Schwarzwald Kuchen (Black Forest Cake)

I promised to bring cake to some friends for family night and since the cake I had was all gone, I made this (my first time and without alcohol, naturally):




















I baked a normal chocolate cake (actually, I used the non-egg recipe from Keepapitchinin' but used milk and cream instead of water and added an egg just for kicks). Then I poked some holes in it and cut it in half. After pouring cherry juice over both halves, I mixed Stracciatella pudding cream with whipping cream and spread it on the bottom layer of cake (I probably should have made the cream stiffer, but we don't have a handmixer and my hand sure got tired). Then I cut cherries in half and covered the cream, and repeated the whole process with the second layer, except this time I didn't put quite as many cherries on top and I tried to make them look artful.

I think my first Schwarzwald Kuchen was a success, and it sure looked pretty with the rich brown chocolate, white cream, and red cherries. I love trying to bake new things despite the "You're baking again?" questions I get (I end up baking a lot when I'm home sick--and yes, I promise I am careful not to spread my germs).