Drink.  Learn.  Laugh.  Repeat.

Welcome Back!Sign in here:

Not Registered?Become one of our thirsty clan 326,593 strong:

Register Today!

Deconstructed Black Forest Cake

Deconstructed Black Forest Cake
Serves 8
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Cook’s Notes: Deconstructed desserts are a trend in breaking down a dish into its essential components, then serving the parts as a whole. A great new way to enjoy an old favourite.


Ingredients:

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
2/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup hot coffee

Cherry Compote:
4 cups frozen (unthawed) pitted cherries
2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
200ml (2/3 cup) dry red wine
Unsweetened cocoa powder
250ml (1 cup) chilled whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
12 scoops good quality vanilla ice cream


Instructions:

For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 14x10x1-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line sheet with buttered parchment paper. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and eggs; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in next 4 ingredients. Beat in flour alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each. Gradually add hot coffee; mix until smooth (batter will be thin).

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. Cover and chill until cold, about 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 24 hours ahead. Let cool completely and then cover.

For the Cherry Compote: Stir the cherries and 2/3 cup sugar in large saucepan over medium heat 2 minutes. Add wine; simmer until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Drain cherries over medium bowl; return juices to saucepan and reserve cherries in same bowl. Boil juices until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Pour over cherries; cool. DO AHEAD: Cherries can be prepared 24 hours ahead and kept covered until ready to use.

When ready to serve: Using 3-inch-diameter cookie cutter and dipping edges of cutter into cocoa powder, cut 12 rounds from cold cake. Place 1 cake, 1 scoop of ice cream, spoonful of cherries, and whipped cream on each of 12 plates and serve.



This recipe is created by Nadine Hughes, owner and founder of The Cook's Companion, a lifestyle cooking and entertaining school and The Menu Companion, complete dinner party menu planners.


Complementary Wines: Gewürztraminer Late Harvest, Liqueurs: Coffee, Port: ruby, Riesling: Late Harvest

If you'd like more delicious recipes and wine pairings, join my website.



Visit 's wine and food blog The Cook's Companion.

Return to Recipes

WANT TO LEARN HOW TO

PAIR WINE
& FOOD?

Join me in a free online video class to learn the secrets to perfect pairings.

Wine of the Week

As featured on  

CTV Wine of the Week!

Wander + Found Sparkling Wine
Sparkling Cuveé Blanc Can

Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean offers North America's most popular online wine and food pairing classes. She was named the World's Best Drinks Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia.

Natalie has published two books with Random House, both selected as one of Amazon's Best Books of the Year.

Join 326,593 thirsty wine lovers who get access to all of her wine reviews by becoming a member of her site. Take a free online pairing class with her here.

FEEL LOST IN THE

LCBO?

Know the wines you want before you even get to the store with my wine reviews. Join now. It's free.

Red, White & Drunk All Over

  Best Books of the Year

Red, White & Drunk all over by Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean writes about wine with a sensuous obsession... and often laugh-out-loud funny... Terrific.

Rex Pickett, Sideways

Ms. MacLean is the disarming Everywoman. She loves wine, loves drinking ... ultimately, it's a winning formula.

Eric Asimov, The New York Times

GOT A SMARTPHONE?

Access my reviews on mobile with the bar code scanner.

GET NAT'S APP

Unquenchable: A Tipsy Search

  Best Books of the Year

Unquenchable by Natalie MacLean

Natalie MacLean is a new force in the wine writing world ‐ a feisty North American answer to Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. She can write beautifully about wine.

The Financial Times of London

There are very few people in the wine world who "get it" and Natalie is one of those who brings more fun to a buttoned-up and stodgy game.

Gary Vaynerchuck, Wine Library TV

Starting a Wine Cellar?

Expert advice for all budgets

Insider tips on starting a wine cellar
From wine racks to underground caves, insider tips on size and space, number of bottles, ideal conditions and reputable resources.   learn more  

337,614

WINE
REVIEWS

326,593

ACTIVE
MEMBERS
Winner World's Best Drink Writer
WFour-Time Winner James Beard Foundation
Five-Time Winner Association of Food Journalists
Six-Time Winner Bert Greene Award
Best Wine Literature Book Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Online Writer of the Year Louis Roederer International Wine Writing Award