This beautiful black forest cake features ultra moist chocolate cake layers, homemade cherry syrup, and freshly whipped cream frosting. Use a block of chocolate to create chocolate shavings, then decorate the top of the cake with dark chocolate and fresh cherries. You can bake this cake a few hours before you need it and refrigerate until ready to serve!

Black Forest Cake Recipe

Reader Amanda says: “The BEST Black Forest Cake ever! I made this for my daughters 13th birthday and she said it is the best birthday cake I have ever made for her. As always……Thank You so so much for sharing!”

A few months ago I ordered a slice of black forest cake from a bakery and it was… AWFUL! And I’m not being dramatic.

The chocolate cake layers were dry, rubbery, and had zero flavor. The cherry syrup was sickeningly sweet. And the whipped cream frosting was somehow dry and clumpy. I literally took one bite, dumped it in the trash can, and ran out of there.

But there was a silver lining to this horror story! Because this lackluster bakery experience reminded me of why I started baking in the first place. And it inspired me to create my own version of this classic chocolate cake. See… happy ending right?

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you this is the ULTIMATE black forest cake recipe. This classic dessert is a total showstopper… but it tastes even better than it looks! I brought this chocolate cake to a Memorial day party and it was the bell of the ball. Everyone gobbled it up in minutes and begged me for the recipe!

What is Black Forest Cake?

• Black Forest cake (aka black forest gâteau) is a chocolate sponge cake that’s covered with whipped cream and a rich cherry filling. 
• Many people highly contest the specific origin of this cake. But it most likely originated in the Black Forest and even more likely, in some part of Germany. 
• Traditionally, Black Forest cake has several layers of chocolate sponge cake sandwiched with whipped cream frosting and cherries.
• Typically, people decorate it with additional whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and fresh cherries. 
• Kirsch (aka Kirschwasser) is a clear alcohol made from sour cherries. Almost all traditional Black Forest Cake recipes use this cherry alcohol. But you can make it without the kirsch.
• I tried to honor the traditional Black Forest cake, while still making this recipe my own. My version includes a rich chocolate ganache and mini chocolate chips on top!

How to make Black Forest Cake 

1. Make the Cake Recipe: Bake the chocolate cake layers at least 2 hours before you plan on serving this cake. The cakes must bake and fully cool before decorating them. You can also bake the chocolate cake layers in advance and freeze them for up to 2 months.
2. Make the Cherry Filling: Make the cherry syrup at least 30 minutes before you plan on assembling the cake. The cherry syrup must cool completely before use. Otherwise it’ll melt the whipped cream frosting. You can also make the cherry syrup up to 3 says in advance and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Make the Whipped Cream Frosting: You can simply make it by beating heavy whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. I’d suggest adding gelatin to this recipe if you’re not serving it right away.
4. Make the Chocolate Glaze: This is an optional step, but makes the cake a total showstopper! Make this 5 minutes before you plan on pouring it on top of the cake.
5. Assemble the Cake: Sandwich the chocolate cake layers with the whipped cream frosting and cherry syrup. Pour the glaze on top and decorate with extra fresh cherries and chocolate shavings. You can also add mini chocolate chips for an extra chocolate kick!
6. Store in the Fridge: You’ll want to keep this cake chilled until you’re ready to serve! Especially if it’s warmer outside. I once kept this cake on my counter in July… and let’s just say, it wasn’t pretty.

Making the Cake Batter: Pro Tips!

• I highly suggest using a digital scale to weigh your cake recipe ingredients! Especially the dry ingredients like flour and cocoa powder. Adding too much of either of these ingredients will cause your cake to be dry.
• If you don’t weigh them, be sure to fluff them up in their bag or container before measuring. Then use a spoon to lightly scoop them into the measuring cup, and level off with the flat edge of a knife. Never pack flour or cocoa powder into a measuring cup.
• Bring your eggs, sour cream, and milk to room temperature before adding them to the cake batter. Cold ingredients don’t bond!
• Do not sub the all-purpose flour for any other variety of flour.
• Be sure your baking powder and baking soda are both fresh, otherwise your cakes could come out flat or with an “off” taste.
• Spray your cake pans generously with nonstick spray, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. This will ensure your cakes pop out the pan with ease!
• Don’t over bake the chocolate cake layers. When a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake layer comes out clean, the cakes are done baking.
• Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in their cake pans before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. If you skip this step, the cake layers might fall apart when you remove them from the cake pans.

