WISH YOU ALL HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!.
This post is dedicated to my lovely Aayi. Who I think is the best mother in the world. I know, kids think the same about their mothers and I am no different.
I have written a lot about my aayi on this site so far. But some more things I got to add – when she was growing up, she was one of those “all rounders”. Anything you ask – crafts, embroidery, Indian classical music, studies and she was on the top. She got married very early at the age of 19. She moved from Sirsi which was then one of those small “cities” to a typical village where even the basic necessity like electricity was not there. She had to let go of all her art, hobbies and career. It is not easy as it looks as I have seen the struggle both my parents had to go through while we were growing up.
Sometimes she gets a bit sad when she looks at those “working women” who keep boasting about how they had to take care of family and job going hand in hand. I tell my aayi, what she has done for us is the greatest thing any mother could have done for her kids. Its not difficult to do a job and have that extra money in hand. But it is very difficult to leave everything for the kids. Because she was and is always there in our life when we need her. Sometimes we even forget what all she did for us and take her for granted. But she is always forgiving and always loves us in that unconditional way. I think most of the moms are like that.
I made this cake for her today. Since I know she will read this post, I thought she will be very happy to see this. It is one of the best tasting cakes I have ever made. I will make it for her when we meet her next time. But till then, this post is for her.
Now talking about black forest cake, it was a ‘Love at first bite’ for me. I tasted this for the first time in Belgaum. For the first time when I baked this, it was a big disaster. I didn’t know the cherry syrup that comes in the bottled cherries has an acidic taste. I went ahead and baked this for V’s bday 2 years ago. We had to throw the entire cake because of the strong acidic taste. So after that I never dared to even try this.
This time when I was at home, I told my pachi (mom’s sister) about my failed attempt at this cake. She being the ‘cake expert’ in our family, I was sure to get some pointers. She told me to use sugar syrup instead of cherry syrup. Then when I returned, I saw Maya’s cake. I was so hooked to it that I knew what I would be baking for Mother’s day. To make doubly sure that I won’t make any mistakes this time, I mailed Maya asking about the cherries she used and syrup. She replied saying she had used sugar syrup and also few pineapple chunks and did not use cherry syrup. Thanks a lot Maya.
Here I am with my cake. I made two of these. Tomorrow we are having a get together at a friend’s home and I know they love chocolate cakes. But before taking it there, I wanted to be sure that it works. So I made two. One for us today and other I am taking to their home tomorrow. We both simply loved the cake. I had a very hard time sticking the chocolate shavings to the side uniformly. The chocolate was melting down as I tried to make chocolate curls by using potato peeler. Anyway, the taste was awesome.
I found innumerable recipes for this cake. I have at least 2-3 versions in my recipe book collection. For the cake, I followed this recipe. All others – frosting etc was from all other cakes I have baked so far. Following is the recipe for 1 cake.
For the cake:
1 and 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 and 1/2 tea spn baking soda
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 tea spn salt
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1 tea spn vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Method:
Preheat the oven at 350F for 10mins.
Sieve together flour, baking soda, cocoa powder.
In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar. When they are well mixed, add eggs. Beat. Add milk, salt and mix.
Add the flour mixture little by little mixing it all the time.
Pour the mix in a greased oven proof dish. (I used two baking dishes and divided the mix into two equal parts). Bake at 350F for about 30mins or till a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Whipped cream:
473 ml heavy whipping cream
2 tea spns vanilla extract
5 tbl spns confectioners sugar
Method:
Mix all together and beat with a hand mixer till soft peaks form.
Sugar syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tea spn vanilla extract
Method:
Mix all together in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to boil till all sugar dissolves.
Other ingredients:
2 bottles(283gms each) cherries – One bottle for each cake
Semi sweet dark chocolate crumbs/shavings
Assembling the cake:
Cut the cake horizontally into 3-4 pieces.
Take one piece on cake board. Spread about 2 tbl spn of syrup.
Spread cream on top.
Spread few chopped cherries.
Keep the next cake layer on top.
Spread syrup, cream, cherries. Continue till all the cake pieces are done.
