Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Black Forest Cake

Hi Guys, there’s something about Christmas that makes everything a bit more magical, even the dessert. I grew up making treats to share with the entire family and I love baking so much.

And for this special day, I’m gonna share with you my signature “Christmas Blackforest Cake”. The perfect dessert for Christmas dinner that my whole family will love.

This is the first cake that I’ve learned to made when I was 13 years old. I was so happy and proud of myself at that time because everyone (specially my Mom) said that the cake was delicious.
Sometimes I think they gave me compliment just to make me feel good, they don’t want me to be disappointed.

But as I got older, I just realized that what they said was true.

Dark Sweet Cherry Filling

This Blackforest Cake combines a very soft chocolately chocolate sponge cake, layered with a rich dark cherry fillings, covered with fluffy frostings and sprinkle with a generous amount of dark chocolate shavings.

What make it special from other Blackforest Cake is the rich dark sweet cherry filling, which people usually use only whipped ceam.

And because it has always been very difficult to get Kirsch in my country (Kirsch is a traditional cherry liquor for Blackforest Cake), I always substitute it with my favourite Dark Rum for the wonderful aroma.

You can use Vodka, wine or Brandy if you want or just leave this out if you’d like to keep it kid-friendly.

Look how soft and chocolately this chocolate sponge cake!

The cake so soft, melts in your mouth, full of that rum flavour cherries filling, and the fluffy light frosting and dark chocolate shaves, really create a decadent, rich!

Light, fluffy, not too sweet frosting

Black Forest Cake was a staple when I was growing up. It’s a light and perfectly sweet German dessert that is easy to make and a chocolate-lover’s dream!

I created this special frosting recipe, coz I don’t like to use whipped cream for covering the cake which is melts easily.

And of course it’s not complete without some fresh cherries, sift some icing sugar for the snow effect, and I would like to add silver sugar pearls for a sweet touch.
Feel free to add other decoration as desire.

The frosting won’t melt , so you we don’t need to worry too much 🙂

Isn’t this cake look tempting? It’s ready to serve or you can pop it into the fridge to hang out for a while.

Look at the inside, that delicious chocolately sponge cake!
And the thick rich dark sweet cherry filling in between

I’m so ready for a Christmas celebration, they are also perfect with your favorite tea or coffee.

I now you can’t resist it!

No one thought we would be celebrating Christmas in the midst of a pandemic, yet here we are. But we are still grateful for everything we have and always hope for the best.
May your Christmas be a merry one! Stay safe!! Love you All…


BLACKFOREST CAKE
Yield: One 8-inch Round Pan
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 3 hour

INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Sponge Cake:

  • 100 grams Cake Flour
  • 25 grams Cocoa Powder
  • 65 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 50 grams Vegetable Oil
  • 65 grams Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • A Pinch of Salt
  • 85 grams Egg Yolks
  • 165 grams Egg Whites
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice/ Vinegar
  • 65 grams Granulated Sugar

Cherry Filling:

  • 1 can (16 Ounces) Dark Sweet Cherries
  • 80 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 30 grams Corn Flour
  • 3 tablespoons Dark Rum/ Kirsch

Frosting:

  • 225 grams Shortening
  • 40 grams Unsalted Butter
  • 190 grams Icing Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Dark Rum/ Kirsch
  • A Pinch of Salt
  • 60 grams Whipped Cream


INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the panFor the water bath; Line the inside bottom part of 8-inch round pan with parchment paper and wrap the outside bottom part of the pan with aluminium foil.
Place the wrapped pan on bigger baking pan, set aside.


Chocolate Sponge Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
  2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder, set aside.
    In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla, salt and egg yolks, mix well. Pour the egg yolks mixture into the flour mixture and mix until no lumps remain.
  3. In another large bowl, whip egg whites and lemon juice until a bit foamy. Add the sugar gradually, continue mixing until reach a stiff peak.
  4. Very gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolks batter in three batches (don’t mix it together all at once, to prevent the egg foam deflate).
    Using spatula, mix gently just until all incorporated, make sure there’s no egg yolks batter left on the bottom of the bowl.
  5. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, tap the pan a few times to get rid off air bubbles.
    And for the water bath; pour about ½-inch hot water onto the bigger pan.
    Place both pans on the bottom rack of the oven and bake it for about 85 minutes.
  6. Once it come out from the oven, take it out immediately from the water bath. Tap the pan a few times so it won’t shrink too much, remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack.


