Black Forest Cake: Christmas Special

Ingredients -

 
For the Cake -

All purpose Flour - 2 cups
Sugar granulated - 1 cup
Brown Sugar - 1 cup
Butter - 125 g
Eggs - 3
Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Soda bi carb - 1/2 tsp 
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup

For the Syrup -

Canned Cherries - small can (drained weight 225 g)
Sugar - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Cherry brandy/ kirsch - 2 tbsp (optional)

For frosting -

Fresh cream - 300 g
Icing sugar - 1 cup
Vanilla Essence - 1/2 tsp

Beat the cream with sugar and vanilla essence until it is
light and fluffy, keep it aside for later use.

 Method -

1. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and creamy.
2. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
3. Sift baking powder, soda bi carb with flour and mix in alternating with the milk and cocoa powder. Beat until smooth.
4. Divide evenly into 2 greased and lined (9 in) sandwich cake tins and bake it in a moderate oven until a skewar comes out clean when inserted.
5. Take it out after 5 minutes and put it into a wire rack to cool.
6. Allow to cool completely and cut each cake carefully through the center making 4 layers.

For the Syrup -

1. Drain the cherries. Remove stones and cut it into halves, reserving some cherries for decoration.
2. Put the syrup in a saucepan with 2 tbsp of sugar and 1/2 cup of water and let it boil.
2. Let it simmer for 2 minutes and take it off the heat. Add the liqueur if using.
3. Pierce the layers of the cake so the syrup penetrates nicely.
4. Pour few spoonfuls of the syrup on each layer to make it moist.
5. Take the remaining syrup and again put it on heat, put 2 tbsp of cornflour, 1 tbsp sugar and let it come to boil, put cut cherries into it, and take it off the heat, if it is too thick to spread then few spoons of water could be added.

For Frosting -

1. Take a cake stand and place one piece of cake on it.
2. Apply a generous amount of frosting and top it with chopped cherry mix.
3. Place the second piece of cake on top of it and apply frosting and topping. Repeat each step until all the syrup, cherries and cake
have been used and about half the whipped cream.
4. Cover the cake completely with cream. When all layers have been placed, spread the whipped cream over sides and top of cake. Decorate with chocolate curls and shavings.
5. Fill a pastry or plastic bag with more whipped cream with a star nozzle and pipe it at the bottom and around the cake for a decorative top border and place cherries on top of every swirl.
6. Decorate the top with cherries, fresh or canned once your cake is frosted. If using canned cherries, drain thoroughly before using as the liquid, though tasty, may cause the frosting to run.
7. Finish it off with a toss of chocolate shavings and your cake is ready to impress.