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    Black Forest Cake with Mascarpone Frosting

    This Black Forest cake is a real showstopper!

    Oven temperature

    180 C (160C Fan assisted)

    Serves

    8-10 people

    Prep Time

    15-20 minutes

    Cooking Time

    30-35 minutes

    "By the time you are reading this recipe, the latest Great British Bake Off winner may have already be crowned. It was a close race this year with no stand out favourites – everyone seemed quite well matched. How are we going to fill our Wednesday nights without Paul and Mary – not to mention Mel and Sue? Well here’s a suggestion – let’s all do a little baking of our own!

     

    This Black Forest Cake (a 70s retro darling) is actually very easy to make but looks impressive enough for a celebration and is absolutely delicious to boot! Are  you ready? Get, set, BAKE!"

    Here´s what you´ll need...

    For the frosting and filling

    • 500g mascarpone
    • 300g icing sgar
    • 200ml double cream
    • 2 cans cherry pie filling
    • Cherry brandy or Kirsch
    • 1 small bar dark chocolate to decorate
    • Store-bought chocolate sauce (optional)

    Here´s how it´s done... Step 1

    Add the mascarpone and icing sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and start beating together on slow speed whilst gradually adding the double cream.

    Step 2

    Beat together until it forms firm peaks – do not overbeat or the frosting will become grainy.

    Step 3

    Keep in the fridge until needed.

    Here´s what you´ll need...

    For the Cake

    Makes 2x23cm(9in) or 3x20cm(8in) cakes

    • 210g plain flour
    • 350g golden caster sugar
    • 75g unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 eggs
    • 225ml strong filter or instant coffee
    • (or use water mixed with 1tbsp Camp syrup)
    • 225ml buttermilk
    • 100ml vegetable oil
    • a little butter and extra flour to grease the cake tins

    Here´s how it´s done... Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease and line the bottoms of your cake tins with baking paper. Grease the paper and dust with flour, shaking off the excess.

    Step 2

    Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, soda, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl.

    Step 3

    Whisk together the eggs, coffee, buttermilk and oil until well combined.

    Step 4

    Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat for a couple of minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl. You can do this by hand or in a stand mixer. The batter will be fairly thin – that’s normal!

    Step 5

    Pour into the cake tins filling only halfway. Bake the 20cm cake layers for about 20-25 minutes (the 23cm cakes take 30-35 minutes) or until the the cakes are risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins and then gently invert onto a cooling rack.

    Step 6

    Brush the cake layers with a little cherry brandy or Kirsch. You may want to leave the alcohol out of the recipe if you are serving this cake to children!

    Step 7

    Drain the cherries of any juices. Transfer the mascarpone in a large piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe frosting over the bottom cake layer and then add a scattering of cherries

    Step 8

    Repeat with the second layer and top with the final cake layer.

    Step 9

    Pipe the frosting on the top layer and drizzle with a little chocolate sauce if you like. Stud with more cherries and then use a potato peeler to shave some dark chocolate over the top. Serve immediately!

     

     

    You can use fresh cherries to decorate the top layer if they are available. Or try using blackcurrants or blackberries instead.

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