Anne BralyChristmas cakes are a much-anticipated part of the Christmas dinner. Visions of sugarplums may dance in some heads, but slices of cake dance in mine. Showstopping layers of moist cake slathered with luscious creamy frosting are the stuff of which my sweet dreams are made.
Recently, I went in search of something different from traditional cakes like Yuletide logs and red velvet cake. The result was something of my own creation that combines a popular German confection, Dark Forest Cake – ideal during the holidays as it reflects the country from which many of our Christmas traditions come – and everyone’s favorite, cream cheese frosting, or a variation thereof.
Traditional German Black Forest Cake calls for whipped cream between the four layers, then more whipped cream frosting the entire cake. Don’t get me wrong. I love whipped cream, but for me, there can be too much of a good thing – like a cake topped with whipped cream and in between its layers. So, I thought, why not a nice, rich white frosting?
So I made a happy compromise – whipping the cream and blending it with cream cheese and powdered sugar. The resulting cake was magnificent. The chocolatey, cherry layers married with the frosting and the whipped cream, and now a new tradition has been born in my house. Maybe yours, too.
The cake takes some time. I would advise making the layers the day before, wrapping them and refrigerating them. The next day, make the whipped cream and the frosting, then slice the cake layers to make four layers, assemble it and put it on a pretty platter for all to admire. It’s sometimes difficult to cut cake layers evenly, so if you end up with one layer a little thicker, place it on the bottom so it doesn’t weigh down the other layers.