Special Delivery Black Forest Brandy Cake

Shelley Stone is the manager of Ontario Gleaners, a wonderful organization staffed mostly by volunteers who cut and dry surplus agricultural produce to make soup mixes that are sent to refugee camps and crisis areas around the globe. So far they have shipped over 17 million servings of soup to 40 countries.

Shelley loves sharing this recipe. It was her mother's favourite. Shelley's mom used to make it for everyone's birthday and all special occasions. One year she sent it by bus from Ontario to Saskatchewan where Shelley was in college. She wanted to make sure her daughter's cake arrived intact for her birthday.

Serves 8
Level of Difficulty: Easy

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 can drained bing cherries
4 oz. Brandy
2 cups whipped cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10-12 fresh cherries and chocolate shavings for garnish

1. Make the chocolate cake according to package directions, baking it in 2 round pans. When completely cooled, carefully cut both cakes in half horizontally, creating 4 rounds. A bread knife works well for this task. Tip: To make a straight cut, place toothpicks around the cake and use them to guide your cut.

2. In a bowl, combine the cherry pie filling with the drained bing cherries.

3. Whip the cream, adding sugar and vanilla extract.

4. With a fork, poke holes in each cake round, here and there on top of each layer. Drizzle an ounce of brandy over every layer and let it soak in.

5. Layer a sliced cake round, topped with 1/3 of the cherry mixture and a thin layer of whipped cream. Repeat twice.

6. Reserve plenty of whipped cream, cover the outside of the entire cake in it, then decorate the cake with the fresh cherries and chocolate shavings.

7. This cake stores best in the fridge to keep the whipped cream cold.




When Carla Johnson was a teenager, her Mennonite grandmother caught her mom pouring red wine into a pan of chicken cacciatore and scolded, “Cooking with sin, are we?” That delightful moment was the inspiration for Carla’s blog and award-winning book “Cooking With Sin: Great Recipes Dipped in Alcohol and Wrapped in a Wonderful Story!”

Complementary Wines: Brandy, Cassis, Champagne Brut, Icewine: Riesling, Madeira

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