Black Forest Pudding Cake

Black Forest and Black Forest cake (American English and Australian English) are the English names for the German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, which literally means "Black Forest cherry torte". Hard to pronounce, but easy to make! Before I give you a recipe, let me share with you some fundamentals about Black Forest.

For the most part, Black Forest cake is composed of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. The cake is then decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, as well as chocolate shavings. This recipe has the lusciousness of pudding to boot!

Typically, Kirschwasser (a clear liquor distilled from tart cherries) is added into the mixture. However, other liquors, like rum, can also be used. German statutory interpretation deems Kirschwasser a compulsory ingredient, or the cake can’t be legally marketed as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Interesting, eh?

Black Forest Pudding Cake

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup Kirsch or 2 tablespoons water plus 1/2 teaspoon almond or
rum extract
• 1 can cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium-size bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the sugar, flour, three tablespoons of the cocoa, baking powder and salt. Blend in milk, melted butter and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread into an 8-inch square pan. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Combine hot water and Kirsch; pour over batter. Do not stir. Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Let stand 15 minutes. Transfer to dessert dishes and spoon pudding from bottom of pan over cake. Serve with cherry pie filling as sauce.

Enjoy! 🙂

Joanna Maligaya
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