Super Moist Black Forest Cake

Super Moist Black Forest Cake

Ingredients

All-purpose flour – 2 cups (250g)

Cocoa powder – ¾ cup (75g)

Baking powder – 2 tsp

Baking soda – 1 tsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Granulated sugar – 2 cups (400g)

Eggs – 3 large

Vegetable oil – ½ cup (120ml)

Buttermilk – 1 cup (240ml)

Hot coffee (or hot water) – 1 cup (240ml)

Vanilla extract – 2 tsp

Filling & Decoration

Heavy whipping cream – 2 cups (480ml), chilled

Powdered sugar – ½ cup (60g)

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Pitted dark sweet cherries – 2 cups (fresh or canned, about 350g)

Cherry syrup/juice from can or kirsch – ½ cup (120ml)

Dark chocolate shavings – 1 cup

Instructions
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in dry ingredients, then gently mix in hot coffee or water until you have a thin, smooth batter. Divide between two greased and lined 8-inch (20cm) round pans and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 30–35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely.

Whip cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Slice each cake layer in half if you want thinner layers, or keep them thick for 2 big layers. Brush cake layers with cherry syrup or kirsch. Spread whipped cream over the first layer, add cherries, then top with the second cake. Cover the whole cake with whipped cream, decorate with more cherries, and sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Chill for at least 1 hour before slicing.