Black Forest cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte) is a very popular German dessert. It is a sweet chocolate cake soaked in cherry liqueur, layered with a cherry filling, and whipped cream frosting. This recipe is so easy to make that you can whip up this cake on any given weekend with just a couple of simple ingredients.
Table of Content
Black forest cake may seem like a modern dessert, after all, how could a cake made of chocolate and cherries be something that existed in the 19th century?
This black forest gateau is a rich chocolate cake with a sour cherry topping and whipped cream. It's also an old Bavarian dessert that has become popular internationally.
You can make this recipe any time of the year, but I make this recipe when cherries are in season. After all, why not make the most of cherry season? Right?
Why make this cake recipe?
- This is a simple and easy no-fuss recipe that is also easy to customize.
- Most of the ingredients are simple pantry staples plus fresh cherries.
- The cherry juice is infused with cherry liquor which soaks into the chocolate cake layers. That enhances the taste of cherries in this cake.
- There are three components to this recipe. Some can be made ahead of time.
- The cake - Today we use light chocolate sponge cake with whipped eggs and less flour. A light cake is perfect with light frostings like whipped cream. This cake can be made up to 3 days ahead.
- Cherry pie filling - Made with fresh or frozen cherries. This filling can be made up to 4 days ahead. Alternatively, you can also use a can or jar of sour cherries in syrup. Also, we use the liquid in the cherry filling as cherry syrup to moisten the cake layers.
- The whipped cream frosting is best made just before frosting. Today, I'm using cream cheese to help stabilize it. But you can also stabilize the whipped cream with gelatin.
- This is the best recipe to make when you have guests coming over. It is very impressive and people will think you worked on it for hours.
- For the final decorations, I have used fresh cherries and chocolate curls but you can also use chocolate shavings and canned morello cherries.
Timeline and process
- Cake layers - 45 mins (20 mins prep + 25 mins baking)
- Cherry filling - 20 mins (plus cooling time)
- Whipped cream frosting - 20 mins
- Assemble - 45 mins
- Active time - approx 2 hours Inactive time - 2 hours
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour - When it comes to chocolate cake, I like to use all-purpose as compared to cake flour. Brings more stability when combined with the cocoa powder.
- Cocoa powder - We use Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Eggs - Use large eggs and separate them carefully. The whipped meringue is what gives a light and airy cake layer. There is no leavening such as baking powder or baking soda in this cake because its rise comes from the whipped eggs.
- Cherries - The black forest is made with sour cherries. I use fresh cherries when in season and a jar soaked in syrup during other times.
- Heavy cream - It is very important to use full-fat heavy whipping cream with no less than 38% fat. Otherwise, the frosting will be too soft to stay within the cake layers.
- Cream cheese - This is optional but it helps stabilize the whipped cream. It gives the frosting body to hold on between the layers.
- Liqueurs/alcohol - Classic black forest is made with kirsch. I make a lovely cherry rum every time cherries are in season but cherry brandy is wonderful too.
Black forest cake recipe
Cake layers
- Oven/Pan - Preheat the oven at 340F/ 170 C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and line with parchment paper 3 x 7-inch round cake pans or 2 x 8-inch round cake pans.
Pro tip - These cakes are light and airy so lining the pans with parchment is necessary. - Dry ingredients - In a medium bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and half the salt.
Pro tip - Sift the dry ingredients at least twice for a light and airy cake.
- Egg yolk mixture - In the large bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, on medium-high speed, whip the egg yolks with half the sugar until light and foamy. While whipping simultaneously, gradually add the oil and milk. Then, add the flour mixture and combine well.
Pro tip - Do not overmix when you add the oil, milk, and flour mixture as it can deflate the volume created in the egg yolks. - Meringue - In a clean bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites with cream of tartar and salt. Gradually, add the remaining sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Combine - Fold the whipped meringue into the egg yolk mixture until no white streaks are seen.
- Bake - Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Pro tip - These layers are very light and airy so they do not take long to bake. - Cool - As soon as the cakes are out of the oven, invert them onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. These cake layers can be kept wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for a few days.
Pro tip - Inverting them while still hot will ensure they do not sink during cooling.
Cherry cake filling
- Combine - In a small saucepan, combine the chopped cherries, sugar, half the water, and salt.
- Slurry - In a small bowl, combine the remaining water and cornstarch.
Pro tip - Cornstarch tends to settle down so make sure to stir again before adding it to the filling. - Simmer - Place the saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until all the sugar has melted. Then, add the cornstarch slurry and continue to simmer on medium-low until the liquid is thick like syrup.
Pro tip - At first, the mixture will be very opaque and milky but as the cornstarch cooks it will become shiny and translucent. - Drain - Pass the filling through a sieve to drain the cherries syrup from the cherries. Use the drained cherries between cake layers.
