Mini Festive Black Forest Cakes
Indulge in the festive spirit with these Mini Festive Black Forest Cakes, a delightful twist on the classic dessert. These charming, single-serving treats combine the rich flavors of moist chocolate cake, luscious cherry filling, and velvety whipped cream, topped with festive cherries and a sprinkle of dark chocolate. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these cakes are easy to make and guaranteed to impress. Whether you're sharing them at a Christmas party or savoring them as a cozy dessert at home, these mini cakes are the ultimate crowd-pleaser this Christmas.
Ingredients
Cake
● 110g plain flour
● 30g cocoa powder
● 175g caster sugar
● 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
● ½ tsp baking powder
● ½ tsp salt
● 60ml vegetable oil
● 1 large egg
● 90g sour cream (room temp)
● 60ml buttermilk (room temp)
● 1 tsp vanilla paste
Cherry Jam
● 100g pitted cherries
● 100g jam sugar
● ½ lemon (juice)
Cream Layer
● 150ml double cream
● 2 tbsp icing sugar
● ½ tsp vanilla paste
Chocolate Ganache & Topping
● 100g dark chocolate (chopped)
● 125ml double cream
● 50g milk chocolate, grated/shaved
Equipment:
Tala Performance 6 Hole Mini Sandwich Pan
Tala Indigo & Ivory Mixing Bowl
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease the Tala mini cake tin.
2. Whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, bicarbonate soda, baking powder and salt) in a large bowl and set to the side.
3. Using an electric whisk, beat together the oil and eggs until combined. Then add in the sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla and mix until consistent. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and gently mix together, first with a whisk and then fold with a spatula.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, up to halfway (do not overfill), and place in the oven for 18-20 minutes until the cakes have risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean (the mixture should make enough for 12+ cakes).
5. Whilst the cakes are cooling, make the cherry compote, cream layer and chocolate ganache.
6. For the cherry layer, put the cherries in a pan over a low heat and gently crush. Then add the jam sugar and lemon juice and bring to the boil until the sugar has dissolved, this should take a couple of minutes. Let the mixture boil on a high heat for 5 minutes, remove and pour onto a plate, spreading out into a thin layer. Leave in the fridge to cool and set.
7. For the cream layer, Sieve the icing sugar into the double cream, add the vanilla paste and whisk until soft peaks just about form (Once you place this in a piping bag it will stiffen even more so do not over whisk at this stage). Place in the fridge until assembly.
8. For the chocolate ganache, place the chocolate and double cream in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and mix until completely melted and combined. Then set aside to cool and thicken slightly.
9. Now the cakes are cooled and ready to assemble, slice each cake in half and on the bottom half pipe a layer of cream, followed by a spoonful of cherry jam, then place the top half on and drizzle over the chocolate ganache. Top with chocolate shavings and an optional holly leaf!
Enjoy!