Black Forest Cake

Serves 8

  • 185g softened butter
    1 cup firmly packed Bundaberg Brown Sugar
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    2 eggs
    1 cup plain flour
    1/2 cup self-raising  flour
    1 teaspoon bicarbarbonate of soda
    1/3 cup cocoa
    3/4 cup buttermilk
    900ml thickened cream
    670g jar pitted marello cherries, drained and halved
    1/4 cup kirsch
    to decorate
    dark chocolate shavings
    maraschino cherries, with stems
1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line base and sides of a deep 20cm diameter round cake pan.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla together until pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
3. Sift flours, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa together and add to creamed mixture, along with buttermilk. Beat on a low speed until combined. Pour into cake pan and level top. Bake 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre removes clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
 
4. Place the drained cherries on two layers of kitchen paper to drain well. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Cut the cake horizontally 
into 3 layers. Drizzle each layer with 1 tablespoon of the kirsch. Place one layer on a serving plate and spread liberally with whipped cream, then top with half the drained marello cherries. Repeat layering, finishing with cake layer. Cover cake with cream. Cover sides of cake with chocolate shavings, then pipe rosettes on top of cake. Decorate top of cake with chocolate shavings and maraschino cherries.