Press down the cake lightly. Spread the remaining cream on top and on the sides.
Decorate with cherry halves and chocolate crumbs/shavings.
Serve chilled.
Serves 10-12
Preparation time : 2 hrs
Update: Purnima sent me this amazing link to the video for “how to make chocolate curls“. It is a great help. Thanks dear.
Very true – the sacrifices our mothers’ generations have made for us, to give us a better life…my first pastry love was this same black forest from Monginis, times have changed and tastes have turned more exotic, but each time we bite into this soft black forest with that crispy crust, memories of childhood come flooding back 🙂
beautiful looking cake…its lovely to know about your mother!…thanks for sharing…
Shilpa…beautiful post, true when we look back and see what our mothers hv done for us…
Thks for this post..Happy Mother’s day to u n Aayi!
Shilpa, happy mother’s day to you and your aayi…the cake looks beautiful 🙂
Its such a beautiful cake Shilpa, looks lovely.
You have left out mentioning baking soda in ingredients list.
Happy mothers day to all the moms
Shilpa: Thanks Pinky. Updated it.
hi there,
lovely cake…i like to bake cakes..and lookout for various cake recipes..i bake in microwave,but it often turns out hard….what do u bake urs in?Asking for ur opinion what should i buy to bake cake and cookies..i hope u dont mind me asking this question…plz advise i have a onida convention oven but not happy with it
Shilpa: Jes, I bake my all cakes in convention oven. Please try using it again. I use any oven proof dishes (I have different variety, some aluminum and some glass and some other metals). I just look for ‘oven proof’ or ‘baking dishes’ and buy.
Really good one,Wish u a happy mother’s day !!!!!!!!!.
I am planning to make soon, Thanks for sharing
Beautiful-both the cake and your touching message-Mothers really are the best!!! I can understand exactly how you feel and have written about your mother and I am sure your mother will too! Here’s wishing your aayi and all the mothers a very happy Mothers’ Day!!
Nice post shilpa….lovely to know about the person who helped you to become what you are today!!!!!!!!!!we all love r mothers …..have a lovely day!!!!!and most of allllll the cake lookksssssss absolutely yummy:-)
Hi Shilpa,
Thanks to your aayi we have such a wonderful girl who has
inspired many!
Please wish her A VERY HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY on my behalf
Thanks,
Anu
Lovely post shilpa.I am a regular reader of ur blog,but commenting now only.Nice to know abt ur aayi.
gorgeous. your aayi has touched many lives, including ours. a happy mother’s day to her.
Wonderful post Shilpa, Happy Mother’s Day to your Aayi.
Mom’s are the best.
Hi Shipla,
your cake looks fantastic.. happy mothers day, your mom will be definately happy seeing your beautiful post.
Iam soon going to try this cake.
Smita
Cake looks too good Shilpa!! True, mom’s are the best..What a lovely write-up. Am sure your Aayi is touched. Happy Mothers Day to her !!!
Lovely write up Shilpa! The cake looks too yummy!! 🙂
A very very delicious cake Shilpa.. It was so nice to read about your mom… would try this out soon :))
thanks for this sharing
gorgeous cake..making this for my hubbys bday yet to come
Now we know where you got all your talent from… :)Your aayi is a great lady, and a lucky one too to have such a doting daughter… Happy mother’s day to her…
Love, love, love black forest cake, especially the ones in India, it used to be my breakfast most days during my Bangalore days 🙂
You are so sweet to have baked a cake for your Mom.
She sure is a Happy Mom with a daughter like you 🙂
How look cool ………….definetly i will try ……….can you please post some home brad recips?
Hey Shilpa, most welcome. I found that in cake making or cookie making, visual help in form of video comes to aid,this is the result of googling, Videojug.com and about.com have wonderfully guiding videos. Makes decoration simple for novices like me! (Hey cd u also, if possible, post the pic of the similar cake u made for your friends? ) THIS LOOKS SUPERB !
Shilpa: Thanks Purnima. Actually there are two in above posts. The first picture and second one are of two different cakes. I took the one in first picture to my friend’s home.
