Happy Valentine's Day and a treat of Eggless Black Forest cake

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For the cake:

Here's what you need

Dry ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
6 tbsp cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Dutch process cocoa)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

2 cups water
2 tsp distilled white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup flavorless oil (I used Crisco Canola)


The Cooking Process


  • With the rack in the middle, preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
  • Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt thrice.
  • Whisk sugar, oil, water, vinegar and vanilla till sugar dissolves.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 mins.Grease and flour the two 8 inches round cake pans. Pour the mixtures equally in both the pans and bake for 35-40 mins or until the toothpick when inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 
  • After 20 mins unmold and transfer on a cooling rack. Let it cool completely for at least an hour before you begin to frost.

For the syrup

¼ cup water
¼ cup sugar
½ lb pitted fresh cherries (I used ¼ pound each of cherries and strawberries)
1 tsp vanilla extract/cherry liquor/rum (I used vanilla extract)

Boil water and sugar till sugar dissolves. Drop in the cherries and vanilla extract mix well and remove from flame. After this mixture stands covered overnight (or at least 4-5 hrs) separate the cherries from the sweet syrup.

For the Frosting

3 cups double heavy cream
4 tbsp confectioners’sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract /rum/cherry liquor

Beat all ingredients well with a hand mixer on medium high speed together till it form soft peaks.

For Garnishing

Cherries reserved from the syrup
Chocolate shaving

Shave off fine flakes from  your choice of daek or milk chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler.


Assembling the cake.



  • Prick the top of both the cake with a fork and brush them with 3 tbsp of  syrup.
  • Place a cake layer on a cake stand or on a clean surface at a convenient height so that it’s easy to frost.
  • Spread 1 1/2 cup of frosting over one cake layer and arrange the cherries evenly. Now place the other layer and slightly press.
  • Frost the entire cake-the top and sides evenly .Decorate with remaining cherries and chocolate shaving. Refrigerate for couple or hours or until ready to be served.

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