Best Black Forest Cake Recipe Moist Chocolate Layers

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch (20cm) cake pans with parchment circles.
2. Whisk dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, leavening agents, salt) in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Combine wet and dry ingredients until just mixed.
4. Carefully whisk in the boiling water or hot coffee. The batter will be thin—this is correct for a moist sponge.
5. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Prepare the filling: In a saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, and ½ cup water/juice. Simmer, then mix cornstarch with 2 Tbsp cold liquid to create a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the simmering cherries and cook until thickened (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in half the Kirsch. Cool completely.
7. Prepare the soak: Mix the remaining Kirsch with an equal amount of hot water or reserved cherry juice.
8. Prepare the cream: Sprinkle gelatin over 3 Tbsp cold water to bloom for 5 minutes. Microwave for 10 seconds until dissolved and clear. Whip cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Slowly drizzle in the cooled, dissolved gelatin while mixing on low, then increase speed to whip to medium-firm, stable peaks.
9. Assembly: Place the first cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Brush generously with the Kirsch syrup soak. Spread half of the cooled cherry filling evenly over the soaked layer. Cover the filling with one-third of the whipped cream.
10. Top with the second cake layer. Brush liberally with the remaining soak. Cover the entire cake (top and sides) with the remaining whipped cream.
11. Chill for at least 1 hour to firm up. Decorate by pressing shaved dark chocolate onto the sides and topping the cake with cream rosettes and fresh cherries.