EVERY decade has its own cake trends, and these trends in baking have been recorded in The Maya Kitchen’s newly launched cookbook, Simply Delicious. Published by Anvil Publishing Inc. in celebration of The Maya Kitchen’s 50th anniversary, the full-color, glossy cookbook contains more than 150 recipes of savory dishes and desserts, including the cakes that made a mark on each of the five decades that The Maya Kitchen has been in existence. These include Pineapple Upside Down Cake in the 1960s, Gateau Sans Rival in the 1970s, Black Forest Cake in the 1980s, Cheesecake in the 1990s, and Green Tea Cupcakes in the 2000s.
Here, in this post, I’m sharing with flavorsoflife.com.ph readers the recipe of Black Forest Cake as formulated by The Maya Kitchen, published in Simply Delicious, and served during the book launch held at National Book Store Glorietta 1 recently.
Try making this delicious cake and see if you can recreate it or—even better—innovate from it.
For the cake:
1-3/4 cups sifted Maya All Purpose Flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/4 tsps. baking soda
3/4 cup margarine
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1-1/4 cups water
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsps. vanilla
4 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F or 177˚C. Grease and line 4 pcs. 9-inch round baking pans. Set aside.
2. Combine all ingredients for the cake, except the eggs, in a mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating continuously until completely blended.
3. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Cool slightly, then remove from pans.
5. Transfer onto wire racks and cool thoroughly.
For the syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
3 Tbsps. Kirsch or Brandy
1. In a small saucepan, prepare syrup by blending sugar and water together. Bring to a boil.
2. Lower flame and simmer for 1 minute.
3. Remove from flame and stir in Kirsch or brandy. Set aside.
For the chocolate filling:
2 bars milk chocolate (100 grams)
3/4 cup butter
3 Tbsps. confectioners’ sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Cream butter and beat in melted chocolate.
3. Add confectioners’ sugar, then continue beating until smooth.
4. Stir in nuts.
For the cream filling:
2 packs whipping cream (250 grams)
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1. Beat whipping cream until thick.
2. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until smooth and fluffy. Set aside.
For garnishing:
Maraschino cherries
1 bar milk chocolate (100 grams)
1. Assemble the cake. Place one cake on a serving platter. Brush top of cake with syrup. Spread half of the chocolate filling, then sprinkle with some nuts. Top with another cake. Brush top with syrup, spread half of the cream filling, sprinkle with nuts and add some cherry slices. Repeat procedure for the last two cake layers.
2. Once you’ve covered the cake with the fourth and last cake, cover the top and sides with the remaining cream.
3. Garnish with chocolate curls shaved from the milk chocolate bar and cherries.
4. Chill until ready to serve.
Yields one cake or 8 to 10 servings.
