Black Forest Cake Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
This Black Forest Cake is my version of the famous German chocolate cake, aka “Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.” It has 4 chocolatey layers, 1 lb of kirsch-infused cherries and a light whipped cream.
It is a stunning and decadent cake but it’s fairly simple to make with just 11 ingredients (which is peanuts for a cake!). The chocolate shavings make this Black Forest cake very forgiving in terms of decoration for those of us who are cake styling impaired :).
This black forest cake is an adult cake as it has kirsch (a cherry liqueur) and isn’t overly sweet. The kirsch is not overpowering but you can tell it’s there. I figured if you slice it into 12 generous pieces, each would have 1 tsp of kirsch. If making this cake for children, omit the kirsch and add a 1 Tbsp sugar to the cherry syrup for more flavor.
*Recipe Tips: You can use thawed frozen cherries or canned cherries. If using canned cherries, select cherries in water or juice, omit the 1/4 cup additional water and use the juice from the can instead. Also, maraschino cherries can be used for the topping/decor. A golden rum would taste good too, but kirsch is more authentic. Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly!
*Note:
Recipe for the Black Forest Cake updated 4/22/16 to be more fail proof. Several of you mentioned your cakes did not rise as much as mine. I heard you and re-baked the cake. After some testing, I noticed the best results when increasing the mixing time to 8 minutes (rather than 5) and using 4 Tbsp butter (rather than 8). It rose beautifully and perfectly. Enjoy!
Ingredients for Chocolate Cake Layers:
9 large eggs, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (not hot)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
What you’ll need:
Two 9″ cake pans and flour sifter or fine sieve
Ingredients For the Filling:
4 cups (1 lb) bing cherries, pitted, plus 12 whole cherries for decor (If not in season, see *Recipe Tips)
3 Tbsp kirsch (a cherry liqueur)
1/4 cup cold water
For the Frosting/Topping:
3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup Confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp kirsch (cherry liqueur)
4 oz good quality dark chocolate
How to Make Black Forest Cake Layers:
If you’ve never made a European Sponge Cake, watch the video before you get started to see what the batter should look like.
Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of two 9″ round pans with parchment paper (don’t grease sides).
1. Beat 9 large eggs with the whisk attachment for 1 min on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating on high speed a full 8 min. It will be thick and fluffy.
Tip from reader, Hilda: “How do you know u get the right consistency? Lift up your beater (whisk) from the batter. Make a figure “8” using the batter that drip off the beater. Then count to 10 seconds. If the figure 8 still remains on top of the batter, then u have the right consistency. If the figure 8 sinks into the batter before 10 secs, then u need to beat it longer.”
Tip: the mixture it should fall off the whisk and still ‘stand up’ on the cake mixture
2. Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup cocoa powder and sift in thirds into the batter, folding with a spatula between each addition. Once all flour is in, continue to fold just until no streaks of flour remain, scraping the bottom of the bowl to get any pockets of flour hiding at the bottom; do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
3. Gently fold in 1/2 tsp vanilla and room temp butter, folding as you add butter in a steady stream and scraping from the bottom to make sure you don’t have butter pooling at the bottom. Fold just until incorporated. Divide batter equally between two prepared cake pans and BAKE RIGHT AWAY in fully preheated oven at 350˚F for 20-25 minutes (my oven took 22 min), or until a toothpick comes out clean. Note: Once the butter is added, it must be transferred to baking pans and put into the oven immediately or the batter can deflate quickly.
4. Let cool in pans for 10 min then run a knife or thin edged spatula around the edges to loosen cake. Transfer to a wire rack and remove parchment backing. When cakes are at room temp, and you’re ready to assemble, slice cake layers in half with a long serrated knife.
Making the Syrup for Black Forest Cake:
1. Roughly chop pitted cherries and place in a medium bowl with 3 Tbsp kirsch. Let sit at room temp for at least 30 min, stirring a couple times, then drain cherries in a sieve over a bowl. Keep the cherries and syrup. Add 1/4 cup cold filtered water to the syrup to get about 3/4 cup total syrup.
Making the Cream:
For best results freeze bowl and whisk attachment 15 min before using.