Pro tip - Drain the cherries well so there is no excess liquid in the cake filling. Otherwise, it becomes messy when frosting. - Cherry syrup - Cool the drained cherry syrup, then add the kirsch and cherry rum. Use this to moisten the cake layers during frosting.
Whipped cream frosting
- Heavy cream - In the bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with half the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Cream cheese - In the bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese with the remaining powdered sugar until creamy.
Pro tip - Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature and do not over-cream as it can become grainy. - Combine - Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.
Pro tip - Whipping the heavy cream and cream cheese separately prevents the possibility of them separating.
Assemble
- Moisten layers - Generously moisten the three cake layers with cherry syrup.
Pro tip - These cake layers are very light and airy so be generous with the cherry syrup. - Stack - Place one cake layer on a cake drum or cake stand. Top with a big dollop of whipped cream frosting followed by a generous amount of drained cherries. Continue to stack the remaining two cake layers with more frosting and cherry filling.
- Frost - Using a straight-edged spatula, frost the top and outside of the cake with more frosting. Use a bench scraper to smooth the side and an offset spatula to level the top.
- Pipe - Transfer the remaining frosting into a piping bag with a star piping tip. Pipe large swirls all around the top of the cake.
- Chocolate - Pour a handful of chocolate curls/shavings into the center of the cake between the frosting swirls. And add more chocolate shavings/curls around the base of the cake.
- Chill - Keep the cake chilling in the fridge for at least 4 hours before slicing and cutting.
Note - Whipped cream and cream cheese are perishable ingredients so this cake must be kept in the refrigerator at all times.
Tips for success
- Today I am using light chocolate layers for my cake base, but you can also use my easier simple moist cake layers instead.
- A black forest cake is frosted with whipped cream, but sometimes, chocolate ganache can also be a good treat.
- There is a lot of whipping, so I use both my stand mixer and my hand mixer. If you use the same mixer, make sure to clean the whisk properly before whipping the meringue.
- Drain the cherries well from the juice. Any excess juice that drips between the layers will make it difficult to frost the cake.
- I've used chocolate shavings or curls to decorate the cake. To make chocolate curls, use a vegetable peeler on a bar of room-temperature chocolate.
Variations
- Black forest with chocolate ganache - Instead of whipped cream you can use chocolate ganache for the filling.
- White forest cake - Use vanilla chiffon cake instead of chocolate sponge cake. Layer with cherry filling and whipped cream frosting.
- Black forest entremet - Soak the chocolate layers with cherry syrup. Freeze the cherry filling. To create the entremet, insert the chocolate layers with cherry filling in a pool of chocolate mousse. Freeze, then pour over some chocolate glaze.
- and Black forest trifle - Moisten the layers with cherry juice and cherry filling in a trifle bowl. Topped with pastry cream and whipped cream frosting.
More cherry recipes
How long will this black forest cake keep?
This cake will keep in the fridge for two days before serving. Leftovers will keep for another 2 days.
What is a black forest cake?
Black Forest Cake is a popular dessert in Europe. It is a chocolate sponge cake layered with whipped cream and sour cherries cake filling. It is a German dessert that was first made in 1820 in the Black Forest region of Germany. Created in honor of King Ludwig, the “Mad King” of Bavaria. King Ludwig had a reputation for extremely lavish spending and debauchery. The Black Forest region in Germany may have been named after the dark wooded area in the south, but the real name comes from the region’s dense forests.
What is unique about black forest cake?
The cake base is a classic chocolate cake. It's unique because these chocolate layers are couched in cherry juice and cherry liqueurs. The layers are filled with a cherry pie filling and frosted with whipped cream frosting.
Printable Recipe
Black Forest Cake
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 629kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 9 servings
Description
Black Forest cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte) is a very popular German dessert. It is a sweet chocolate cake soaked in cherry liqueur layered with a cherry filling and whipped cream frosting. This recipe is so easy to make that you can whip up this cake on any given weekend with just a couple of simple ingredients
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Cake layers
- ¾ cup (95 g) All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (divided )
- 4 tablespoon (20 g) Cocoa powder
- 4 large Eggs (separated )
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Cooking oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Whole milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon Cream of tartar (Optional)
Cherry cake filling
- 7 oz (200 g) Fresh cherries (seeds remove and cut in half)
- ⅓ cup (70 g) Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 cup (240 ml) Water (divided )
- 4 teaspoon Cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Whipped cream frosting
- 3 cups (710 ml) Heavy cream (38% fat)
- 1 cup (240 ml) Cream cheese (32 - 38% fat)
- ½ cup (60 g) Powdered sugar
Cherry syrup
- 4 tablespoon (60 ml) Kirsch
- 4 tablespoon (60 ml) Cherry rum ((or cherry brandy or more kirsch) )
Decorations
- 6 - 8 medium Cherries (Fresh or canned )
- ½ cup (120 g) Chocolate curls or shavings ((see notes) )
Instructions
Cake layers
- Oven/Pan - Preheat the oven at 340F/ 170 C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and line with parchment paper 3 x 7-inch round cake pans or 2 x 8-inch round cake pans. Pro tip - These cakes are light and airy so lining the pans with parchment is necessary.
