Decadent Baked Black Forest Chocolate Cake

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of 4 greased 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and grease the parchment.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate until well blended.

3. 3

   In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the water, beating after each addition. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.

4. 4

   Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them to wire racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper.

5. 5

   For the chocolate filling, melt the chopped German sweet chocolate in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Stir in the cubed butter until blended, then fold in the toasted sliced almonds.

6. 6

   For the whipped cream, in a small bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar and vanilla, and continue beating until soft peaks form.

7. 7

   To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with 1/3 cup of the chocolate filling and 1 cup of the whipped cream. Repeat the layers twice. Top with the remaining cake layer and the remaining chocolate filling.

8. 8

   Spread the remaining whipped cream over the sides of the cake. Press the toasted sliced almonds onto the sides. Spoon the cherry pie filling over the top of the cake. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.