Black Forest Cake

[moutonoir 0]

With the holidays coming up, it's good to have a few recipes for impressive desserts on hand. Here's one for the classic Black Forest Cake:Ingredients: 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour 2/3 cup unsweetened (natural) cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1/2 cup kirschwasser liquer1/2 cup butter 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar salt to taste1 teaspoon strong brewed coffee 2 (14 ounce) cans pitted Bing cherries, drained 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon kirschwasser liquer1 ounce semisweet chocolate (square, not morsels)Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottoms of two 8-inch round pans with circles of parchment paper. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Set this mixture aside. Cream the shortening and the sugar together until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, until they are combined. Pour into the 2 round 8 inch pans.Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool cake completely. Remove the paper from the cakes. Cut each layer in half, horizontally, making a total of 4 layers. Sprinkle these layers with the 1/2 cup kirshwasser. In a medium bowl, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar, the salt, and coffee; beat together until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a couple teaspoons of cherry juice or milk. Spread first layer of cake with 1/3 of the filling. Top this with 1/3 of the cherries. Repeat with the remaining layers. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon kirshwasser. Frost the top and the sides of the cake. Sprinkle it with chocolate curls made by using a potato peeler on the square of semisweet baking chocolate.