Ingredients for shortcrust pastry:

• 150 g (5.3 oz) of all-purpose flour (Mehl)
• 1 tablespoon of cacao
• 1 teaspoon Dr. Oetker baking powder (OR) American Baking powder
• 75 g (2.64 oz) of sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 package Dr. Oetker Vanilla powder (OR) 3–5 drops vanilla extract
• 100 g (3.5 oz) of soft cold butter

Preparation shortcrust pastry:

Mix the flour, cacao, and baking powder and sift into a bowl. Add sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt and mix again. Spread the cold but soft butter on top and knead with your hands until the dough is smooth. Cut a circle of baking paper to cover the bottom of a springform and place the dough in the baking pan. Spread it evenly with a pastry roller and use a fork to make holes in the dough.

Preheat your oven to 185° C (365°F). Place your cake on the middle rack and bake for about 15 minutes. Open the springform and let the cake cool down in the form before you take the upper part of the pan off.

Ingredients for sponge mixture:

• 4 egg yolks
• 4 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons of hot water
• 100 g (3.5 oz) of sugar
• 1 package Dr. Oetker Vanilla powder (OR) 3-5 drops vanilla extract
• 75 g (2.64 oz) of all-purpose flour (Mehl)
• 50 g (1.76 oz) of corn starch
• 1 tablespoon of cacao
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoon of Dr. Oetker baking powder (OR) baking powder

Preparation of sponge cake:

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites using an egg separator. Mix the egg yolks with the hot water until it’s creamy. Add sugar, your vanilla flavoring of choice and mix until smooth. Combine the flour, corn starch, and baking powder and sift over egg mixture. Beat the egg whites with a handheld mixer until stiff and then pour on top of the flour mixture. With a large whisk, slowly mix the flour and egg whites under the egg yolk mix—starting in circles from the outside in. DON’T BEAT OR STIR! Fill your batter in a buttered springform—the same size as the one used for the short crust cake.

Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and place your cake on the middle rack. Bake for approximately 25 minutes. After baking, take your cake immediately out of the pan and let it cool down on a cooling rack.

Ingredients for cherry filling:

• 750 g (26.45 oz) of pitted sour cherries (OR) 1 can/jar of Bing cherries
• 75 g (2.64 oz) of sugar
• 2–3 tablespoons of corn starch
• 3 tablespoons of Cherry Brandy (Kirschwasser)

Preparation cherry filling:

Pour the cherries in a colander and catch the juice in a pot underneath. Take 4–6 tablespoons of juice and save it on the side. With the rest of the juice, add sugar and bring it to a boil. Next, take the saved saved fruit juice and add the corn starch and mix it in with the boiling juice to thicken. Add cherry brandy and remove it form the stovetop. Add the cherries to the juice but make sure to set aside 12 to 16 cherries for decoration. Let it cool down.

Ingredients for decoration:

• 944 ml (32 oz) of heavy cream
• 4 packages Dr. Oetker “Whip it” whipping cream stabilizer
• 1 package Dr. Oetker vanilla sugar (OR) 3-5 drops vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar
• 125 g (4.4 oz) dark chocolate (OR) chocolate sprinkles

Beat the heavy cream and add powdered sugar and “Whip it” to stabilize the cream.

Finishing the cake:

Have your short crust cake on a plate or on a rotating cake stand. Use the half of the cherry filling and spread it on the cake. Use about 1/3 of the whipped cream and spread it on the top of the cherries.

Slice the middle of the sponge cake in half. (I usually start by making a small initial cut all around the side with a knife. After that, I use a thread and place it and wrap it around the notch. Cross the thread and pull on both sides until the cake is sliced evenly in half.)

Place one half of the sponge cake on top of the filled shortcrust cake. Spread the rest of the cherries on it and 1/3 of the whipped cream before you place the second half of the sponge cake on top. Spread the rest of the whipped cream on the sides and on top of the cake—keeping some whipped cream on the side for finishing the top with a decorating tip. Sprinkle the chocolate on the sides. If you like, you could use a cake marker, which is available for 10, 12, 14, and 16 slices to press lines on top for even slices. Use a cake lifter to place the cake on the final plate before finishing the decorations on top. Place the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes to harden. Use a decorating tip with a decorating bag and finish the top with the rest of the whipped cream as you wish. You are done! You can easily prepare the Black Forrest Cake ahead of time and store it in the freezer. Don’t forget to take the cake out a day before serving.