Wonderful recipes! The cakes are lovely and I know where to visit while making a cake. Cheers!
happy mothers day to aayi… a very touching post…
Dear Shilpa,
It’s nice to hear so good about your mom. My mom also sacrificed her career to grow us properly. Today when I am a mom of 2, and now I am also repeating what my mom did for us. Believe me it’s difficult to keep aside your career and prioritise your kids, sometimes it’s very depressing, but when the fruit of our sacrifice is seen in children performing good in academics and other activities you feel at the pinnacle.
My kids surprised me with a beautiful card and small gift. They made my day.
Your cake is very nice. Instead of the sugar syrup you can use the juice in tinned pineapples or take pineapple juice and dilute it.
Shilpa: Pari, I sincerely feel what you are doing for your kids is great. I don’t think everyone does that. I think you should be proud of what you are doing, not depressed.
Happy Mothers day to you too Shilpa..
Lovely Cake,hope your aayi might have felt so good after reading this receipe..
God cannot be there to take care of everyone,so he created Mother..happy mothers’s day to you all
Beautiful cake! Perfect for mother’s day and a fitting tribute, as well! 🙂
hi shilpa,
can i substitute 2 eggs with something please. pleae let me know. we donot eat eggs. happy mothers day.
Shilpa: Vani, check out eggless cake recipe. Substitute the above mentioned cake with this eggless cake and follow remaining instructions.
what a lovely post for ur mom! cake looks d-lish! i’m also eyeing ur amla rcp 🙂
Shilpa, that looks lovely, and when there’s so much love that goes into making it, there’s no way it can turn out less than splendid!:)
Hi Shilpa,
That’s such a “sweet” way to celebrate mother’s day. I came across your website some time back but started trying your recipes only recently. Now I wish I had started trying them out earlier .. each one of them turned out delicious. I like the way you introduce each recipe too. Very nice blog.
Thanks,
Deepa
everybody is not as lucky as you shilpa…………
Hi Shilpa,
your cake is looking so good and yummy..can u tell me plz what is the size of the pan? can i use two 8″ pans ..i think u used the oval shaped pan the one used in the wilton course to make basket weave,,yeah?? am i right..plz reply me..cause i’ve that too; i also make black forest cake many times with the pineapple juice or the cold milk instead if u have no syrup thing..but i like your size of the cake..
thanks for reply,recipes and yummy post.
Shilpa: Yes Samreen, I used the two pans from Wilton course. For the amount above, I could make 2 cakes at a time.
Beautiful, tasty-looking cake Shilpa! And such a nice ode to your aayi…parents, but especially mothers I think, sacrifice much for their children; I am also forever grateful to mine for doing such a fantastic job- look at the results! 😉 Your mom did almost as well… 😀
Oh i c..yes..the two are different! 😀
hey…i plan to make this for my bros bday today ..hw did u stick the shavings on the sideS??
Shilpa: Ayesha, it didn’t come out easily for me as it was becoming too messy. I initially tried sticking them with hand when it din’t work well, I dipped a knife in chocolate and then touched the cake with it. Still it was not a clean job. I think I need to work on it more.
HI,
Thanks for responding.I tried ur eggless date cake.It really turned out well.Thanks for sharing the recipe bye..
i just saw Ayesha’s comment regarding the chocolate curls,,just thought to share something about it,actually if we use our hands to put on the curls it’s almost impossible to do so..as chocolate starts melting when touched cause of the heat of our hands and looses it’s shape .. i usually use a flat and somewhat big spoon or spatula like the hand scoop the curls and stick on the sides rotate the cake and stick like wise..and keep the cake in the fridge..that’s so easy to do and it really works..hope it helps and thanks.
Shilpa: Thanks Samreen for the tip. I will use the spatula next time. I used a knife after a while, but i think spatula would be best.
Hi Shilpa, The cake looks lovely & is tempting me to make one. However, I would like to know if we can make whipped cream at home? Coz, I live in a small town in india & cannot get these whipping creams in any of our supermarkets here. I once tried making it at home by collecting all the cream from milk. But when tried whipping them it turned into butter, didn’t get that fluffy cream. Please suggest me with some good option at home. Iam quite desperate to make this cake at home.
hi,
i tried this recepi today and the cake came out really fluffy but the only thing is that sugar was not sufficient, though i followed your exact recipe. can u pls tell me what can be done to improve the sugar level? pls help me….
