We love cake! And we love making cakes even more — it's the best way to show someone you care. The only downside is that, after a while, cake can get a little boring. It's not like there's ever really anything new happening, right? But every once in awhile, we come up with an idea so crazy and delicious that we can't help but share it with you guys!
First off: did you know the Black Forest Cake is actually called Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte? No wonder it just rolls off your tongue — and your taste buds — so well. All the same, it might be easier to just call this fruity recipe by its English name: Black Forest Cake.
But what exactly is the Black Forest Cake? Is it like a German torte? Is it like a black forest gateau? Does it refer to the Black Forest region of Germany (and if so, why not just call it "Black Forest Gateau"?)? Well, the answer lies with none other than famous confectioner Albert Adrià . According to his grandmother, there was once a large family of confectioners in the small German town of Kirchheimbolanden (aka Black Forest Gate). They made all sorts of sweet treats that travelled far and wide. The touch that most distinguished their goods was using pepperberries , or pfeffertabak , as they were called in German. So now you know why this cake is called the Black Forest Cake, even though the German confectionery term can be complicated to translate!
As for what's under that shiny chocolate top, well, the answer is a lot of different things. Kirchheimbolanden has a long history of being a tourist destination , and lots of its residents have moved away from the area. That means they have to come up with new ways to attract tourists back; one way they've done this is by naming their hotels "Black Forest" because people are used to seeing certain features in these travelling log cabins like dark wood and crown molding .
So how did the Black Forest Cake get its name? Well, it's quite simple: it was created to mimic the appearance of these log cabins. And guess what? The Black Forest region of Germany looked exactly like this! It doesn't get much more authentically German than that.
Like we said earlier, there are lots of different variations on the Black Forest Cake. But this one is special.
Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix with pudding
3 eggs
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup confectioners' sugar
Directions
Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 2 Mix together: cake mix, beaten eggs, almond extract, cherry pie filling and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan.
Step 3 Bake in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool.
Step 4 To Make Glaze: Heat 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, butter or margarine, and milk in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once semisweet chocolate chips are melted and mixture is combined stir in confectioners' sugar.
Step 5 Spread glaze over cooled cake. Serve cake as is or with whipped cream and a cherry.
