Black Forest Cherry Torte

My children like to help in the kitchen. They also like to help me take my pictures. So, today I continued with my Halloween menu. I took a Black Forest Cake and added spiders. Don't worry the spiders are fake. My children (except the oldest) wanted to be in the photos. So, I told them they should act scared. Here are the results:

Isn't he convincing?

I think we know who the actress will be!

It took me several days to make this cake. So, I will tell you the steps on how I made it.

Black Forest Cherry Torte (Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte)
Day One:  Make the chocolate cookie bottom
Day Two:  Make the cake and assemble
Day Three: It will taste better after sitting a day.

See the Chocolate Cookie Bottom? Yum

Day One:
Chocolate Cookie Bottom:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
5. Add the vanilla to the butter and mix until combined.
6. Add the flour mixture in batches to the butter mixture.
7. The dough is thick so mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
8. Press the dough evenly onto the bottom of the spring-form pan.
9. Bake for 17 minutes.
10. Set aside on a wire rack to cool.
11. Wrap and store until tomorrow. If longer time is needed, freeze.

The Assembly

Day Two:
Devil's Food Cake:
Makes two 9-inch cakes or three 8-inch cakes
2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup salted butter
2 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate,
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans.
2. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper circles, and spray them with nonstick spray.
3. In a large bowl, whisk  the flour, baking soda and salt together.
4. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.
6. Melt the chocolate in a microwave for about 1 minute. Stir and if needed another ten seconds.
7. Stir in the melted chocolate into the butter mixture.
8. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the butter mixture a little at a time until incorporated.
9. Add the vanilla and boiling water. Mix well, but don’t overmix.
10. The mixture will appear thin.
11. Pour about 1 cup and 1/8 cup of batter into each greased pan. 
12. Bake for 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
13. Place the pans on a wire rack, and let the cakes cool completely in the pans before removing.
14. Let cool completely before removing from the pans.
15. Assemble or wrap in plastic wrap then aluminum foil and freeze until ready to assemble.

Day 2 
Assembly:
1/4 cup of cherry preserves
1 14.5 ounce can of cherry pie filling
3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup powder sugar
Chocolate Cookie Bottom
Devil’s Food Cake
Maraschino cherries
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, at room temperature

1. Mix the cherry preserves and the cherry pie filling together. Set aside.
2. If no juice is desired, pat dry the maraschino cherries on paper towels and set aside to dry.
3. With a hand mixer, mix the heavy cream with the powder sugar to make whip cream.
4. Place the chocolate cookie bottom on the bottom of your cake stand or plate.
5. Spread 1/3 of the cherry mixture on the top of the cookie bottom.
6. Spread a little less than 1 cup of the whip cream on top of the cherry mixture.
7. Place one of the cakes on top of the whip cream.
8. Spread 1/3 of the cherry mixture on the top of the cake.
9. Spread about 1 cup of the whip cream on top of the cherry mixture.
10. Place the second cake on top of the whip cream cake base.
11. Spread the rest of the cherry mixture on the top of the cake.
12. Spread the rest of the whip cream on the top and sides of the cake.
13. Decorate the top of the cake with the maraschino cherries.
14. Take the semisweet chocolate and with a vegetable peeler, shave the chocolate over the cake.
15. Store the cake in the refrigerate until ready to use. It does taste better the next day.

Makes one 12- to 16-slice cake.
Black Forest Cherry Torte adapted from Ezra Pound Cake
Orginally adopted from Margit Stoll Dutton’s “The German Pastry Bakebook”,
Chocolate Cookie Bottom Adapted from Elisa Strauss’ “The Confetti Cakes Cookbook”
Devil's Food Cake: Adapted from Kathleen King’s “Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook”

He helped decorate the cake.

He still isn't scared.

Did you already know.................  
Oktoberfest Facts:
-Oktoberfest began with a marriage. On October 12th, 1810, the festivities were to honor the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildurghausen.
-At the time of the wedding, Bavaria was its own kingdom.
-Munich is located in the German state of Bavaria.
-The festivities now begin in the middle of September in Munich, Germany.

Germany