Black Forest Cake Troubleshooting

Keeping with the black forest theme (just for one more day, I promise) I would like to provide some recommended tips based on my experiences, what I had success with, and what I would change for next time. 

Improvement #1 - Loose Cream - I didn't have this problem because I used cream stiffener. I used four packets of this cream stabilizer and beat the cream until stiff, stiff peaks formed.

Improvement #2 - Bleeding Cherries - I found the cherries I used to decorate the cake bled into the cream a bit. I would recommend washing the cherries and blotting them very dry, as well as adding them just before serving. 

Improvement #3 - Dry Cake - I found the cake a little on the dry side, but this could definitely be improved by sprinkling all cake layers with some cherry schnapps, as the cake is a spongecake and that is what it is designed for. For a version with less alcohol, cherry juice could be used instead. 

Improvement #3 - Sweet or Sour Cherries - My only recommendation here is to tailor it to your consumers. Sour cherries may be used in all cases, but you may or may not want to add sugar. Generally sweet cherries should only be used for American versions. 

Improvement #4 - Even Cake Layers - Slicing a cake horizontally can be difficult. Make sure the cake is cooled completely. Slice the top layer first - which should be very thin. Use a long, serrated knife, and rotate the cake while slicing slowly. Then slice the remaining cake in half. 

Improvement #5 - Disappearing Cake - To prevent your cake from disappearing too quickly due to its deliciousness, try hiding it in the back of the fridge in a covered container labelled "Leftover Spinach Sautée".