1. Beat 3 1/2 cups heavy cream with whisk attachment on high speed until soft peaks form, add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp kirsch and beat on high until stiff and spreadable (1-2 min). Refrigerate until ready to use (tip: keep whisk attachment in the bowl – you can whip it another 30 seconds if it seems slightly loose after refrigeration).
Assembling your Black Forest Cake:
1. Place first cake layer on a cake stand and brush with 1/4 of the syrup. Cover the top with about 3/4 cup frosting (3 ice cream scoops’ worth) and top with 1/3 of the chopped cherries. Repeat with remaining layers and top with the flattest layer. Transfer 1 1/2 cups frosting to a pastry bag with a large flower tip and refrigerate until ready to use (don’t handle the bag too much or the cream will soften). Fill the cracks along the sides of cake with frosting then frost the top and sides with remaining frosting.
2. To make chocolate shavings, you can either melt chocolate in the microwave, spread it thin over the back of a baking sheet with the help of a food scraper, then refrigerate a few minutes and use a food scraper to create bark-like shavings. This is the more authentic way. Alternatively, you can use a potato peeler to shave a chunk of chocolate, It will still be pretty but it won’t have the same “black forest cake” feel to it.
3. Cover sides and top of cake with chocolate shavings leaving a 1″ perimeter on top for piping frosting. Pipe rounds of frosting around the top of the cake and place a whole cherry over each one. Refrigerate cake for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving for the flavors to meld.
Black Forest Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Chocolate Cake Layers:
- 9 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled, not hot
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
What you'll need:
- Two 9" cake pans and flour sifter or fine sieve
Ingredients for Cherry Filling:
- 4 cups 1 lb bing cherries, pitted, plus 12 whole cherries for decor (see *Recipe Tips)
- 3 Tbsp kirsch, a cherry liqueur
- 1/4 cup cold water
For the Frosting/Topping:
- 3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup Confectioners, powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp kirsch, cherry liqueur
- 3 oz good quality dark chocolate
Instructions
How to Make Cake Layers: Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of cake pans with parchment (don't grease sides).
- Beat 9 eggs with the whisk attachment for 1 min on high. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating on high speed a full 8 min. It will be thick and fluffy. Tip: the mixture it should fall off the whisk and still ‘stand up’ on the cake mixture
- Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup cocoa powder and sift in thirds into batter, folding with a spatula between each addition. Once all flour is in, continue to fold just until no streaks of flour remain, scraping the bottom of the bowl to get any pockets of flour; do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
- Gently fold in 1/2 tsp vanilla and room temp butter, folding as you add butter in a steady stream and scraping from the bottom to make sure you don't have butter pooling at the bottom. Fold just until incorporated. Divide batter equally between two prepared cake pans and BAKE RIGHT AWAY in fully preheated oven at 350˚F for 20-25 minutes (my oven took 22 min), or until a toothpick comes out clean. Note: Once the butter is added, it must be transferred to baking pans and put into the oven immediately or the batter can deflate quickly.
- Let cool in pans for 10 min then run a thin edged spatula around edges to loosen cake. Transfer to a wire rack and remove parchment backing. When cakes are at room temp, and you're ready to assemble, slice cake layers in half with a long serrated knife.
Making the Syrup:
- Roughly chop pitted cherries and place in a medium bowl with 3 Tbsp kirsch. Let sit at room temp for at least 30 min, stirring a couple times, then drain cherries in a sieve over a bowl. Keep the cherries and syrup. Add 1/4 cup cold filtered water to the syrup to get about 3/4 cup total syrup.
Making the Cream: For best results freeze bowl and whisk attachment 15 min before using.
- Beat 3 1/2 cups heavy cream with whisk attachment on high speed until soft peaks form, add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp kirsch and beat on high until stiff and spreadable (1-2 min). Refrigerate until ready to use (tip: keep whisk attachment in the bowl - you can re-whip if it seems slightly loose after refrigeration).
Assembling your Black Forest Cake:
- Place first cake layer on a cake stand and brush with 1/4 of the syrup. Cover top with about 3/4 cup frosting and top with 1/3 of the chopped cherries. Repeat with remaining layers and top with the flattest layer. Transfer 1 1/2 cups frosting to a pastry bag with a large flower tip and refrigerate until ready to use (don't handle the bag too much or the cream will soften). Fill the cracks along the sides of cake with frosting then frost the top and sides with remaining frosting.