Shilpa: Vani, Did you add sugar syrup while assembling? That also gives extra sweetness. May be you can try including half cup more sugar in the cake (I have not tried it, so can’t guarantee it works).
shilpa,
i tried just 1 layer of it, the eggless chocalte cake version of urs. not icing and all of that. where can i find sugar syrup recepi in the eggless chacalate cake . pls let me know. thanks for your prompt response.
Shilpa: I am talking about the sugar syrup in above “black forest cake”. I thought you were trying this cake.
hi shilpa,
your cake looks yummyyyyy……Iam silent member to your site… i want to try this cake…..can you tell me what type of milk i have to use cold or warm……. i use fat free milk at my home is it ok for the cake…..
have a good day,
shailaja
Hi Shilpa!!
This is the first time i am writing here. I tried this recipe yest. It came out quite decent, But the cake was a little soggy and the cream become more sweet. I guess i added more sugar to the cream. I will try it again sometime. Last time I tried the plain cake and it came out very well.
I just tried your recipe and the cake turned out amazing. It was very easy to make and tastes great! My friends love it as well. I will definitely be making this cake again.
Thanks
hi shilpa as u said u made 2 cakes frm the quantity u hv shown bt if i want to make jst 1 cake should i reduce all the ingredients to half of the written above n also wht should b the perfect size of pan for making a spongy cake (1cake)after reducing the ingredients to half. hw ths cake tastes without icing cauz i m nt sure i would b able to do such icing like u do on my own.
just tooooooo…………good .
That looks just awful. A chaotic mess! Disgusting!!!
your cake looks devine and i think i will give it a go but
can you help me, i have bean looking fora recipe for a
black forest fridge cake, this used’s dubble cream and
single cream, morello cherries and i think the syrup and
chocolate but i do not know how it is put togather this
recipe came from my grandmum and my mum can not
remember thia cake is not cooked it has no [ cake in it ]
it is set in the fridge.
and one you may no about is a citrus summer cake allso
set in the fridge made with citrus fruits and creams
my mum made the cakes then i was a boy of 10-12
i am now 67 and i can still test them as you do with
good food and wish to remake them for the new kids
can you help me i have bean looking for about 13 mouths
hope to here from you by now
Shilpa: Sorry, I don’t know.
Hi,
I actually tried this take and trust me this is the best cake i baked so far. I made this as a birthday present for my friend’s birthday and they were all loved it. I made some modifications to your version, instead of cherries in the middle, i used chocolate gratings in the middle and it gave a rummy flavor to the cake. My question is how to make the frosting harder, my frosting came out very soft, it would be great if you can tell me a way to make the frosting harder.
Thanks!
Thank you for the recipe.
I tried making this cake on my husband’s b’day.
I would probably like to add some tips/pointer before you attempt this recipe:
1. Make sure you use a slightly tall baking tray to bake the cake if you are planning to make layers.
2. Make sure the cake is well baked and not raw in the middle otherwise you will have problems cutting the cake into layers in the first place.
3. Make sure the cake cools down completely before cutting it into layers and before you apply Cream on it otherwise the cream will melt.
Hi Shilpa … I have been following your blog since a while. I have already tried a lot of your recipes and today I made this cake too. It was so simple thanks to the way you explained and the photos … I have recommended your site to many of friends and I always tell them if you want to serve something that is guaranteed to work, Shilpas blog is the one for you! 🙂
Hi Shilpa,
I am a mother of twin girls and they just turned 1 year old yesterday. I really wanted to prepare something special on this occasion. I chose your Black Forest Cake and Fruit Gateau. Both turned out very yummy… Thank you for the way you present your recipes with pictorial procedure which inspires one in trying them. Black forest is one of my favorite cakes too and never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I would actually bake one in reality. Thank you for this wonderful site.
