I made this Gluten Free Black Forest Layer Cake for my husbands birthday last Tuesday! It was the first time I’ve made and tasted a Black forest cake before and I have to say I absolutely loved it. Oh and so did the birthday boy!!
The chocolate cakes were filled with white chocolate ganache and cherry jam and a dark chocolate icing to top finish off the cake. I realised I didn’t make quite enough ganache or cherry jam, so I made sure to double the quantities in the recipe below so you don’t run out!
I know this isn’t one of my quickest or simplest recipes, so I will forgive you if you don’t go out and make it this weekend. I’d seriously consider it for your next birthday celebration though, it was so divine. You might also want to read a little bit about why birthdays are so important in my family. I shared it on my blog last year with a recipe for Gluten Free Chocolate and Salted Caramel Layer Cake. Just excuse the fact the cake wasn’t very even shaped or flat.
Anyway, I must say thanks to Delicious magazine for the original recipe. I adapted it to be gluten free with a few less steps. Thanks for stopping by!
Amanda
x
- 420 g unsalted butter, softened
- 130 g brown sugar
- 130 g caster sugar
- pinch salt
- 5 eggs
- 500 g (3⅓ cups) gluten free plain flour, sifted
- 50 g (½ cup) dutch process cocoa, sifted
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 400 g dark chocolate, melted
- 400 g creme fraiche
- 2 tbsp full cream milk
- 500 g white chocolate, finely chopped
- 250 g creme fraiche
- 500 g pitted cherries
- 250 g caster sugar
- juice 2 lemons
- scrapped seeds 2 vanilla beans
- 300 ml pouring cream
- 250 g dark chocolate
- 125 g creme fraiche
Preheat oven to 180°C and line the base of two 23cm springform round cake tins with baking paper.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a medium size bowl combine the sifted the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Then add the egg mixture in two batches, alternating with the melted chocolate, creme fraiche and milk. Beat using a hand whisk until the cake batter is smooth.
Divide the cake batter evenly amongst the two cake tins and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with moist crumbs. Allow the cakes to cool in the cake tins for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt the white chocolate in a small bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the creme fraiche before refrigerating for 1-1½ hours until beginning to firm.
Using the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the ganache mixture until soft peaks form. Then stand at room mixture until ready for use.
Stir the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Then bring the mixture to the boil and cook for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to the boil. Then remove from the heat and add the chocolate and let it stand (without stirring) for 5 minutes before stirring until smooth. Stir in creme fraiche until just combine and set aside at room temperature.
Trim the tops of each cake flat if necessary then halve each cake horizontally. Place a cake half on a cake board and spread a third of the cherry jam followed by the white chocolate ganache. Then add second cake half and repeat layering. Repeat for the third cake half and finish layering by topping with the final cake half.
Make sure the chocolate icing has began to thicken and cooled to room temperature before spreading over the top and sides of the cake. You may need to apply several layers of chocolate icing to cover up the sides of the cake. Once the cake has been covered in the icing refrigerate until firm (Approx 1-2 hours). Then decorate the top of the cake with left over cherries and chocolate shavings before serving.