Black Forest Cake (2024)

Black Forest Cake is a drool-worthy chocolate sponge cake soaked in a distilled cherry liquor called kirsch, then slathered with whipped cream and layered with cherries for mile-high temptation. All I have to say is that Germans know how to make a decadent dessert.

If you have ever been disappointed by the commercial, overly sweet, Americanized version of this cake made with maraschino cherries, I sympathize with you. I honestly didn’t see anything special about it until someone made me try one from a German Bakerie. Talk about mouthwatering!

I was amazed at how super simple this elegant cake is. When decorating with shaved chocolate and whipped cream, you can get away with quite a bit. Real homemade whipped cream takes it over the top! Yum!

This cake is not too sweet, and it’s lightly soaked in kirsch, a cherry brandy-like liquor that turns it into an adult dessert. Of course, you can make a kid-friendly version by using cherry juice instead of kirsch.

Why Do They Call it Black Forest Cake?

This decadent cake gets its name, not from the beautiful Black Forest but from the sour morello cherry growing there. The makers of kirsch crush whole morello cherries, pit and all, to make this unique liquor. Because the pits are crushed into it, too, it has a slightly bitter almond flavor. That sounds good! It’s not sweet at all.

Now, kirsch is made from other varieties of cherries, as well. This liquor is the star ingredient in an authentic Black Forest Cake. The cake itself is made of light and thin chocolate cake layered with real cherries (not maraschino) and tantalizing homemade whipped cream.

The chocolate cake is usually a relatively dry sponge cake so soaking it in kirsch won’t make it soggy. It has a minimum of three layers, but I have seen as many as five. Don’t let all the steps scare you off this baby. It goes quickly and easily and is so worth it.

Recipe Ingredients

For the Cherry Filling

1. Sour Cherries are the star of this Black Forest cake. You can use sweet cherries, but the flavor isn’t quite the same. Trader Joe’s has the original canned morello cherries if you want to go really authentic.
2. Cornstarch is used as a thickener for cherry juice.
3. CherryLiqueur(or water) – Kirschwasser means cherry water, and it’s a distilled brandy made from crushed cherries and pits. It is the ideal liquor for a Black Forest cake recipe. However, not all of us have access to that specialty, so use what you have access to.

For the Chocolate Cake

1. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder for an intense chocolatiness without making the cake too sweet.
2. Baking Powder is an essential leavening agent to give a good rise and make the cake light enough not to squash the whipped cream.
3. Sour Cream creates a moist cake with a delicious tang. It’s important to allow this to come to room temperature also.
4. Espresso Powder or instant coffee adds a special touch to this Black Forest Cake recipe. Coffee and chocolate were made for each other.

Homemade Whipped Cream

1. Heavy Cream whipped up, light, and fluffy makes an excellent filling for this cake.
2. Powdered Sugar sweetens the whipped cream without worrying about it being grainy.
3. Cornstarch helps stabilize the whipped cream so it stays nice and fluffy.
4. Vanilla Extract, again, is the perfect homemade ingredient that adds depth of flavor.

Garnishing

1. Fresh Cherries add a beautiful touch to this already gorgeous cake. However, a can of unsweetened cherries will also work.
2. Semi-Sweet Chocolate is the classic decoration on a Black Forest cake and is oh so good. Sometimes, I cheat and get mini chocolate chips.

How to Make Black Forest Cake

The Cherries

• Prep your cherries by removing the seeds and slicing them in half. If using the cherries in the can or jar, drain the cherries and reserve the cherry juice. (Photos 1-2)
• Make the Thickener – Combine cornstarch and liqueur or reserved cherry juice. (Photos 3-4)
• Heat the Liquids – In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, add water and sugar and stir until sugar dissolves, then add in the cornstarch mixture and stir to combine.
• Add the cherries and stir to coat them with the sugar mixture. Cook mixture until the cherries start to soften and let out juices. (Photos 5-6)
• Finish up the cherries – Remove from heat when the cherries are juicy and the juice has begun to thicken. Pour the mixture into another bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the Cake

