Black Forest Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Ooh black forest.. doesn’t the name just sound fun and exciting!? The traditional Black forest cake is a layered cake with a cherry filling. This is my version of the traditional… minus the cherry part {I’m not a huge fan of the filling}. I made this cake for my family’s Memorial Day get together today. There was a ton of great food… grilled steaks, hot dogs, burgers and a verry yummy cole slaw… it all was so delicious!
So let us start the week off right with a dessert post! This cake is verrrrry chocolaty… verrrrry moist and verrrrry caloric… but it was verrrrry yummy and worth it… and with the left over cake you can do what I did and force it on to a friend to take home so your not tempted to eat cake for breakfast… and maybe lunch….
Here is what I got; flour, unsweetened cocoa, sugar, baking soda and baking powder, salt, eggs, buttermilk, coffee {yes I said coffee!}, applesauce and vanilla… {don’t let the ingredients scare you off}
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees then butter and flour up your bundt pan.
In a medium bowl mix up the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and the baking powder and soda… set aside.
Next beat the eggs with the applesauce…
Pour in the coffee, vanilla and the buttermilk.. and whisk some more…
Pour in the cocoa mixture a little at a time and guess what?… whisk.. look at all those bubbles… don’t worry… it’s just some buttermilk and baking soda/powder reaction thingy going on.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and place it into your preheated oven for 45-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. When the cake is completely cooled… it will be time to make…
For the ganache you will need 9 ounces of semi sweet chocolate and a cup of heavy cream…. mmmm heavy cream!
Chop the chocolate and put it in to a bowl or giant measuring cup… or anything that has a spout.
Bring the heavy cream up to a small simmer… and watch it…verry verry carefully… DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THE STOVE and as soon as you see tiny bubbles forming on the top of the cream… remove immediately… or else it will boil over and you will have ruined every thing 
{the little bubbles kind of look like foam}
Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and whisk until combined and smooth… yum yum yum… but let it cool just a little before pouring it on the cake.
Pour the ganache over the {cooled cake}… covering it all {I tried to do the the whole fancy drip thing and it didn’t look so hot.. so learn from me and cover it all}… however I would highly recommend doing it on one plate then transferring the finished cake to a different platter… for presentation purposes… it may look a little sloppy if you don’t… I’m just sayin.
This recipe does make a lot of chocolate ganache… so if you have leftovers just dip some fresh strawberries or pineapple in it {pineapple dipped in chocolate is my fav}!
Black Forest Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup coffee brewed and cooled
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache:
9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Butter and flour a bundt pan. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt {set aside}.
Whisk together the eggs and applesauce; then add the cold coffee, vanilla and buttermilk.
Gradually beat in the flour/cocoa mixture until combined.
Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool completely before making the chocolate ganache.
For the Ganache: Chop the chocolate and place into a heat safe bowl.
Heat cream to a small boil and immediately pour it over the chocolate {keep in mind you want it heated not scalded}.
Whisk until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Have the chocolate cool a little and then pour over cooled cake.
If you want a fluffier frosting or filling... cool the ganach completely then whip with wire whisk.
Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours! (
I was the friend "forced" to take the rest of the cake home (really I am so grateful becuase I did have it for breakfast). Let me tell you that this cake is amazing, it is so moist. It brings back an awesome childhood memory of having chocolate cake with the fam after special events! Laurie-if our friendship is ever in question (which it never will be) just make this cake and all will
I am following via TAT. I love a good recipe blog, and from scratch…even better!
Hi, following from Tuesday Tag!! Looks good!!
http://www.justtryingtosavemoney.com
Following from Tuesday Tag-Along! Beautiful pics! I love the dishes! Very nice blog, I will be sure to come back!
Yum, looks delicious! Following from TTA. Hope you will stop by my blog and follow when you get a chance
http://julia-livelovelaugh.blogspot.com/
That looks amazing!!
Following from TTA!
http://my365toaSize5.blogspot.com
Hello! Thanks for tagging along this week at the Tuesday Tag-Along blog hop! I'm a follower of your blog!
http://tweepoppets.blogspot.com
I can't wait to try this recipe! Thanks for stopping by and following my blog and I'm now following you too! I do about 80/20 from scratch cooking but still want to do more so I'm excited to try out the recipes you have here. Given that my blog is about crafting and chocolate and making stuff and chocolate and papercrafts and chocolate….I think I MUST feature this recipe!
Visiting and following from TTA!! Beautiful blog – so glad I found it!
YUM!!!
I'm so glad you stopped by for Tues-Tag-Along,and that I got a chance to see your delicious blog! I look forward to seeing more.
Hi! I'm following you back from Tanja's Cupcakes.
That cake looks delicious!
Have a great day!
Oooh, that's one yummy looking chocolate cake!! I was going to make a carrot cake for the party I'm going to on Saturday, but now I'm seriously re-thinking that plan!!
Kelly @ DesignTies
Nice to meet a fellow scratch baker. I love your bundt pan. Do you recall where you got it?
ButterYum
Butter Yum… well it's a Nordic Ware, I got it for Christmas last year… but I thing it was purchased at Costco. Thanks for stopping by… ps LOVE YOUR MOM CAVE!!
hey!
i came across your blog from "nutrition unplugged". I really like your presentation (of ingradients)and photography of all the steps..it makes everything sounds….well..like a piece of cake.:)
http://www.garimanutritionblog.blogspot.com
This was amazing! I made it this weekend for my dad's birthday, and served it with the blood orange and honey sorbet (which was also fabulous!). Both items were a huge hit! I am a new follower to your blog, and jumping in with both feet!
Hi Laura! SO glad you enjoyed the cake and sorbet! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment back!
Looks really good… can’t wait to try it! What liquid would you use to replace the coffee?