- To make chocolate shavings, you can either melt chocolate in the microwave, spread it thin over the back of a baking sheet, then refrigerate a few min and use a food scraper to create bark-like shavings. This is the more authentic way. Alternatively, you can use a potato peeler to shave a chunk of chocolate.
- Cover sides and top of cake with chocolate shavings leaving a 1" perimeter on top for piping frosting. Pipe rounds of frosting around the top of the cake and place a whole cherry over each one. Refrigerate cake for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.
Notes
♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
Shown in this post: (no one paid us to write this; just affiliate links for stuff we love):
*The lovely turquoise Fiesta Cake Plate with Server.
*The OXO strainer/sifter is totally multi-purpose!
* This OXO Cherry Pitter (works for olives too!)
*Ofcourse the “workhorse” of the kitchen: KitchenAid Pro 6Qt
*We sure enjoy our Wusthof knife block set. Great knives are essential.
Visit our Shop to see all the tools we use and love.
Admit it, you want a slice! 🙂 What’s your favorite cherry dessert (besides this one of course)?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
i forgot the butter….yikes, stay tuned to see how it turned out
Crossing my fingers for you!
The cake turned out fabulous as always. I did forget to add the butter but it worked out anyway. i find this cake is so much better on day 2, as the ingredients fuse together (especially the alcohol). thank you Natasha!!!
You’re so welcome!
I followed your recipe end to end and the cake turned out great. Wish I could add a picture here. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for that great review!! We would love to see your photo! simply post it to any social media site and #natashaskitchen
What will be a good quality dark chocolate? Can you recommend any?
Hi Matilde, a good solid chocolate bar would work. Godiva, Lindt, etc. should work.
Thank you! Does it make a difference if it is bittersweet, semisweet?
Hi Matilde, I usually go for semisweet.
Thank you! Can it be done the day before? I may not have time to do it the day of the event
Hi Matilde, making the cake the night before should be fine.
I have made this a couple of times and followed the recipe exactly. Honestly one of my favourite cakes of all time. Turned out delicious and I have had multiple compliments from it. As cherries are hard to find fresh throughout the year I used frozen cherries and thawed them. Added a tsp of kirsch to the liquid and used that as the syrup, this worked well.
Thanks so much, never using a different black forest recipe.
Sounds like you found a favorite! Thank you for sharing this with us!
Hi Natasha,
Thanks so much for this recipe. It yields a delightful sponge and the cherry compliments it really well. I may have gone overboard with the cherry syrup as some of it is leaking out the side of the cake and staining the whipped cream. Any quick fixes or would I have to redo it all?
Sounds like that would make for a pretty color on the frosting! Too much syrup may be problomatic if the cake is too wet. I would reommend using your best judgement if you believe it ruins the cakes flavor. I hope it goes well! 🙂
Hi Natasha, the cake turned out well, a little soggy in the places that were ‘over-soaked’ but still it was great. Thanks again for this recipe! Definitely bookmarking this.
My pleasure!
Hi Natasha,
I really wanted to try your recipe as I never made a cake with out baking powder. you have suggested to use the convectional oven , but I own a convection microwave. Can u please suggest the cooking time for your recipe in a convection model. It will be very helpful.
Hi Liya, this cake would not work properly in a microwave. It really needs an oven to bake up properly. Also, if you are referring to a convection oven, I haven’t tested this in a convection oven so I’m not sure if it would rise the same way. I wish I could be more helpful with your question.
Hi!
I am having a hard time finding Kirsch cherry liqueur. Is there anything else we can use instead or can we make it?
Hi Matilde, If you want to substitute the kirsch, just add a total of 1 Tbsp of sugar to the full amount of cherry syrup and stir to dissolve for a little more flavor.
Hi. I have two questions.
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose? Not a big fan of white flour.
Isn’t the sponge cake more fluffy if the egg whites are whipped up separately and then fold in the beaten yolk along with flour? Have you done that way?
Hi Fatema, I have not tried this with whole wheat so I can’t advise on that but would love to know how you like it if you experiment. That isn’t necessary for this recipe. For other, more delicate ones, yes you would do that. Thank you for that great review!
Hi!
Is this the same as your basic sponge cake? Your sponge cake has 6 eggs for the same amount of sugar and flour instead of the 9 eggs on this one. Also, it has baking powder.