• Preheat Oven – To make the cake layers, preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C and prepare three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray and parchment paper on the bottom.
• Dry Ingredients – In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Set aside. (Photos 7 & 10)
• Wet Ingredients – In another bowl, mix together eggs, sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract. (Photo 8-9)
• Mix them together – Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. (Photos 11-12)
• Make coffee and add it – Mix the boiling water with the espresso granules and slowly add the hot coffee to the batter and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is incorporated. (Photos 13-14)
• Bake – Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. (Photos 15-18)
• Cool – Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

See Also

Do You Know the Shelf Life of the Bottles in Your Liquor Cabinet?Condessa, Black Cherry Liqueur, 50cl BottleAmazonCherry Liqueur - 18%

Assembly

• Whipped Cream – To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl. Whip with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. (Photos 19-20)
• Prepare Layers – To layer the cake, first use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the tops of the cakes, so they are flat. (See my tips on how to level a cake and how to stack a cake.)
• Stack Layers – Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or on a cardboard cake round. (Photos 21-22)
• Prepare for the Filling – Pipe a dam around the outside of the cake layer with some of the whipped cream. (Photo 23)
• Add Filling – Spread ¾ to 1 cup of the cherry mixture on top of the cake, in the center of the dam. The juices will soak into the cake. (Photo 24)
• Add More Whipped Cream – Fill in the rest of the dam with a layer of whipped cream and spread into an even layer.
• Repeat – Add the second layer of cake, then repeat the previous three steps. (Photos 25-26)
• Last Layer – Add the third and final layer of cake on top. (Photo 27)
• Frost the top, then outside the cake with whipped cream. (Photo 28)
• Pipe swirls of whipped cream around the top of the cake using the remaining whipped cream.
• Add the final touch – Finish off the cake with a few additional cherries and some chocolate shavings. To make the chocolate shavings, just run a vegetable peeler along the edge of a chocolate bar. (Photos 29-32)

Recipe Variations

1. Fruit Swap – Kirsch can be hard to find. You can find it in a good liquor store, but don’t expect to see it in a regular grocery store. If you’re not a purist, then you can get away with cherry brandy. But you could also make this cake with other fruits, like berries, pears, peaches, and even mangos.
2. Virgin Black Forest Cake – Cherry juice is the perfect replacement for kirschwasser for a kid-friendly version.

Tips and Tricks

1. While canned or frozen cherries work best, don’t sweat it if you only have fresh cherries. In fact, that’s what I had when I made this recipe. Simply remove the pits, put them in a saucepan, add a tablespoon of sugar to macerate, and stir. Then simmer them to soften them up and finish extracting the juice (strain and reserve the juice).
2. If you prefer to use strawberries instead of cherries, you won’t have a genuine Black Forest cake. However, it will still be delicious, and I won’t tell if you don’t.
3. Have your oven preheated so you can immediately put the cake in the oven when it’s ready. If you wait too long, it will fall.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Black Forest cake is best eaten immediately. However, it will last three to four days in the fridge. Some people store it at room temperature for a couple of days, but I don’t feel comfortable doing that because of the whipped cream.

Alternatively, you can freeze it for two or three months in an airtight freezer container, then thaw it in the fridge overnight.

FAQs

More Tasty Cake Recipes to Try

• Caramel Cake – A scrumptious vanilla cake sandwiched with homemade caramel is the perfect solution to an incurable sweet tooth.
• Caribbean Black Cake – This awesome cake is a combination of a Christmas fruit cake and pudding. The boozy fruit makes it a special occasion cake, but if you want to make it just for fun, go for it!
• Vanilla Cake – A versatile anytime cake that is super easy to throw together. You can change out the frosting or add extracts to change up the flavor with no problem.
• Devil’s Food Cake – This intense chocolate for a drool-worthy dessert has a deep rich color and velvety mouthfeel. Yum!

Watch How to Make It

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