Will hibernate for a month - Black Forest Cake

What's in air? I have no idea whats going around, but yes I'm surrounded by my treasured peoples love 365 days! If you chose today to express yourself, say you love! 

In Finland it is celebrated as friends day, every year it has been fun time with friends, food and yum chocolate cake. This year with mum around, we haven't planned anything special (weather is -25C outside) other than  warm cozy dinner, with some bruschetta, pasta and molten chocolate cakes ;)

Black forest being Papa's and Mama's favorite cake I made sure to bake them. Since there had been many baking and eating we opted for mini version, later thought giga size would have been better! Previous time when the cake was baked during summer I made the jam from fresh cherries, freshness was scintillating, have added the recipe for it below. For this season I chose jam version, luckily got kind of home made version with chunks of cherries and ofcourse a good dollop of rum in it brought the difference. Fresh cream + mascarpone cheese was the highlight and super moist chocolate cake....Bliss!  We relished every slice of it!

This post is for my Mum, Pops and Sis. Mum and Pops,  thanks for bring me into this world, for making me what I'm today and for dealing with your overly demanding girl. To my sis who is top on earth patient and extremely supportive. I love you guys.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, I will be off from blogosphere for about a month, sorry about it. I know maybe I need some courses on time management, sigh! Till then have fun, cook a lot, eat well and stay happy. Will hop in once in a while in your blogs, if not pardon me! Happy Valentine days/Hyvää ystävänpäivä! 

Ingredients

For chocolate cake:
50 gram flour
70 gram sugar
2 1/2 tbspn of organic cocoa powder
1/4 tspn salt
1´1/2 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn baking  soda
2 eggs
1 tspn vanilla extract
50 ml vegetable oil
75 ml boiling water

Preheat oven to 175 degree C.  Butter, flour and line the bottoms of two 9 cm round cake pan.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and sieve to mix.
In a separate bowl, beat sugar and egg yolk until creamy, next add in vegetable oil. In a another separate bowl beat in white egg to soft peak. Very gently incorporate white egg and dry ingredients in parts to the sugar yolk mixture till well combined. After the cake batter is mixed well . Pour the boiling water into the batter and very gently mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake it for about 25-30  minutes.  The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out cleanly. Repeat the same process to make another batch so you get four layers or double the process in beginning and divided the batter in four cake pans. 

for dark chocolate ganache:  click here  (1/2 the amount was sufficient)          

for dark cherry filling: click here and here

For jam version
Mix store brought or home made jam 4 - 6 tbspn (depending on how much amount of sweetness you need) with one tbspn of rum or brandy (optional)

Mascarpone whipped cream:
250 gram mascarpone cheese
200 ml whipping cream
80 gram sugar
1 tspn vanilla extra

Combine sugar and cream and beat until single stiff peaks are formed. Very carefully whip the mascarpone cheese till they are smooth on low speed. Gently fold in mascarpone into the cream till well smoothly combined. This cream has to be used immediately.

Another method is combine cream cheese, whipping cream and  sugar beat on low till soft peaks are formed, be careful not to over beat them...i'm not confident of this method! 

Assembly
Spread a thin layer of ganache on top cakes.  Let set for at least two hours. On a cake stand, first layer one halve of the cake, spread one table spoon of cherry filling or jam next spread good amount of cream cheese filling. Follow this for next two layers. Frost the last layer with remaining cream cheese filling and decorate with chocolate shavings or coco powder or any kind as you like!