Thanks, Dad: This Black Forest cake is all about him

The longer I’ve been a parent, the more I appreciate how much my mom and dad have done for me over the years — and the more I want to do for them. Given my profession, that almost inevitably means cooking or baking, which delights them to no end. So despite the culinary prowess my dad boasts while grilling, making our annual Hanukkah latkes and helping my mom with our beloved mandelbread, this Father’s Day, I decided to come up with a recipe just for him. Thankfully, I had a pretty good head start.

There was no question it would be a dessert: An irrepressible sweet tooth is among the many traits I’ve inherited from my dad (and my mom). Black Forest cake is one of his favorites, in part, no doubt, because it was what my parents had at their wedding. This nostalgic treat, often called a Black Forest gâteau (as fans of “The Great British Baking Show” will know), features a tuxedo-like stack of dark chocolate cake and whipped cream punctuated with ruby cherries, all spiked with kirsch, the cherry brandy that hails from the region of Germany that lends the dessert its name.

Over the years for my dad’s birthday and Father’s Day, I’ve tinkered with my own version, coming up with a slightly different formula each time and, of course, never writing it down. This go around, I was ready to firm it up, both to please my dad and stop driving myself crazy whenever I wanted to bake another one.

The only nonnegotiable was the recipe for the cake base itself. I’ve never found one I like better than the Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake that has for as long as I can remember been on the back of the container of the brand’s cocoa power. It’s reliable, plush, extremely easy to pull together and simple to convert to whatever size cake or number of cupcakes you want. There wasn’t much to improve on, though I did add a tablespoon of espresso powder for bolder chocolate flavor and swapped in half-and-half for the milk, an out-of-necessity substitution that ended up making for an especially tender cake. A light (or heavy!) brush of the signature kirsch applied to the layers during assembly increases the softness of the crumb even more and helps keep the cake moist for several days. (If you can’t have alcohol, don’t worry. The cake will still shine without it.)

Kirsch, along with vanilla and almond extracts, also stars in the cherry filling, which was the primary wild card in all my iterations. I’ve tried jarred Morello cherries, jarred Amarena cherries and frozen cherries. Each turned out well, but in the end, I settled on frozen because they are the most widely available and gave me the most control over the sugar, since jarred cherries are often packed in syrup. My revelation was a blend sold by Wyman’s that includes both dark sweet and sour red cherries, which introduced a welcome pucker to the filling. Inspired by a go-to strawberry sauce recipe, I cooked down the fruit a bit and thickened it with a restrained amount of cornstarch so that it was still on the loose side but set enough to not run out of the cake. To preserve the boozy kick, a few glugs of the kirsch get added off the heat.

What gave me the most trouble was the whipped cream. While heavy cream whipped in the stand mixer is my pick for most desserts, I worried it would be too airy to apply to and stay on the cake. For something denser and spreadable, the food processor is the tool for the job. At least, that’s what I was convinced of until I started making batches of whipped cream that inevitably deflated or slid off the cake. Was it bad luck, poor technique or something weird about the environment? After several frustrating attempts, I decided it didn’t matter. I wasn’t willing to risk the same thing happening to anyone else, so it was time to stabilize the cream with another type of dairy. I settled on creamy, mild mascarpone, though crème fraîche and cream cheese will work just as well, though with a slightly tangier flavor that would be right at home here.

I can’t say I was ever bothered enough to take an over-the-top approach to decorating my Black Forest cake, which was fine by my dad. As long as it tasted great, nothing else mattered. (Not one to complain, he wouldn’t even mind if it was less than great, merely good.) Sometimes, though, a little fancy is fun, so feel free to let your imagination take you wherever you like. Keep it simple with the snowy white whipped cream, or work your way up to piped mounds of the cream, shaved chocolate and fresh, stem-on cherries.

While this kind of layer cake requires a number of steps and some time, nothing is particularly complicated if you have at least a basic level of comfort baking. But the effort is kind of the point, isn’t it? I may never be able to sufficiently convey my gratitude for everything my dad has done (and cooked) for me. This cake, though, is a delicious start.