I’m just wondering if we can use your basic sponge cake since it has baking powder and add the vanilla and cocoa
Thank you!
Hi Matilde. They have some similarities however the sponge cake does not have the Butter, Vanilla and Cocoa that the Black Forest cake has. Are you looking to use the sponge cake and make it chocolate? To use the sponge cake and make it chocolate I would recommend to just replace some of the flour with an equal amount of cocoa. I hope this helps
hello, why 9 eggs and not 6 like the white genoise? and why no baking powder in this chocolate version?
Hi Mariechrisine! This cake does not require baking soda or baking powder. The eggs act as the leavening so it is critically important to make sure you beat the eggs long enough on high speed in a stand mixer and if using a good electric hand mixer, you should add 2-3 minutes of beating time since a stand mixer’s whip is more efficient. One of our readers explains this perfectly in the comments. “The entire point of a Genoise is that it gets its leavening from beaten eggs. That’s why there are no other leaveners in the recipe, i.e. baking powder” I hope this helps.
Tried this today. When mixing the eggs and sugar i used an electric hand mixer. I saw the comment about needing 14-15 mins of mixing for this type. Checked after 8 and definitely wasn’t thick like your video. Went to 15 and still runny. Almost 20 minutes later it was just starting to thicken but I was worried about mixing too long so i stopped there and continued with the recipe. Baked for 22 mins. The cakes did not rise as expected and are very dense. When i cut them in half I noticed pockets of flour and cocoa so I dont think I mixed it well. Now im using boxed cake for this recipe to use up the cherries and frosting I already prepared and I’m trying to salvage the pieces of this for something else. Not sure if it was my electric mixer but I feel like my problem started with my egg and sugar mixture not thickening.
Hi Kayla, that does sound like the culprit – under mixing the eggs and sugar. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature or it will take longer to beat. Also, an electric hand mixer (even the best ones), are not as efficient at whipping eggs and sugar as a stand mixer with the wisk attachment so it does take longer to beat and you have to beat until you reach the right consistency. A stand mixer definitely saves time with this classic sponge cake. Pockets of flour can occur from under folding when adding the flour. Be sure to scrape the dough from the bottom of the bowl to catch any pockets of trapped flour.
Hi Natasha, my sponge turned out very dry, is this normal? I’m just hoping it with moisten up overnight as it sits with the filling/syrup etc.
Is there anything I can do to make the sponge more moist?
I was also wondering if it would ruin the batter if I added some small choc buttons? I’d like to try it with choc buttons melted through next time!!!
Hi Nina, European sponge cake is typically a little dry until you add syrup to it which is why we brush the layers with syrup. I honestly haven’t tried with chocolate chips so I’m not sure how that would affect the batter.
Unfortunately I can’t find any kirsch locally, but I was able to find a wild cherry flavored brandy. Do you think that would work in place of the kirsch?
Hi Lee, If you want to substitute the kirsch, just add a total of 1 Tbsp of sugar to the full amount of cherry syrup and stir to dissolve for a little more flavor. I haven’t tried it with a brandy however.
Hello Natasha,
Do you have any tips/advice as to how NOT to over mix the batter? I really struggle with that part because it seems like I continue to have the dry parts of the patter, if I stick to minimal mixing/folding.
Thanks!
Hi Olga, my best tip is to mix in the flour in thirds and it helps to sift it in to break up lumps ahead of time.
Hi.
This is my favorite recipe of chococlate cake.jjst melting in mouth.
I usually don’t like unless it’s completely perfect.and I really happy that I found one of the best recipe.
I like do same recipe for vanilla.
Like can I add cornflour instead of cocoa powder.will it work?
I loved this.
Happy Happy and very happy.
Hi, I honestly have not tested that with corn flour so I’m not sure how it would affect the recipe. Without experimenting, I won’t be able to make that recommendation.
Got it.
Kindly suggest me recipe for vanilla flavor. I like adding melted butter in the end as like this receipe says to add.
We make our own vanilla flavoring. Here is a vanilla extract recipe you make like.
I am a huge fan of the Black Forest Cake and this one looks amazing and yummy. and I’ll definitely try to make this cake.Thank you so much.
I’m so happy you discovered our blog Mahjabeen! Enjoy!
