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. 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 For the Chocolate Cake Homemade Whipped Cream Garnishing
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.
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
Tips and Tricks
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.
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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