- Dry ingredients - In a medium bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and half the salt. Pro tip - Sift the dry ingredients at least twice for a light and airy cake.
- Egg yolk mixture - In the large bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, on medium-high speed, whip the egg yolks with half the sugar until light and foamy. While whipping simultaneously, gradually, add the oil and milk. Then, add the flour mixture and combine well. Pro tip - Do not overmix when you add the oil, milk, and flour mixture as it can deflate the volume created in the egg yolks.
- Meringue - In a clean bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites with cream of tartar and salt. Gradually, add the remaining sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Combine - Fold the whipped meringue into the egg yolk mixture until no white streaks are seen.
- Bake - Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Pro tip - These layers are very light and airy so they do not take long to bake.
- Cool - As soon as the cakes are out of the oven, invert them onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. These cake layers can be kept wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for a few days. Pro tip - Inverting them while still hot will ensure they do not sink during cooling.
Cherry cake filling
- Combine - In a small saucepan, combine the chopped cherries, sugar, half the water, and salt.
- Slurry - In a small bowl, combine the remaining water and cornstarch. Pro tip - Cornstarch tends to settle down so make sure to stir again before adding it to the filling.
- Simmer - Place the saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until all the sugar has melted. Then, add the cornstarch slurry and continue to simmer on medium-low until the liquid is thick like syrup. Pro tip - At first the mixture will be very opaque and milky but as the cornstarch cooks it will become shiny and translucent.
- Drain - Pass the filling through a sieve to drain the cherries syrup from the cherries. Use the drained cherries between cake layers. Pro tip - Drain the cherries well so there is no excess liquid in the cake filling. Otherwise, it becomes messy when frosting.
- Cherry syrup - Cool the drained cherry syrup, then add the kirsch and cherry rum. Use this to moisten the cake layers during frosting.
Whipped cream frosting
- Heavy cream - In the bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with half the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Cream cheese - In the bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese with the remaining powdered sugar until creamy. Pro tip - Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature and do not over-cream as it can become grainy.
- Combine - Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined. Pro tip - Whipping the heavy cream and cream cheese separately prevents the possibility of them separating.
Assemble
- Moisten layers - Generously moisten the three cake layers with cherry syrup. Pro tip - These cake layers are very light and airy so be generous with the cherry syrup.
- Stack - Place one cake layer on a cake drum or cake stand. Top with a big dollop of whipped cream frosting followed by a generous amount of drained cherries. Continue to stack the remaining two cake layers with more frosting and cherry filling.
- Frost - Using a straight-edged spatula, frost the top and outside of the cake with more frosting. Use a bench scraper to smooth the side and an offset spatula to level the top.
- Pipe - Transfer the remaining frosting into a piping bag with a star piping tip. Pipe large swirls all around the top of the cake.
- Chocolate - Pour a handful of chocolate curls/shavings into the center of the cake between the frosting swirls. And add more chocolate shavings/curls around the base of the cake.
- Chill - Keep the cake chilling in the fridge for at least 4 hours before slicing and cutting. Note - Whipped cream and cream cheese are perishable ingredients so this cake must be kept in the refrigerator at all times.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Today I am using light chocolate layers for my cake base but you can also use my easier simple moist cake layers instead.
- A black forest cake is frosted with whipped cream but sometimes chocolate ganache can be a good treat too.
- There is a lot of whipping so I use both my stand mixer and my hand mixer. If you use the same mixer make sure to clean the whisk properly before whipping the meringue.
- Drain the cherries well from the juice. Any excess juice that drips between the layers will make it difficult to frost the cake.
- I've used chocolate shavings or curls to decorate the cake. To make chocolate curls, use a vegetable peeler on a bar of room-temperature chocolate.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 629- kcalCarbohydrates: 46- gProtein: 9- gFat: 45- gSaturated Fat: 25- gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3- gMonounsaturated Fat: 14- gTrans Fat: 0.01- gCholesterol: 199- mgSodium: 335- mgPotassium: 281- mgFiber: 2- gSugar: 33- gVitamin A: 1658- IUVitamin C: 4- mgCalcium: 108- mgIron: 1- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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