Cherry Filling

  1. Strain the cherries and place the syrup to a medium sauce pan.
  2. Soak the cherries with generous amount of dark rum for about 1 hour (you can leave this out if you’d like to keep it kid-friendly).
  3. To make the cherry filling; Combine the reserve cherry syrup with sugar and corn flour (strain to make sure there’s no any lumps) pour it back to the pan.
    Cook over medium low heat, keep stirring until it boil becomes transparant and thickened. Remove it from the heat, add in rum, mix well
  4. Drain the soaked cherries and combine with the cherry filling.


Frosting

  1. In a large bowl combine the shortening and unsalted butter mix until soft and well combined.
  2. Add in the icing sugar, rum and salt, continue mixing until becomes light and fluffy.
  3. Pour in the whipped cream and mix until just combined.


Assembly

  1. Using a large serrated knife, divide the cake into 3 equal layers.
  2. Place the first cake layer on a cake plate, brush it with rum. Pipe a rim of frosting around the cake layer before adding the filling (this creates a nice barrier so the filling stays in place), spread half of the cherry filling within the frosting barrier.
    Place the second layer on top, repeat the step. Place your final cake layer bottom side up on top of the cake.
  3. Crumb coat your cake with a light coat of frosting (freezer for about 10 or 30 minutes in the fridge to set the crumb coat). Continue frost the cake with remaining frosting.
  4. Press generous amount of the chocolate shaves onto the cake, sprinkle some for the top
    (Tip: grate the chocolate 1 hour in advance and store them in the fridge so it’s easier to handle).
  5. Pipe frosting to make it pretty, place some fresh cherries. Sift some icing sugar on top of the cake. Add another decoration if desire.


NOTES

  1. Best serve on the day it’s made.
  2. Cover in an airtight container and store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  3. I suggest to use 16 Oz S&W Dark Sweet Cherries brand for the best result coz it serve fresh cherries inside and better taste than any other brand.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Giant Gingerbread Man Cake (Bonus Snowman Cake Pops)

Hi Guys, I’m back here with another Christmas treats ideas.
Today we are making these cute giant Gingerbread Man Cake along with Snowman Gingerbread Cake Pops.

They are great for a Christmas party which is never complete without loads of gingerbread around.

As you can see, They all look so adorable and they are really great for Christmas showstopper cakes.

This moist cakes is laced with all the best spices and it’s brimming with robust flavors.

The flavors are so rich and just layers upon layers of spice are to be found in so many sweet delights.

I am not sure if I said this before, but I love winter time baking. I had so much fun with this one and I know you will too! Enjoy Guys!

GIANT GINGERBREAD MAN CAKE (BONUS CAKE POPS)
Yield: One 8 x 11 inch Square Pan Cake & 10 pieces Cake Pops
Active time: 2 1/5 hours
Total time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS
Fondant:

  • 200 grams Marshmallow
  • 2-3 tablespoons Water
  • 400 grams Icing Sugar
  • 50 grams Vegetable Shortening

Frosting:

  • 180 grams Milk
  • 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
  • 80 grams Brown Sugar
  • 180 grams Unsalted Butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 teaspoons Ginger Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Cake Batter:

  • 290 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 2/3 teaspoon Ginger Powder
  • 1 1/3 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
  • 1/3 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1/6 teapoon Cloves
  • 2/3 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/3 teaspoon Salt
  • 240 grams Boiling Water
  • 2/3 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 265 grams Unsulphured Molasses
  • 200 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 96 grams Vegetable Oil
  • 133 grams Whole Eggs
  • 15 grams Mixed Peel

Cake Pops: White and Dark Chocolate Lolipop Stick


INSTRUCTIONS
Marshmallow Fondant

  1. Mix marshmallows and water, microwave it in 30 seconds intervals (or in double boiler), stirring in between, until the marshmallows completely melted.
  2. Add in ¾ of the icing sugar and mix (you can add any flavouring extract if you want).
  3. After the fondant comes together, turn marshmallow mixture onto the counter. Add some more left over icing sugar, and continue kneading until it’s form a firm nice and smooth elastic ball (if it starts to feel a bit dry, add 1/2 tablespoon of water at a time and knead it again until it feels soft and pliable).
  4. Once it’s kneaded, grease the outside of the ball with shortening to prevent dryness and then store them in a ziplock bag to keep it moist.
  5. Colour it as needed.