Hi Shilpa,
Ur cake luks lovely and so tempting..Ur Mom mst have been so proud of u.. 🙂
I want to bake it soon…Well,i have spotted fresh cherries in our local market….Can i bake this cake with fresh cherries..instead of using the bottled/canned ones..?..Pls advice..Thnks in advance.
Meenal.
Shilpa: Yes, you can use fresh ones.
Hi,for d black forest cake, i jst tried the basic chocolate sponge cake recipie frm some other blog which did not become good enough…the basic cake turned our lil hard, with rubbery kind of feeling…It was not soft ..and i was v.irritated..Also it dint rise well..
I have tried many of ur cake recipies which come out just perfect..I want to try ur recipie..hope this particular recipie for d basic chocolate cake/sponge turns out well….i mean soft n the cake would rise well…..is it ok if i mix the eggs,butter,sugar with a hand whisker…Or do i nid to use an electric mixer (my Indian juicer in my case) to acheive best results..pls help and rply soon..thnks 🙂
Shilpa: I have used hand whisker (and also just a spoon) before and it works well.
Thnks for ur prompt rply Shilpa…i felt so releived to see ur rply..I want to bake this cake for a frens b`day n carry it over her plc 2mrw evng…I want to bake the basic sponge today n kip it ready so that i can just try the whipping cream filling part 2mrw…If i want to bake the cake 2day, shd i kip in in fridge overnight or let it stay outside till 2mrw evng..Its summer here n temperature is quite hot..
Shilpa: It should be fine to refrigerate, but the cake will become slightly hard. I feel, if it is just one day, keep it outside.
Hello Shilpa,
Nice pic… looks very yummy…..
I have one question… can I use baking powder instead of baking soda for cakes? I tried using baking soda for couple of cakes but it leaves some unusual taste I cant describe…. any suggestions for that?
Shilpa: It depends on the cake. I don’t have a generalized answer for this. I have used both interchangeably and had very different cake textures, which I did not like.
Hi Shilpa, i made dis cake n it came out beautifully..The basic chocolate sponge was really moist, soft n delicious I also dared n tried the cream filling/frosting part….n that also came out so well…the cake was loved by all…It luked good n tasted too gud…similar to d black forest i used to have in India..My fren was v.happy n delighted..Thnks alot for d recipie…u hav made dis tough luking black Forest cake recipie so easy to make.Thnks again.
Hi Shilpa,
I just love your blog . I have tried many recipes from here and they have always turned out great. Even I’m a Konkani ,although from Goa, so the ingredients we use for our cooking are very similar to yours. Thank you very much for all the recipes.
The cake looks awesome and I’m tempted to try it, one question-
Did you use salted or unsalted butter ?
Appreciate the good work you have been doing
Thanks ,
Anu
shilpa: Unsalted
I dont know you copy from Maya or Maya copies from you..But you two make the same dishes and same method..I think its is you who copies Maya.. Get original recipes for us. For example the date cake, the chicken biryani..well this one u hv admitted you copied from her
Shilpa: Thats an interesting thought Sarita. I am surprised to see you find this recipe and Maya’s post same :). Hope you have atleast read both the posts before giving your opinion here. We both are from same place, and we have same dishes/methods for almost all dishes
good….i like your recipes……………thanks……………..
hey Shilpa,
This is one of my favorite cake.am definitely trying this cake..I have one question ..Can we use normal sugar while preparing the cream instead of confectioners sugar??
Shilpa: You can powder the sugar and use it.
HI Shilpa,
i tried 3 different cakes from ur site and all of them turns out great…. thanks a lot….Now its going to be black forest cake…. I want to know that the quantity u gave above will make one black forest cake or 2, i am little confused coz u said u poured batter into 2 different pans…..
It made two small cakes. You can make one normal sized cake with the quantity
please reply…. coz really want to bake this cake may be my question is little stupid but please still clarify my doubt….
thanks….
thanks a lot for instant reply…. u r really very nice….
hi ,
i want to what type of cream u used to apply on cake:) pls reply as i wnat to make this cake today or tomorrow….
Any whipping cream that is available to you.
hi,
is there any alternative for egg??
I am sorry, I haven’t tried without egg.
