How to bake a Black Forest cake

And have it work, that is.

First off, follow the instincts you have about the cake batter. When the recipe calls for 3 ozs. of unsweetened chocolate, I used 5. I used 3 eggs, instead of 2. a little more flour, a touch more baking powder. Almost 40 minutes, instead of 30-35 minutes of baking time. Remembering all the while that the directions say nothing about doing this at almost 6,000 ft in altitude.

For the cherry filling: If using 2  15 oz cans, instead of using 1 1/3 cups of the juice, use only 2/3 of a cup for a filling that will stay in place. Or you’ll have the leakage that I did.

Make a double batch of the chocolate butter icing, & keep the lactose intolerant cat away from it. If she can get to it, she will. Let the cat know, in no uncertain terms, that her dining area is closed for a time. Water is a good deterrent. You’ll also need the extra frosting for the husband who wants something sweet, damage control on the sides of the cake, & the ribbons as decorations.

Extra creamy Cool Whip works very well, instead of trying to make whipped cream from scratch.

Threaten the dogs with being beat bald-headed, reducing them to funny looking & being laughed at by the other dogs, the husband with a plastic slotted spoon to the elbows, & the chocolate hating son with having to eat the mistakes, & the kitchen area will be kept clear.

Make it known, in advance, that dinner is the famous/infamous, fend for yourself night.

Start on assembling the cake in the proper order. 1st making sure the layers are level (important) start on the bottom with the abundance of icing. Both the center circle & the outer ring. Then the not-so-liquid cherry filling. Top layer goes on next, then damage control on the sides if the filling is too runny. Icing is put on the top, after hitting the hands of the sweet craving husband who’s trying to get his spoon in the bowl of icing, followed by the ribbons of icing, dollops of whipped cream, with cherries on the top of the dollops. Followed by the offering to the husband the left-over cherries, just to watch him blush. (I don’t have to wonder where HIS mind was at that point.)

I can do this cake again, & the next time, I’ll remember the prior mistakes & fix them before hand. The next time a birthday comes up in a Sunday School class & I’m asked to bake a cake for the person, maybe I’ll do it again, & maybe not. Or, I may make one for Chris & his friend Paul, to share. Next time, I’ll plan on an all day project.