Cake Batter

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
  2. Grease the pan, line bottom with a parchment paper, and grease it again.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder and salt. Mix well.
  4. For molasses mixture, mix the baking soda, boiling water, molasses and the granulated sugar, mix it all through (it’s gonna fizz up a bit, keep on stiring until the sugar dissolved).
  5. Add in the vegetable oil and eggs, mix well.
  6. Then whisk in the dry ingredients into molasses mixture 1/3 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  7. Strain the batter to remove any lumps.
  8. Pour mixture into a prepared pan, sprinkle some mixed peel and sink them into cake mixture.
  9. Bake it in the preheated 180 C oven for about 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. After baking, remove it from the pan, let it cool completely on the cooling rack.

Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

  1. Mix the flour and milk together, strain the mixture to remove any lumps. Cook on the stove or just microwave it in 20 seconds intervals until it just become a paste. Set aside and cool completely.
  2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and salt together until it gets a really smooth consistency. Add in the cooled flour paste, beat for about 5 minutes on medium-high to high until it looks like whipped cream. Add in all the spices, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg along with Vanilla Extract. Mix until well combined.


ASSEMBLE
Gingerbread Man Cake

  1. Slice the cake into 2 layers, top with a layer of frosting. Smooth it out. Place the second layer of cake on top.
  2. Using gingerbread man template cutting the cake layers with a serated knife.
  3. Cover the cake with frosting; using small spatula, apply a thin layer all over the cake (this is just going to lock in all of those little crumbs). Smooth it out , put it in the fridge for about 25 minutes to firm up a bit.
  4. Rolling out the fondant on a corn starch surface to about 3 mm thick. Draping it over chilled cake. Working quickly with my hands just to get all the air pushed out from underneath that fondant (going around the head and the arms and the legs, gently press in the fondant). Using serated knife cut around the excess fondant.
  5. Decorate them with gingerbread man fondant details.

Snowman Gingerbread Cake Pops

  1. Crush left over cakes into fine crumbs. Take about 25 grams for the body, 10 grams for the head, roll it into a ball. Put the cake balls in the freezer for about 15 minutes (you don’t want them to be frozen), so after about 15 minutes put them in the fridge and let them stay chilled there. 2.
  2. Dip the lollipop stick it into the melted chocolate just about a half inch, take it out and insert it straight into the large cake ball (insert it until past the cake ball). And then dip it into melted chocolate again, insert it into the small cake ball.
  3. Dip all into the melted chocolate, tap it off with a gentle motion to remove any excess. Place it in your Styrofoam block to dry.
  4. Decorate them with fondant and melted chocolate.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Blackforest Mousse Christmas Bombe Cakes

Hi Guys, Christmas is coming soon and today we are making some Blackforest Mousse Christmas Bombe Cakes. It’s really a special dessert. They have a Chocolate Sponge on the bottom, filled with Dark Sweet Cherries and White Chocolate Mousse. And it’s all covered with a chocolate shell and of course decorated with different Christmas characters.

These are so perfect for holiday season, because we are all so busy around this time of year. You can make these ahead of time for a stress free dessert at Christmas, just keep them in the fridge for up to three days before servings.

It’s glamorous and gorgeous and definitely centerpiece-worthy. The bombe looks seriously complicated and I love that about it, but is easier to make than it looks. 
I have to admit, this are kind of a lot of work but there’s no step that’s really difficult. It’s just a lot of small easy steps.

The cake is super soft and moist, a hint of Rum from Cherries and White Chocolate Mousse is so flavourfull, the modelling chocolate for decoration is really yummy, it’s really good Guys!

These showstopping bombe desserts are perfect for special occasions, I hope you can impress your friends and family over the festive season. Have fun with it!

