Grandson Nathaniel’s vacation project was baking a Black Forest Cake. He had prepared one at home and agreed to do another for GP (the boys’ favorite text name for Grandpa). We watched, licked pans and bowls, and waited patiently for the ceremonial cutting.

He baked the layers on Monday, soaked the cherries on Tuesday, and put the finishing touches on the cake on Wednesday. Before you read any more, you need to know that he cleaned up all his utensils every time he was in the kitchen. Every time!

After the first layer was on the stand, he added cherries and the filling.

Next came the second layer with more cherries and filling.

Whipped cream frosting covered the whole cake.

The finishing touches included piped borders and miniature chocolate chips. What patience it took to place every chip where he wanted it!

The toy camera was still in my hand when Nathaniel took his own photos of the finished product.

And the taste? Simply marvelous! A sharper knife would have cut cleaner slices, but at that point we didn’t care what it looked like. We wallowed in chocolate, cream, and drunken cherries. Hail to the chef!!!