Ingredient Substitutions

• You can use vegetable oil or refined and melted coconut oil instead of canola oil. Olive oil will technically work, but will add an olive oil flavor to the chocolate cake layers.
• Do not replace the oil with butter. This will yield dry chocolate cake layers.
• Feel free to omit the espresso powder. This ingredient does enhance the chocolate flavor, but the chocolate cake layers will be fine without it. You can replace the hot coffee with hot water.
• If you can’t find sour cream, full-fat plain Greek yogurt is the best substitute. I don’t suggest using more milk or buttermilk.
• You can replace Kirsch liqueur with 100% pure cherry juice. Or you can use water, but this will yield a much less flavorful cherry syrup.
• The chocolate glaze is optional, and may be left off. The cake won’t be as pretty, but it’ll be just as delicious.
• The chocolate shavings and mini chocolate chips are optional, so feel free to skip them.

Making the Cherry Syrup Filling

• I used regular red cherries for the cherry syrup because they’re widely available. But sour cherries will work if you’re able to find them! I don’t suggest using maraschino cherries.
• Fresh OR frozen cherries will work for the cherry filling. Using frozen cherries will also save you time because they are almost always already pitted.
• I strongly suggest using fresh cherries for the decorating! If you can’t find them, simply leave them off the cake.
• Kirsch is a cherry liqueur that’s made of cherry juice, cane sugar, and brandy. The brand I use is Schladerer schwarzwalder.
• If you can’t find kirsch or don’t want to use it, you can sub pure cherry juice. Or just leave it out completely.

Whipped Cream Frosting

• This cake uses a light and airy whipped cream topping instead of the usual buttercream or cream cheese frosting found on most layer cakes. Not too sweet, it lets the chocolate and cherry flavors shine!
• To make the whipped cream frosting, you’ll need a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Or a large bowl and a handheld electric mixer. You’ll beat the cream until stiff peaks form, adding a little bit of the powdered sugar at a time.
• If you’d like to stabilize this whipped cream frosting, you can add some gelatin.

Use a Serrated Knife to Assemble the Cake

• Using a long, serrated knife, slice each cake in half horizontally, so that you have 4 even layers. Take your time here, but don’t stress out if the cakes aren’t perfectly even.
• Place one cake layer on a large plate or cake stand. Spread 1/2 cup of the whipped cream frosting on top of the cake. Then top with 1/3 cup of the cherry filling.
• Top with another cake layer, and repeat the layering process, ending with the last chocolate cake layer on top.
• Spread all remaining whipped cream frosting over the top and sides of the cake. This is a semi-naked cake, so don’t be alarmed if it’s not a thick coating of whipped cream frosting.
• If you’d like a thicker amount of frosting, double the recipe for the whipped cream frosting.

Make the Chocolate Shavings

• Making the chocolate shavings is an optional step, but they make the cake so pretty! And you can use any extra chocolate shavings for future desserts.
• You’ll need a large block of chocolate to make the chocolate shavings. Use dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate. I don’t suggest using milk chocolate or white chocolate for this recipe.
• The chocolate should be at room temperature. Cold chocolate doesn’t grate well.
• You’ll need a cheese shaver or scraper to make the chocolate shavings. Or use a cheese grater. The cheese grater is the easiest option. But won’t produce especially pretty shavings.
• Press the cheese shaver on top of the block of chocolate and gently scrape. This motion should create tiny chocolate curls!
• All chocolate shavings will be unique, so don’t fret if you only get a few large curls. Practice makes perfect.
• Keep chocolate curls chilled, in the fridge, until needed. You can store them in your fridge for up to 2 weeks. So this is a great step to do in advance. It’ll save you time and mess the day of assembly.

Refrigerate Until Ready to Serve

• Store this delicate cake in the fridge until ready to serve. Make sure you have enough room cleared in your fridge, as it’s a large and wide cake. It’ll need plenty of room in the fridge.
• Even with stabilized whipped cream, you’ll need to keep the delicate whipped cream frosting refrigerated until ready.
• This cake is best served within a few hours of making it. Store it in the fridge until you plan on serving.
• The whipped cream will loose volume as it sits. For a more stable frosting, I suggest a cream cheese or buttercream. Both will be much sweeter, but will keep for hours on end!
• You could also make this cake into a trifle! Simple cut the cake layers into cubes. Then layer the chocolate cake cubes with whipped cream frosting and cherry filling in a large trifle dish. Top with chocolate shavings and fresh cherries.