BLACKFOREST MOUSSE CHRISTMAS BOMBE CAKES
Yield: 5 pieces (4 oz each)
Active time: 2 hour
Total time: 4 hours

INGREDIENTS
Modeling Chocolate (Using Candy Melts):

  • 200 grams White Candy Melts
  • 50 grams Corn Syrup
  • Food Colouring

Modeling Chocolate (Using Real Chocolate):

  • 200 grams White Chocolate
  • 75 grams Corn Syrup
  • Food Colouring

Chocolate Mousse:

  • 1 teaspoon Gelatine Powder
  • 30 grams Water
  • 108 grams White Baking Chocolate
  • 40 grams Milk
  • 238 grams Heavy Cream
  • 8 grams Icing Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Rum (optional)

Chocolate Sponge Cake:

  • 23 grams Vegetable Oil
  • 8 grams Cocoa Powder
  • 23 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 45 grams Water
  • A Pinch of Salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 45 grams Egg Yolks
  • 53 grams Cake Flour
  • 120 grams Egg Whites
  • 30 grams Granulated Sugar

Cake Shells: Candy Melts or White Chocolate Compound with Candy Colouring
Assembly: Dark Sweet Cherry, Rum

INSTRUCTIONS
Modeling Chocolate:

  1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or a double boiler (let it cool to the touch). Add the corn syrup, stir just until it turns into a thick, smooth paste.
  2. Pick up the dough as soon as you can easily handle it and knead it over the bowl (knead out as much oil as possible).
  3. Pat the surface of the dough with some paper towel to sop up the oil (pat the dough quickly because the dough is quite sticky at this stage,if the paper sits too long it will get stuck in it).
  4. Once patted dry, wrap it tightly in plastic. Store in an airtight container. Allow the dough to sit 8-10 hours at room temperature or in the fridge to set faster.

Cherries
Strain the cherries, soak it with a generous amount of rum, let it sit for about 1-2 hours.

Chocolate Mousse:

  1. Sprinkle the gelatine over cold water, let it stand for 5 minutes. Then gently melt it in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove (do not boil).
  2. Heat the milk and chocolate until the chocolate melted.
    Combine the gelatin with the chocolate mixture, mix well. Let it cool so it’s no longer hot.
  3. Whip the heavy cream and the icing sugar until firm peaks. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream to lighten the chocolate mixture, then fold in gently the remaining cream. Add in the rhum. Cover and let them set in the fridge for about 2 hours (it’s very liquidy like soup now, but it will firm up as the gelatine and chocolate sets).

Cake Shell
Melted some chocolate candy melts, use a pastry brush and brush mould on some thin layers of chocolate (let it set in between each layer), 3 coats in total.

Chocolate Sponge Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 170 degress C.
  2. Grease the pan (10 inch square), place the parchment paper at the bottom of the pan.
  3. Heat the oil until warm, add in to the cocoa powder, mix.
    Add in the sugar, mix. Pour in the water, mix. Add in salt, vanilla, the egg yolks, mix well.
    Sift half of the cake flour into the mixture, mix. Sift in the remaining flour, mix until well combined.
  4. Whisk egg whites until forthy, gradually add sugar, continue whisk until stiff peaks.
  5. Combine the egg whites to the cake mixture (in 2 batches), whisk after each addition, using spatula scrape down and fold it (make sure the batter is well combined).
  6. Pour the batter into the pan. Spread with spatula, Jjggle vigorously till the batter even, tap pan against work surface twice, bake for about 20 minutes.
  7. Once come out off the oven, drop the pan from 2 inch high for about 3 times. Unmould the cake from the pan, peel the parchment paper from sides of the cake and let it cool completely.

Decoration
Knead and colour the Modeling Chocolate as needed. Using template as guide, create the details.

Assembly

  1. Cut the cake (using 2 size of round cookie cutters, one is that the same size as the hemisphere mold and other size is half size of the mold).
  2. Pipe a little bit of mousse into each chocolate shell. Sink in the dark sweet cherries to the mousse. Cover it with some mousse. Place small cake on top of the mousse. Pipe mousse to cover all the inner part. Place the large cake on top.
  3. Store in the fridge for about 30-60 minutes to firm up.
  4. Unmold cakes, decorate them.

NOTES

  1. You can store the cakes in the fridge for up to 3 days before servings.
  2. You can use Candy Melts or real white chocolate to make Modeling Chocolate. Find the recipe in the description above.
  3. There is no special food colouring required to colour Modeling Chocolate.
    Modeling Chocolate already has liquid in it (corn syrup) so adding more won’t hurt. I like to use regular gel food colours like Americolor.
  4. If Modeling Chocolate is too soft and sticky while shaping, you can add add a little bit of cornstach.
  5. Modeling Chocolate Dough will last a very long time (at least a few months). But as it sits, it continues to harden and may require more kneading to return it to a nice workable consistency.