Black Forest Velvet Cake Recipe

Method

Three layers of jet-black sponge, made with our Noir Intense Cocoa Powder, are sandwiched with juicy Black Cherry Filling and covered in a light, whipped ganache of Callebaut Velvet white chocolate, so every slice cuts to show off stripes of black and cream. It’s our take on a Black Forest gâteau, with the deep, roasted cocoa balancing the creamy white chocolate and sharp cherries.

How to Make a Black Forest Velvet Cake:

Ingredients

Sponge

• 85g Noir Intense Cocoa Powder (SCC1462)
• 240ml Boiling Water
• 113g Unsalted Butter, softened
• 120ml Sunflower Oil
• 300g Caster Sugar
• ¼ tsp Sea Salt
• 4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract (SCF0510)
• 1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
• 240ml Buttermilk, at room temperature
• 300g Plain Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Whipped Velvet Ganache

• 500g Callebaut Velvet White Chocolate (SCC1588)
• 750ml Double Cream

Filling

• 450g Bakestable Black Cherry Filling (SCF1302)

Method:

1. Make the ganache the day before. Put the Velvet white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 375ml of the double cream until it just starts to simmer, pour it over the chocolate, leave for a minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in the remaining 375ml of cold cream, cover with cling film touching the surface and chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
2. Whisk the cocoa powder into the boiling water until smooth, then leave it to cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease three 20cm round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
4. Beat the butter, sunflower oil, caster sugar and salt with an electric mixer until creamy and lighter in colour.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, and scrape down the bowl.
6. Add the vanilla extract, vinegar and buttermilk and mix to a runny batter.
7. Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and fold through with a whisk until mostly combined.
8. Pour in the cocoa mixture and fold until smooth, without overmixing.
9. Weigh the batter evenly between the three tins, level the tops and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs. The sponge is too dark to judge by colour, so use the skewer.
10. Leave the cakes in their tins for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Whip the chilled ganache with an electric mixer until it holds firm enough peaks to pipe. Stop as soon as it does, as over-whipping makes it grainy. Spoon some into a piping bag.
12. If the cakes have domed, level the tops with a serrated knife. Put the first layer on a plate, spread over a thin layer of ganache and pipe a ring around the edge. Spoon 150g of the cherry filling into the middle, then repeat with the second layer and another 150g of filling.
13. Place the last layer on top, bottom side up. Cover the whole cake in a thin layer of ganache and freeze for 10 minutes to set, so the filling stays in place.
14. Cover the cake with the rest of the ganache and smooth the top and sides. Pipe swirls around the top edge, spoon the remaining cherry filling into the centre and dust with black cocoa powder.

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