Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi madeitwithlove, I need your help 🙂
I have to prepare a black forest style cake for 80 people, I read in a post here that you do Pauls’ choco cake with IMBC. isn’t Paul’s cake plus the italian meringue buttercream together too rich and too sweet? I am just asking because I’m soooo scared that it would be too rich and sweet. Do you think I could reduce the sugar quantity in the cake?
May I also ask you your recipe for the IMBC?
I have another question, will 4×12″ square cakes be enough for 80 people?
I have to make a cake with a Vespa Scooter 1946 modelling on top of it and they want a cake on just one level.

Thak you so much for taking the time!

Hi vandou74

Take a peek here for a couple of threads which I hope will help:
http://www.cakeflix.com/questions?s=black+forest+cake

I’ve used Paul’s moist chocolate cake recipe to create a Black Forest style cake instead of a traditional whisked sponge recipe to ensure shelf life.
The traditional sponge is soaked in kirsch syrup then filled with fresh dairy cream and cherries and is usually devoured on day of baking or next day. It makes an extravagant after dinner dessert!
Italian meringue buttercream is very light and less sweet than buttercream icing and pairs well with Paul’s cake in the stead of a ganache type filling.
I just use this basic recipe: http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/340605/Video-recipe–Italian-meringue-buttercream
For portions sizes take a peek at David’s chart here:

How to decide on the Cake Portions

….. and for several pages of hints and tips on reducing the sugar in Paul’s recipe, read what other members say here: http://www.cakeflix.com/questions/pauls-moist-chocolate-cake-my-feed-back
Lots of members have tweeked the recipe so it may be benificial for you to read through their results. Not everyone reduces the sugar, the cake is not excessively sweet but it is lovely and moist.
The page numbering is sandwiched between the first comment and the next and not at the bottom.

ps if you make 4 x 12″ square cakes assuming a depth of 2″ and each portions 2 x1, the yield will be 288 portions! Hope this helps. ( From 4 cakes each measuring 12″ square)

Thank you so much for your fast reply!!

I love Paul’s moist chocolat cake, I made already so many times and always a huge success 🙂

But 2×1 doesn’t it make a very small portion? It’s for a birtday party and the cake considering the sponge, the BC and the ganache it will be at least 3″ deph.

Thank you again!!

As you already know, the cake is very rich. Portion yield depends on how big a piece of cake you would like to give to each guest. How big a piece of cake would you like to serve? The above portion will be quite big by the time you have filled it with cherries and the IMBC. However if you want to to make each portion 2 x 2 x 3 that would give give you 36 portions per cake. Now it will be easier for you to calculate the amount of portions from the 4 cakes which is 144 portions. You will have plenty of cake to give the guests and they can take some home to enjoy later or give them second helpings at the party. 🙂

Thak you again for your reply, the cake is for the 3rd of september. I think today I am going to prepare a small one to taste, to see how rich it is in combination with the cherries and IMBC.
I’m just so scared it turns out nauseating 😀

That’s the way to know for sure. Everyone’s tastes are different.