Before we get into it, I’d like to issue my own disclaimer about the inauthenticity of this recipe as a “Black Forest” cake. Any purist would quickly point out that a true, German Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte would be more of a spongy chocolate cake, soaked with kirsch (a clear cherry liqueur) and decorated with whipped cream, sour cherries and shavings of chocolate. But when is the last time you remember me sticking to tradition?
My version of this cake is a departure in almost every category, save for the chocolate and cherry flavors. Cake baking is not in my wheelhouse, so I went for a recipe that I knew I could count on—a sourdough chocolate cake from King Arthur Baking that has served me well before—and I adjusted the fillings to match it. My whipped cream filling is enhanced with mascarpone, making it more substantial to support the sturdy cake. The cake itself is not super sweet, so the cherries had to be. And kirsch liqueur (or any cherry liqueur, for that matter) is nowhere to be found in our liquor stores, so I reached straight for what’s plentiful at our house—bourbon, and that was a very good call.
The cake is not difficult to make, but it is fussy enough that it deserves a special occasion. I was going to save this until the week of Valentine’s Day, but my husband heard on his favorite sports talk show this morning that today is National Chocolate Cake Day, so, heck yeah! We might as well get a jump start on swooning over it. 😉
We splurged on this decadent, multi-layer dessert to finish our New Year’s Eve meal of White Clam Pizza and our newest addition, the Oysters Rockefeller Pizza, and the cake was delicious for the occasion (and, remarkably, just as good later as leftovers straight from the fridge).
Frosting a cake requires patience that I do not have (especially at the holidays), so I went for a more rustic appearance, which also afforded us a glimpse of the yumminess that was to come, in the form of mascarpone cream and cherries hanging out the sides. There was no whipped cream wrapped around the outside of my cake and no shavings of chocolate, as one would find on a true Black Forest Cake. But it was delicious, with a capital D.
So, is it authentic Black Forest Cake? No, but “Sourdough Dark Chocolate Cake with Bourbon-Soaked Cherry and Mascarpone Filling with Ganache Topping” is a mouthful. Plus, it didn’t fit in the title box. 😉
Ingredients
1 recipe Sourdough Chocolate Cake | King Arthur Baking, baked in 9-inch layer pans* (see instruction notes)
Bourbon Cherries and Syrup
1 lb. bag frozen dark sweet cherries
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened black cherry juice
2 oz. bourbon
Mascarpone Filling
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. tub mascarpone
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. real vanilla extract
Ganache Topping
8 oz. dark melting chocolate wafers
1 cup heavy cream
1 oz. amaretto (optional)
8 bourbon cherries or morello cherries, with stems (for decorating cake top)
Instructions
Bake the cake as instructed on King Arthur website. I followed the instructions with one ingredient adjustment; I replaced half of the natural cocoa with KA’s Double Dark Dutch Cocoa. I am crazy about the deep, dark color and chocolate flavor! Also, I baked it in two buttered and cocoa-dusted 9-inch layer pans rather than the 9 x 13 that was suggested, and the cake was done in 30 minutes. Cool the cake layers completely before removing them from the pans.
Not riding the sourdough train? No problem; use any other dark chocolate cake recipe you like, provided the layers are sturdy.
For the cherry syrup, mascarpone filling and shiny ganache topping, I’ll provide a visual walkthrough, and you can scroll to the bottom of the post for a printable recipe if you want to give it a go in your kitchen. Happy Chocolate Cake Day! 🙂
Combine the frozen cherries and sugar in a saucepan. 
Add the unsweetened black cherry juice and bring to a slight boil. 
When the syrup has simmered a few minutes, drain the cherries into a bowl and return the syrup to the pan. 
Pour bourbon over the strained cherries and steep until they are cooled. 
Simmer the syrup over medium heat until reduced to 2/3 cup. 
Drain the cherries again and add the bourbon syrup to the other syrup. 
Transfer the syrup into a squeeze bottle if you have one; I found it an easy way to distribute the syrup over the cake layers. 
Sift powdered sugar into the heavy cream. 
Whip the sweetened cream until soft and lightly fluffy. 
Add the mascarpone and whip on low speed until until combined. 
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the syrup into the mascarpone and fold until blended. 
Transfer the mascarpone cream to a large zip-top bag and put it in the refrigerator. 
To slice the cake layers, I used a long piece of unflavored dental floss. 
The layers may not be totally perfect, but that’s OK. 
When you’re ready to assemble the cake, smear a small amount of mascarpone cream onto the cake platter to stabilize the first layer. 
Drizzle about 1/3 of the cherry syrup over the cut side of the cake layer. 
The syrup will soak into the cake, drenching every bite with the bourbon-cherry flavors. 
Snip the corner of the mascarpone cream bag and pipe about 1/4 of it onto the soaked cake layer. Spread gently to get more coverage, or just fill in with a few dots of additional cream. 
Arrange 1/3 of the drunken cherries onto the mascarpone cream. Repeat with the next two layers, saving a rounded piece for the top. 
Pipe some of the remaining mascarpone cream around the top edge of the final layer. Refrigerate the cake while you make the ganache. 
To make the ganache, heat heavy cream over medium-low heat until steaming. Pour over chocolate and leave it alone for 10 minutes. 
After 10 minutes, blend with a whisk, stirring mainly in the center of the bowl. 
At first, it will seem like it isn’t working, but stay with it. 
Aha! Continue to whisk until the entire mixture is smooth and chocolatey. 
This is what my ganache looked like after only one minute of whisking. 
Stir in a small amount of corn syrup for a glossy shine and to keep the sugars from crystallizing. 
Just for fun, I whisked in a half shot of amaretto. We like it in bourbon-cherry cocktails, and it worked here as well. 
Slowly pour the cooled ganache onto the cake. The ganache will run off the center of the cake, but the mascarpone will keep it from running off. Keep pouring. 
I poured the ganache right to the top of the edge. When the ganache has set, cover and refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. Just before serving, pipe on the last bit of mascarpone cream, making little cushions for the bourbon cherries. Serve immediately. 
The cake keeps very well in the fridge, and we decided the flavors were even better after a day or two!
Comfort du Jour 