Valentine's day inspired bake. Reflecting state of my heart. DED INSIDE. HAHAHAHAH kidding. Anyway I love black forest cake, and this was a different version just because I want to beautify it and make use of the many molds I keep buying (Idk for what). I'm glad this turned out well because I tried a flourless cake version in the molds and obviously it didnt work (and led to a lot of washing). Flourless cake version wouldn't work cos it lacked the structure and turning it out from the silicone molds have been proven a really tough task. Everything ended up smashed up when I tried to remove them.
So I ended up using a chocolate pound cake recipe for this cos it has better structure and then fill it with rum-soaked cherries. If you don't have the square molds like mine, you can bake it in a muffin tin or loaf tin and just fill it up with cherries accordingly!! THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER!! Anyway, this pound cake, although looks like my brownie, is not. I'm using the dark cocoa powder to give it the blackness though (on purpose, refer to 'state-of-my-heart' reference. hehehe). This pound cake is lighter which is perfect for this version of the black forest and the rum soaked cherry filling keeps it moist and exciting. MUAHAHA. Although I have to admit I really go heavy on the alcohol. The dropper is filled with even more alcohol btw. HAHAHAHA. Basically what I need on Valentines' or in life generally, just get alcohol in any form in ma bodieeeeee. HAHAHAHAHAH.
BLACK FOREST CAKE VER. 2.0
Cherry-filling
A can of cherries (~400g)
Rum (optional)
Drain the can of cherries and transfer into a bowl and generously splash rum to cover it to soak it for at least 1hr or overnight.
[Note: Not cherry-pie filling but if you bought that you can just fill the cake with that too!
Frosting
150g heavy cream
60g greek yogurt
4 tbsp icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
A splash of rum (optional)
Whip heavy cream till soft peaks, then mix in icing sugar, vanilla and yogurt until stiff peaks. Put in piping bag and chill until ready to use.
Chocolate Pound Cake
3/4 cup buttermilk (milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice/vinegar)
30g dark chocolate, melted
90g chilled butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1 cup flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder (normal cocoa powder works too)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 170'c.
Prepare loaf tin (line with parchment paper). If using mold, you're good and you don't have to butter it or anything (you can but I don't).
In a cup, add the lemon juice/vinegar to the milk. Stir and let stand till thicken.
In a small bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 45 seconds.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl on a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter cubes and sugar on medium until smooth and light. Then, add in vanilla extract and eggs. Beat till well-mixed.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate.
Add the flour mixture alternating with the milk, mixing well after each addition (i.e. 1/3 of the flour, then 1/2 of the milk, another 1/3 of the flour, remaining milk and then remaining flour).
Pour batter into prepared loaf/mold.
Bake on middle rack of the oven for 50mins for loaf pan) and if in mini molds, bake for about 20 mins. Do a toothpick test, slight crumbs sticking to it works or if it comes out clean works as well. Slight crumbs/stickiness is lightly underbaked if you prefer your chocolate cakes a lil fudgy.
Let cool then glaze cake with your cherry-rum liquid which you soaked the cherries in, frost and then BAM!
