Photo by Chelsea Kyle
Take a tray of these individual Black Forest Cakes to someone who deserves them—most kids love the look of them but prefer them without the alcohol. Just add a splash of vanilla instead of the Kirsch suggested below. If possible, buy ripe, tart black cherries (like Schmidt) in season. Otherwise, drained frozen or canned sour cherries will work, but avoid heavy syrups or cherry pie fillings. If you want a shortcut, substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the vanilla bean.
