Classic Black Forest Dump Cake with Dairy Milk Shavings: A Baking Guide

Dump cakes are specially known for making do with whatever you have at hand especially canned products and cake mixes. But, if you have some time at hand, we’ve got a fantastic black forest dump cake Dairy Milk shavings recipe that is done from scratch. While this recipe might not look or feel even remotely same as the OG German Black Forest cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte), it definitely has certain elements that make it quite similar to it. This simplified version maintains the same beloved flavor combinations of rich chocolate and sweet cherries while eliminating the fuss of the elaborate cake-making.

What makes this dump cake particularly appealing is its minimal prep work and unlike its sophisticated European counterpart that requires precise measurements and techniques, this version simply needs you to mix and layer the ingredients and let the oven perform the magic. In the end you have a warm, gooey dessert with pockets of cherry filling beneath a chocolate cake crust that's crisp in some spots and fudgy in others, with a dollop or generous serving of whipped cream holding the artistly crafted shavings of the Dairy Milk chocolate.

Black Forest Dump Cake with Chocolate Shavings

Ingredients

For the cherry filling:

• 4 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp almond extract (optional)

For the chocolate cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup water, chilled

For topping:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed into small pieces
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
• ½ cup Cadbury Bournville 50% Dark Chocolate, for shavings
• Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and meanwhile, grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter and set aside.
2. You can use readymade canned cherry filling, but we recommend preparing a fresh batch. For that, take a saucepan, add the cherries, sugar, corn starch, and lemon juice. Mix well.
3. Cook the concoction over medium heat, stirring frequently until it starts to thicken. This takes about 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and almond extract. Let it cool a little, then spread the cherry filling evenly in the prepared baking dish.
5. Next make the cake batter, take a big bowl add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into it, whisk to break any lump.
6. Make a well in the center of this bowl, pour the oil, vinegar and vanilla into it. Then pour the cold water over all of it and whisk until combined. You should have a thin batter.
7. Make sure the cherry filling in the baking dish is cool. Then pour the cake batter, scraping the bowl well into the baking dish.
8. Smoothen the top with a spatula then evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the cake batter.
9. Take the cold butter pieces and neatly arrange them on top of the cake butter.
10. Pop into the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. While the cake bakes, prepare the chocolate shavings. Grab a vegetable peeler and shave down the chocolate bar. Make sure the chocolate is cold to get the best results. Refrigerate the chocolate shavings until ready to use.
12. Once the cake is baked, remove from the oven, and let the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
13. Right before serving, top the cake with whipped cream and sprinkle with the chocolate shavings to keep them in place.
    

You can literally bake this cake for any occasion, be it for dessert for a family dessert, a sunny picnic or something to bring to brunch with your pals. The sweet and tart flavor of the cake works perfectly with the topping, we’d highly recommend you add, the whipped cream with the chocolate shavings. You can also swap the milk chocolate for dark chocolate or even white chocolate for a slightly different flavor.