Thanx for the great recipe. I tried baking this cake and frost it as per ur recipe but somehow the cream started to melt after a few min. though i tried to refrigirate it for a while it does not stay long. i used the blender to whip the cream. What cud be the reason. is it something to do with blending. I am planning to bake this cake for my son’s bday. cud u plz suggest what cud have gone wrong?
Did you frost the cake after cooling? If the cake is not cooled before frosting, the cream will melt.
hi shilpa,
thanks for your prompt reply on whipping cream. should i buy it at walmart, the refrigerated whipping cream which comes as spray or can i buy the liquid heavy whipping cream…. pls let me know as i am totally confused:( thanks for ur prompt reply.
I have used both. If you use whipped cream, you can directly use it on cake. If you are using whipping cream, mix it with powdered sugar and beat it till it forms stiff peaks and then use it on the cake. Both work well.
Hello Shilpa,
I have tried the “Cake Fever” cake from your blog and literally started a fever here too – That was my first and last cake ever 😛 I baked that cake several times after that but no other after that. I had baked it last year on my hubby’s birthday and dropped back again to visit the website for another cake for another one of hubby’s birthday 🙂
I want to try this cake, but not sure how big a pan is required. I have a pretty shallow (about 1-1.5 inch tall) 8 inch cake pan. I used that for baking the dates cake from your site and it comes out perfect in that. Do you think that size should be ok for this layered cake? Somebody mentioned in the comments that I need a taller pan. Please comment and help.
Also how do you horizontally cut the cake in pieces. Do you use a good old knife or some special tool to do the cutting fine?
Thanks so much and keep posting these wonderful recipes.
-Purvi
I think 1-1 and 1/2 inch deep would be too less. The layers may become too thin. Taller pan would ensure thicker layers.
I use a cake cutter which looks like this. You could also use knife.
hi shilpa,
as i am typing to you the cake is just baking and i had doubt when doing the whipped cream. i bought 473 ml liauid whipping cream, 5 tbls confectioners sugar and also addred the vanilla extract. i mixed everything together but still it is liquid how will will it form as a cream to spread on the cake. i didnot get that. pls let me know asap. thanks for ur help.
You have to beat the mixture till it form peaks. It takes a while to reach this stage, use a hand blender if you have one. Check this video.
hi shilpa,
thanks a lot for all ur help. i baked the cake finally and made the black forest cake. it came out really well. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1my husband was really surprised with this cake. i didnot use egg for cake as we are pure vegetarians. i replaced 2 eggs with 2 tsp of flaxseed meal poweder and 6 tsp of water and soak it for 20 minutes.
it came out really well..
thanksbye
hi..this cake turned out fantastic…was the first i ever baked…thanks…was wondering how to make a basic sponge cake to make a pineapple pastry..wud be great if u cud post ur recipe..
Hi Shilpa,
I tried this recipe ,but the cake was bitter and it rose and fell, so i was unable to proceed to the whipping cream procedure. I followed your instructions correctly .can you please help me to figure out what was wrong?
Thanks,
Sophia
I m fond of chocolate cakes. I m gonna try your Black Forest Cake recipe for sure. Can i bake in microwave? Earlier whenever i made cakes in microwave somehow not satisfied. Please reply to my mail address.
Hi shilpa, im new to this page and im intrested with all the recipes that i have read so far. About measurement “cups” that u used in ur cake recipes, i would like to know what kind/size of cup ur refering. Thank u in advance for ur answers.
I use US style measuring cups.
can u pl tell me the place where i can get the cake cutter( for getting the layer ) in U.S.
Check out any baking isle in grocery stores or Micheals
I have one more question.I searched for “unsweetened cocoa powder” in walmart but i couldnt find exactly the same.Should i buy “hot cocoa powder” in the coffee section or something else in some other store.can u please tell me???
Dear Shilpa,
I m planning to do this cake for my hubby bday in coming week. In this week, I tried sponge cake. Although it tasted good, It broken into pieces while removing from the tray. I had spread the ghee on the tray before putting into that. And also I tried to remove them when it was bit warm. What might be the reason. Do i need to use Aluminium foil on the tray. THis was my first cake, so I dont have much idea. Please do reply.
