WHITE FOREST CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat until combined. Pour cake batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen and invert carefully onto racks to cool completely, 1 to 2 hours.
• While cake layers bake, drain cherries for topping, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, sugar, and cornstarch in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely before assembling cake.
• Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar for frosting in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Split each cake layer in half horizontally using a long serrated knife. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and sides of remaining layers using a pastry brush or your hands. Reserve 1 1/2 cups frosting for piping decorations on cake; set aside.
• To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost sides of cake.
• Pat reserved cake crumbs onto frosting on sides of cake. Spoon the reserved 1 1/2 cups frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star decorator tip. Pipe around the top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping on top of cake.
• Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, beat the oil, egg yolks, 1 cup sugar and melted chocolate. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with milk. , In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter., Pour into two greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks., In a large bowl, beat cream filling ingredients until smooth; cover and refrigerate. For cherry filling, drain cherries, reserving juice. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar and cherry juice until smooth. Add cherries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in extract and food coloring. Cool completely., In a small bowl, beat chocolate filling ingredients until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate. , For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate., To assemble, cut each cake into two horizontal layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; top with 1/2 cup cream filling. Place 1 cup cream filling in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a 1/2-in. triangle in one corner of bag. Make a rim of filling 3/4 in. high around outer edge of cake., Make a second rim 2 in. from edge. Spoon cherry filling between rings. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Spread chocolate filling over second cake layer; place over cherry filling. , Spread remaining cream filling over third layer; place over chocolate filling. Top with fourth layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls, cherries and mint. Store in the refrigerator.