More Cake Recipes:

• Ultimate Funfetti Birthday Cake
• White Chocolate Almond Raspberry Cake
• Old-Fashioned Devil’s Food Cake
• Best White Cake Recipe
• Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
• Classic Yellow Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting

Mile-High Black Forest Cake

Ashley Manila

This beautiful black forest cake features ultra moist chocolate cake layers, homemade cherry syrup, and freshly whipped cream frosting. Use a block of chocolate to create chocolate shavings, then decorate the top of the cake with dark chocolate and fresh cherries. You can bake this cake a few hours before you need it and refrigerate until ready to serve!

4.93 from 27 votes

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Inactive Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Baking, Cake, Chocolate, German

Servings 1 -9″ inch Layer Cake

Ingredients

 

For the Chocolate Cake:

• 1 cup (199g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (213g) light brown sugar packed
• 1 and 3/4 cups (210) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (85g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk room temperature
• 1 cup (227g) sour cream room temperature
• 1/4 cup (57ml) whole milk room temperature
• 1/2 cup (113ml) canola oil
• 1 tablespoon (14ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (227ml) freshly brewed coffee hot

Cherry Filling:

• 3 cups (480g) fresh or frozen cherries
• 3 tablespoons (42ml) Kirsch liqueur
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the Whipped Cream Topping:

• 4 cups (680ml) heavy cream
• 1 cup (114g) confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (85g) mini chocolate chips for decoration, optional
• 4 ounces dark chocolate grated, for decoration, optional
• 1/2 cup (80g) fresh cherries for decoration, optional

For the Chocolate Glaze:

• 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
• 2/3 cup (152ml) heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons kirsch optional

Instructions

 

For the Chocolate Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350°(F). Generously spray two 9-inch round baking pans with non-stick baking spray and set them aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, combine both sugars, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt on low until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolk, sour cream, milk, oil and vanilla, beating until well combined.
• Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Carefully add in hot coffee (or water) and continue beating until completely combined; about 1 minute. The batter will quite thin.
• Divide batter evenly into prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
• Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the pan (placed on top of a cooling rack) before removing from pans and transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cherry Filling:

• Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer, stirring almost constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken, about 6 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes before removing from the heat. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cool completely before using.

For the Whipped Cream Topping:

• In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream on medium-low, slowly adding in the confectioners’ sugar. Add in the vanilla. Then increase to medium-high speed and whip until stiff peaks form.

For the Chocolate Glaze:

• Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a small heatproof bowl. Set aside. 
• Warm the cream over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Add in the espresso powder and whisk smooth.
• Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute, then whisk smooth. Whisk in the kirsch, if using. Cool for 5 minutes. 

Assembly:

• Using a long, serrated knife, slice each cake in half horizontally, so that you have 4 even layers.
• Place one cake layer on a large plate or cake stand. Spread 1/2 cup of the whipped cream on top of the cake, then top with 1/3 cup of the cherry filling. Top with another cake layer, and repeat the layering process, ending with the last cake layer on top.
• Spread all remaining whipped cream frosting over the top and sides of the cake. I
• Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Then sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.
• Allow the cake to set in the fridge for 2o minutes before slicing. Then serve, or store, in the refrigerator, for up to 1 hour. 
• Right before serving, line the edge of the cake with fresh cherries, and top with chocolate shavings. 

Notes

1. Hot water may be used in place of the coffee. Be sure it’s freshly boiled. 
2. Liquified coconut oil or vegetable oil may be used in place of canola oil. If using liquified coconut oil, be sure it’s not too hot before adding it to the batter.
3. Cherry juice may be used in place of the kirsch. 
4. Do not use dutch-process cocoa for this recipe. 
5. If you have extra whipped cream, or want to make extra for decoration, you can scrape it into a piping bag and pipe whipped cream stars around the cake. 
6. This is a delicate cake by nature. It will hold its shape, but it’s not the most structured cake. If you prefer more structure, use a cream cheese frosting or buttercream. 
7. This cake is best served within an hour of making, but will keep, stored in the fridge, for about 6 hours before it starts loosing volume due to the nature of whipped cream. 

Keyword cake, chocolate cake, black forest cake

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