Thanks n regards,
Shravya
I think you need to wait till it cools down.
Thanks very much for ur reply.
Can I use baking paper instead of ghee??
yes
Hi Shilpa I tried this cake today and just LOVED it! It’s yummm – similar to the ones I used to get in bakeries back in India. I couldn’t use all of the syrup as I only managed to cut the cake into one half horizontally. Wasn’t easy for me at all! I almost broke the top piece into 2-3 pieces while lifing it.How do I cut it four times so evenly and moreover move the thin pieces around? If there any easier way to do it, plssss do let me know.If not I hope I get it by practice.I bake some of your cakes-simple egg cake, date cake ,apple cake- regulary.Now I add this one to the list! Thanks for sharing such amazing recipes.
Comes by practice. Also, try using a pan which has more depth so that the layers come out thick.
By all purpose flour do you mean “Maida” that we get in India or the Self Raising Flour ? I need to bake this cake today for my nephew’s b’day would appreciate a quick response. Thanks !
Maida
hi I tried this recipe yesterday but it was not as spongy as usual black forest cakes from the bakery are what should i do to keep it soft & spongy? plz reply
Hey Shilpa,
I was looking for a recipe to make for my boyfriend’s birthday. I found so many so it took forever, but decided to go with this one. It turned out SO GOOD– he said he was surprised at how good it was. Everyone who tried it liked it alot, so I making another one today!
For the one I made, I did not put the sugar syrup as it was already moist enough. Also for the one I’m making today, I won’t add the cherries as you could hardly taste them (the ones I got were very bland). I really like the cake part of it and plan to use this recipe in the future and just change around the frosting.
SHUKRIYA 🙂
Hi Shilpa, the cake looks beautiful and my favorite too.
I am planning to bake this for V-Day for my hubby. Since this is my first attempt to bake I had a couple of questions. The cke ingredients is for one cake or two? Cause I want to make one small in case it doesn’t come out well. And for how long do I need to beat the whipping cream? I know it’s silly but I just wanna make it perfect for him.
Thanks in advance.
The measurements are for 1 cake. You have to beat the cream till it makes soft peaks.
Hi. I am planning to bake this cake today. I have a query regarding eggs. Do we have to separate egg whites and yolks and beat them separately? or is it ok to beat the whole egg?and wat should be the consistency of the egg, sugar and butter mixture?
No need to separate. Just mix till everything is mixed together
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe, I tried it today… I faced two issues, can you please lemme know what mistake I did.
1. The top layer of cake is not flat (ie after baking when I opened the MW door the top layer had cracks)
2. After 2 hours from the time of my baking step completed I tried to cut the cake in to layer but bcz of the crack i told in step 1 the cake broke off:(
Do lemme know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks in advance.
Most cakes tend to crack on the surface. However most cracks are not deep and thus the cracked top can be cut off to even out the cake. Most bakeries do this. Another option is to turn the cake upside down and cut through the middle with a string (wrap around the cake and pull through) or knife.
A few tips as mentioned above:
– make sure to use a deep pan this way even if the crack is a little deeper, when you go to cut a layer it wont completely break because the cake has more height.
– when you said MW i am not sure if you used a microwave, but I would use an oven
– lastly cutting layers can be difficult but with practice it becomes easier.
Good luck next time.
Hi Shilpa, Do you think Buttercream Icing would work here? Would it taste good? I have tried this cake before and it has always turned out great. I am planning to make this for my son’s bday and I feel Buttercream icing works better for decorating purpose than whipped cream. Let me know your thoughts.
I think it should work fine. My personal preference is always is whipped cream but as you said, for decorating purposes, buttercream icing works better
I tried this recipe yesterday…….it came out really nice…..n goes very well with the whipped cream….moist in a nice way but not wet…
Shilpa,
I made this cake today for New year celebrations. It came out very well. We are yet to eat it though. Thanks for this easy and great recipe.
