cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs, water, oil and cherry brandy or almond extract. 
• Bake @ 350 degrees for a bundt pan 45-50 minutes or if using a 13 x 9 pan check at 25 minutes. 
• Frost cake with chocolate frosting. 
• For each cake slice top with large TB of cherry pie filling, then top with dollop of whip cream and a maraschino cherry.