Black Forest Cake

Wish you all a very happy Valentine’s Day!!!

I love Valentine ’s Day not only because it trademarks the day for LOVE but mainly because on this day I started my journey of setting a new home, this is the day when I first stepped in our house in Bangalore. I still remember the newlywed girl full with anticipation coming to a new city and stepping in a new house. The house didn’t even have the bare necessity items like full plates to have our meals; it only had a TV and a washing machine. That day only we went out to buy some utensils and food items and then we picked up so many things to make the house a comfortable Nest for ourselves. This day certainly has a special place in our lives.  

Apart from this also I always loved Valentine’s Day and believed celebrating relationships. It is very much hyped and commercialized but can we ignore the fact that it acts almost like a refresh button for our relationships. How many times do we remember to make our loved one feel special or tell our parents how special they are to us? So if a day is especially dedicated to this, could that be bad? For me it’s a day to rejoice my relationships with friends and family, to admire the beauty of red roses, to find solace in the gifts that we share and to sit back and soak in the warmth of love. Even if we always love to celebrate our love…one day doesn’t make any harm. Right???

I just got to know that my very dear blogger friend Dolly is celebrating her anniversary today…that’s so romantic of her to get married on Valentine’s Day itself. I wish her Happy Anniversary and many more years of togetherness.

Now here is the recipe of the black forest cake I made for my anniversary. That makes the perfect post for this special Day and for my 50^th post.

Black Forest Cake

Ingredients:

Flour: 11/2 cups

Butter/oil: ¾ cup

Powdered sugar: 1 cup and 2 tbsp

Eggs: 3

Semi sweet chocolate: 1 bar (125 gms)

Coco powder: 4 tbsp

Baking powder: 1 tsp

Coffee powder: 1 tbsp

Water: ½ cup

Whipping cream: 200 gms

Strawberry jam: 4 tbsp

Cherries: for decoration

Method:

Heat the oven at 180 C and butter a heart shaped pan.

Sieve flour, coco powder, baking powder together and keep aside.

Boil the water and dissolve the coffee powder in it. Switch of the heat and let 

it come to room temperature.

Melt the butter with half of the chocolate bar in a double boiler or in microwave. Cream the sugar and the choco-butter mix till smooth.

Mix in the eggs one by one to the butter mixture whipping vigorously in between.

Tip in the dry ingredients in it and fold gently. Also add the coffee mixture and mix to prepare the batter.

Pour in the cake tin and bake for 30 minutes or till a toothpick pricked in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cake on wire rack for at least 20 minutes.

In the mean time heat ½ cup of water and mix in the jam to get thin strawberry syrup. Cool completely.

Also whip the cream with 2 tbsp of powdered sugar till it starts to form peaks. Keep aside.

Once the cake comes to room temperature take it out from the mould and place on the serving dish. With a big sharp knife cut it to get two layers.

Pour the prepare syrup o the top side of the bottom layer and bottom side of the top layer. Be careful not to make it soggy…just moisten it to make it soft.

With a knife layer some of the whipped cream on the bottom layer. Gently place the op layer on it and press little to secure at place.

Now cover al the sides and top with the whipped cream and put it in the fridge to set at least for an hour.

Before serving chop or grate the remaining chocolate and decorate the cake with cherries.

Your lovely black forest cake is ready. Now soak in all the complements and enjoy this beauty.

Sending this to Priya's Heart for Valentine's Day Event.

I have been showered with some more awards from the lovely Deepa of Foodlyrics, who is an amazing cook and a great food photographer. I don’t know anyone who does not drool at the gorgeous food photos in her page. She has a lovely style of writing, full of warmth and helpful kitchen tips. Thanks a ton dear for your generosity.

I also Thank all of you with this lovely bloom from my garden!