Anupama
Hi Shilpa,
I just love your blog.. The cake turned out to be lovely and was a nice surprise for my husbands b’day.. I always had problems with icing and your pictorial way of explaining it really helped .. Really nice work Shilpa.
Thanks and Regards,
Sneha.
hi shilpa,
if i want to bake the cake with maida , do i have to add extra baking soda to have a fluffy cake
No changes required.
Hi SHilpa,
Thank u for the recipe!!I have the chocolate cake ready jus holdin on for the frosting..my cake s a bit sweet so do i need to add sugar in the frosting or just beat without sugar..guess i used flavoured cocoa powder..n also my cake s ultra soft so do i need the sugar syrup also??i dont wanna turn the cake v sweet dats y..
Yes, you need to add sugar to frosting, otherwise it won’t taste good. sugar syrup makes it moist. If you do not want it moist, then you can leave it out.
Hello Shilpa,Iv baked this cake a couple of times with gr8 success.I also used fresh cut strawberries as filling n was delicious!Want to make it today for my hubbys b`day.I wish to bake it in a new square baking pan which is 10×8″.Was wondering if it would be comfortable enough to hold the batter n cake rise for the above mentioned measurements.Also,is it possible that i prepare the entire cake batter(of above measurement)at once n bake 2 smaller cakes..in 2 batches(one after the other).This means..half of the batter will hv some standing time while d 1st cake is baking.Will this impact the 2nd cake in any way..?Pls advice.Thanks 🙂
I am not sure if it is ok to have a standing time for batter. I always baked it as soon as I made the batter. I would suggest making it in two smaller batches and baking immediately.
hi shilpa, loved ur cake sply the aayi’s rcps attracted me to try it, as my aai too bakes yum cakes but i hv yet to learn a lot from her, ur site name is really worth for pain mothers take for us. we realise that wen we ourselves become mothers. my aai has also taken lot of pain and i wish i can ever be like her still i cant test her patience and strength. hats off to our aai’s. And yes cake was yum, one query why u hv used bkng soda and not bkng pdr….i hv heard soda is used in those rcps where in fruits are added, can i try it with bkng pdr????
I followed the recipe as it is. You may want to try a small amount with the changes and see if you like the result
Hi Shilpa…
Thanks for the wonderful recipe…
The first time i tried the recipe, I made some changes and it was a disaster… I did not want to mess this time as it was my son’s birthday last sunday…So i followed the recipe exactly as you gave it…. It turned out so good..
Thanks a lot.. 🙂
hi,
i tried this recipe ,the mixed stuff tasted superb.Before pouring into the pan ,i forgot to grease it. Is this a mistake? I am asking this becoz the cake did not come out of the pan first …. then it fell out from the pan but few parts got stuck.Basically, the cake got broke.I have 2 questions,
1) Is it a must to grease the pan?
2) I removed the cake from oven after it got fully baked . I let it cool for 1 hour.Then i cut the cake into 2 parts.I found the cake to be very spongy ( the moisture content was there) . Do you think i have to bake the cake for even longer time ?Then the moist content will be gone?I put a toothpick it was clean which means the cake is fully done but it had moisture. Do i to bake it longer?
Can u please help me.. becoz i am not able to decide. Going to try it again tommorow.Please do reply.
Yes, you should ALWAYS grease the pan before putting the cake batter in. If the toothpick came clean, that means the cake is done. Any moisture should be ok. It will be there when the cake is hot.
Thank u for your reply.Cake came out really good.thank u once again.
Hi Shilpa..could you please tell which cherries did you use, any specific brand which is good? Thanks
Pradnya, sorry, I do not remember the brand. Will update when I make this next time
Thanks. I have to make this in a 10″ by 2 ” pan, I have two of those. How much ingredient would you say I need to do this? Above recipe is for 8″ pan am assuming. I’d I double it, the total amount can be divided into 2 10″ pan, would you say?
Yes
Hi Shilpa,
I follow a lot of your recipes. Thanks for sharing with us!
Can you please post or send me pictures of your black forest cake? I do not see them on the recipe page.
My son’s birthday is coming up and I’m thinking of baking one of your cakes. My usuals are date, carrot and marble cakes.
Thank you,
Kanchan