BLACK FOREST CAKE FOR VALENTINE'S DAY


Black Forest Cake made with canned, drained, rinsed and patted dry apricots.



BLACK FOREST CAKE
Special occasion cake (see front cover of Low-Carbing Among Friends, Volume-2) that is more for grown-up tastes than for children. This would be a wonderful cake to celebrate Valentine's Day with your sweetie or honey.  What endearment do you use to call your other half when not using his/her name?   If desired, use fresh strawberries instead of cherries or apricots.  This is a lovely cake with tea or coffee or as the finale to a lovely, romantic meal.  I have been making this cake since forever it seems.  It is, however, overhauled to make it gluten-free and it is just as lovely as before, if not better.  Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day.

1/cup butter, softened (75 mL)
5 egg yolks
Liquid sweetener (sucralose or stevia) to equal 3/cup sugar (175 mL)
1/cup granulated erythritol (75 mL)
11/2  cups Gluten-Free Bake Mix, (375 mL)
1/cup Hershey’s® cocoa (75 mL)
1 tbsp baking powder (15 mL)
7 egg whites
1/tsp cream of tartar (2 mL)
1/cup whipping cream (125 mL)
1/cup water (60 mL)
Filling and Topping:
2 tbsp unsweetened pineapple juice, OR (30 mL)
  1/4 tsp pineapple extract (1 mL) and water
Liquid sweetener (sucralose or stevia) to equal 1 tbsp sugar, OR (15 mL)
  equal to 1/cup sugar (60 mL), if using pineapple extract
1/tsp brandy extract (2 mL)
CrèmeFraiche (Click for recipe)
20 fresh cherries

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare 3, 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans by spraying with nonstick cooking spray and lining with parchment paper on the bottom only. Spray top of paper as well. In food processor or electric mixer, cream butter and egg yolks with liquid sucralose, OR SPLENDA® Granular and erythritol.  In medium bowl, combine Gluten-Free Bake Mix, cocoa and baking powder.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff (use a smaller bowl if possible, and make sure it is absolutely dry and that there is no residue of fat).  To egg yolk mixture, add dry ingredients and whipping cream and water in 2 additions, beating 1 minute after each addition, until smooth.  The batter will be fairly thick.  Fold egg whites well into cake batter (it will be somewhat lumpy) and spoon equal amounts into pans.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes.  Allow to cool on cake racks. 

Filling and Topping:  In small bowl, combine pineapple juice, OR pineapple extract and water, liquid sucralose, OR SPLENDA® Granular and brandy extract.  Sprinkle some over each cake layer.  Spread bottom cake layer with Crème Fraiche and place 10 cherries (pitted and cut in half) down.  Repeat with next cake layer, ending with final layer and 10 whole cherries for garnish. 

Yield:  12 servings (using cherries)
With juice/without
257.3/256.1 calories
7.0/7.0 g protein
22.9/22.9 g fat
5.6/5.2 g net carbs