Black Forest Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and lightly grease an 8-inch (20cm x 20cspringform pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the 2 cups flour, ¾ cup cacao powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt until fully combined.
Beat the egg replacer (equivalent to 2 eggs), 1 cup sugar, ½ cup canola oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and 1 cup milk until just combined. Don't over mix it.
Slowly mix in the 1 cup boiling water until the batter is fully incorporated (it will be a wet batter that pours easiland pour into the lightly greased 8-inch springform pan.
Bake on the middle rack for approximately 50 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched on top and a long wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
Let it cool for 15 minutes and then carefully remove the springform pan and invert onto a wire cooking rack and remove the bottom of the pan. Cool completely before cutting. It will take time to cool through to the center, so be patient.

Wash the springform pan and line it with wax paper or plastic wrap. Don’t use parchment because it sticks to the ice cream.
Let the ice cream soften (not meland press both pints into the pan, making sure to spread against the sides and flatten the top. Freeze for several hours, or until it’s frozen solid.

Beat the 2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar, 10 tablespoon vegan butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 to 3 tablespoon (add the milk slowly until you get the desired consistencof milk until light and fluffy.
Scrape the sides often for best results.

Make the ganache just before decorating so it’s warm.
Chop the 4 oz of semi-sweet chocolate and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and heat again for 30 seconds. Stir and heat in 10 second increments, stirring in-between, until completely melted. It should be smooth and silky.
Stir in the ½ cup of coconut milk and keep stirring until the milk is fully incorporated and the ganache has a sheen to it.

When the cake is COMPLETELY COOL , level out the top with a sharp knife or cake cutter, then cut it in half.
Place the bottom half on the platter or cake stand that you'll be serving it on, and place the top half on a flat plate or cookie sheet and spread a thin layer of frosting on the sides of each one. Chill for 30 minutes. This will set the frosting so you can put the second layer of frosting on without getting crumbs everywhere.
Once the first layer of frosting is chilled and firm to the touch, peel the wax paper off of the ice cream and set it on top of the bottom half of the cake and place the top layer of cake on the ice cream.
Working quickly, frost the sides and top of the entire cake. We used a cake scraper to get an even smooth appearance. Put the cake back in the freezer while you make the ganache.

Make sure the ganache is warmer than room temperature, but not hot. We stir the coconut milk in and then get to work right away.
Put half of the ganache in a piping bag and use a plain piping tip to drip the chocolate around the edges of the cake.
Put the tip on the top edge of the cake and gently squeeze the bag and let the ganache drip down the cake. Continue the process around the cake.
You can place the drips close together or further apart, depending on the look you're going for.
Spread the remaining ganache over the top of the cake, being careful not to let it drip over the sides.
Put the leftover icing in a piping bag and use your favorite icing tip to create decorative dollops of icing around the edge of the cake.
Place a sugared dark cherry on each dollop. Then arrange whole, halved, and sugared cherries in the center of the cake and finish with a dusting of powdered sugar.
To sugar the cherries, freeze them and let them thaw slightly. Roll them in finely granulated sugar.
Keep the cake in the freezer until ready to serve and run a knife through hot water (shake off excess watefor easy slicing.
Store covered in the freezer for up to 5 days.