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Black Forest Cake

For the whipped cream:

3 cups (720 milliliters) heavy cream

6 ounces (170 grams) mascarpone, full-fat cream cheese or crème fraîche

6 tablespoons (45 grams) confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake:

Unsalted butter, for greasing the pans

¾ cup (60 grams) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more as needed

2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar

1¾ cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon espresso powder

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

2 large eggs

1 cup (240 milliliters) half-and-half or milk (any fat content)

½ cup (120 milliliters) neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup (240 milliliters) boiling water

Kirsch, for brushing the cake layers (optional)

Shaved dark chocolate curls, for decorating (optional)

Fresh sweet cherries, stem-on, for decorating (optional)

For the cherry filling:

1 pound (454 grams) frozen pitted cherries, preferably a mix of dark sweet and red tart (sour)*

¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

¼ cup (60 milliliters) plus 2 tablespoons water, divided

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon kirsch, plus more as needed

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon almond extract

Make the whipped cream: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cream 8 to 10 times, just until it stops splashing quite as much. Add the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and process until the mixture thickens considerably, about 30 seconds. Listen for the food processor to start sounding more muffled as well. Depending on the strength of your appliance, you may need to pulse it more until you get a thick and spreadable consistency. Scrape the cream off the bottom of the bowl, and check for any runny spots. The result will be denser than cream whipped by hand or mixer. Continue to pulse, scraping and stirring the whipped cream occasionally, until the desired consistency is reached. (Overprocessing can lead to sweet butter, so be judicious.) You should have about 5½ cups. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Make the cake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter, then dust with cocoa powder, tilting and gently tapping the pans to evenly coat, discarding any excess. (The cocoa powder should adhere to the butter; if you have any spots that are bare, go back and apply a bit more butter to ensure the cakes release cleanly from the pans.) Line the pans with parchment paper rounds and lightly grease the paper with butter.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, flour, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Add the eggs, half-and-half, oil and vanilla; lock the bowl in the mixer; fit the mixer with the paddle attachment; and beat on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Scrape down the bowl again, add the water and mix on medium-low until incorporated. The batter will be thin.

Evenly divide the batter between the two pans (about 685 grams each), and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean and they start to pull away from the edges of the pan. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edges to loosen, and invert onto a wire rack. Invert again onto another rack, parchment side down, and let cool completely.

Make the cherry filling: While the cakes are baking and cooling, in a medium (3- to 4-quart) saucepan over medium heat, combine the cherries, sugar and ¼ cup (60 milliliters) of the water. Partially cover, and cook just until the cherries are mostly defrosted, 4 to 6 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking until the fruit softens and the liquid thickens slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of water and the cornstarch until smooth. Once the cherries soften, gradually add the cornstarch slurry to the pot, stirring constantly until it thickens to the consistency of a slightly runny pie filling. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of the kirsch and the vanilla and almond extracts. Taste, and add more kirsch, 1 tablespoon at a time, if desired. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate to cool completely. (The filling will set more as it cools.)

Assemble the cake: Invert one cake layer, parchment side up, onto a cardboard cake round, or a large plate or platter with a low rim. Discard the parchment and brush the surface with kirsch, if using.

Use a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, zip-top bag with one corner cut off or a spoon to squeeze or spread a border of whipped cream, roughly ¼ inch high, around the top of the cake, just inside the edge. This will serve as a dam to hold in the cherry filling. Use an offset spatula or spoon to spread the filling inside the ring of whipped cream.

Brush the top of the second cake with more kirsch, if using, and then invert it onto the first layer, parchment side up. Discard the parchment.

Place about ½ cup of whipped cream in a separate bowl for the crumb coat, the thin base layer that will seal in the crumbs and give you a smooth surface to which you can apply the rest of the whipped cream. Use an offset spatula or table knife to apply the crumb coat all over the top and sides of the cake. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator to let the crumb coat set, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and apply the remaining whipped cream to the cake. For extra flair, reserve some to pipe into rosettes on top with a star pastry tip. Decorate with the chocolate curls and fresh cherries, if using. If the whipped cream has softened too much while decorating, refrigerate the cake for another 20 minutes to set before slicing and serving.

Servings: 12-16 (makes one 9-inch layer cake)

Substitutions: For frozen cherries, use frozen strawberries or fresh, pitted cherries. Can’t have alcohol? Skip the kirsch, and add more vanilla or almond extract to the filling, if desired. Nut-free? Skip the almond extract.

Variations: You can bake the cake in 8-inch round cake pans, adding a few minutes of baking time, as needed.

Make ahead: The whipped cream and cherry filling can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 1 week. The baked cake layers can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.

Storage: Refrigerate the assembled cake for up to 1 day. (Leftovers will taste good for 2 or 3 more days, though they won’t look their best.)

*Where to buy: Wyman’s blend of frozen dark sweet and tart red cherries can be found at well-stocked supermarkets. If not available, use frozen dark sweet cherries.

Nutritional information per serving, based on 16: 435 calories, 24 g fat, 15 g saturated fat, 51 g carbohydrates, 341 mg sodium, 93 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 2 g fiber, 37 g sugar.

— Becky Krystal, based on recipes from Hershey’s and Stephanie Witt Sedgwick