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe.I had made this for my mother’s 70th birthday – it was very special for us.
Thanks a lot
I am so happy to hear that and how sweet of you to make it for your Mother’s birthday! Happy birthday to her! 🙂
I only have one 9 inch cake pan about 3 inches high. Can I bake the entire batter in that pan?
Hi Joy, I haven’t tried it in one pan so I can’t give you an exact baking time but it will take longer to bake and you will need a tall pan (at least 3-inches). To be on the safe side, you could split the recipe and bake the two cakes separately but you would have to make batches since this batter should not sit on the counter very long before baking.
Natasha, where can I buy Kirsch Cherry Liquer? Or what can I substitute it with? I went to few stores but none of them carry it.
Hi Inna, in most states, liquors like kirsch are sold only in the liquor and wine stores.
Thank you so much. You certainly make your instructions very easy to follow for sponge cake.👍🌟😎
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it
Hi, I absolutely love this recipe and plan to make this for my dad’s birthday coming up! I just wanted to double check though: If I am omitting the kirsch from the recipe, do I just let the cherries sit in water and sugar to create the filling/syrup? Are there any other non-alchoholic alternatives I could add or is the water enough? Thanks so much!
If you want to omit the kirsch, just add a total of 1 Tbsp of sugar to the full amount of cherry syrup and stir to dissolve for a little more flavor.
hi, do you reckon this can be baked as cupcake instead? thanks?
In general, sponge cakes are not ideal for cupcakes because they will stick to the pan or liners and you lose a lot of the cupcake when you try to pry off the wrapper.
I am just wondering , on the video you used 6 eggs but on the recipe it said 9 . How many eggs should I use ? Amy
Hi Amy, the video is just an example of what the cake consistency should be. This is a larger cake and is chocolate.
Hello!
I have tried to find the “authentic German black forest cake”; however, it is so hard to find the traditional one without too much sugar added. I know you don’t sell cakes, but I do not have a proper stove for baking. Could I buy the cake from you instead?
I wish to give you better news but we don’t offer any kind of service like that. But I’m drooling over my keyboard, just looking at the pictures of that cake. Cherry season is around the corner so maybe I’ll make one for my husband’s birthday.
Just waisted 9 eggs on a very bland and very cake bottom😞
Hi Sonia, It is difficult to say what could have gone wrong without being there and without more info, but I am always happy to help troubleshoot as this is not normally supposed to be bland.
Hi Natasha,
Sorry for more questions. If I am using an electric hand mixer do I need to increase the time instead of 8 minutes in Step 1?.
Thank you again for all the wonderful recipes.
Jyothi
Hi Jyothi, when using an electric hand mixer, it is best to be on the side of caution and beat an extra 2-3 minutes since a stand mixer whips more effectively.
Hi Natasha,
It was a task to make this cake and I succeeded. I am an amateur so needed an extra helping hand (my husband). But cake was a hit. I have an electric hand mixer and to get the 8 not to sink took about 14-15min high speed. The cake was soft. I followed all your instructions to a T. I could not find fresh cherries, so I substituted with raspberry in the layering and on the top. Everyone loved the cake and you are famous in my family circle as everyone wanted the recipe! Thank you!!
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear how much you and your family enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review and tell everyone I said hello!
Hi Natasha I followed you cake batter correctly. And it baked fine but I find it to taste too much like egg.
Hi Quill, one of the things I have found to prevent the “eggy” smell with any egg-based sponge cake, is to keep it away from outdoor draft. If you are new to sponge cakes, check out our sponge cake recipe which goes over all of the common troubleshooting questions. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha
Today, I baked this cake and it was hard and rubbery. I followed every step carefully; I didn’t know where I went wrong. I used glazed cherries ( as I couldn’t find fresh cherries )
Also, frost didn’t come out fluffy. it wasn’t in white colour and turned curdled.
any suggestions please.
Hi, I am always happy to help troubleshoot. When making whipped cream, it is important not to over-whip or it will turn lumpy and buttery. If that happens, whip in some more cream and beat until stiff peaks form then stop beating. Regarding the cake, it is likely due to either under-beating the eggs and sugar or over-mixing after adding the butter (possibly adding the butter when it is too warm), or not baking right away after adding butter. Any of those things could cause the cake not to rise properly. I hope that helps!
Awesome recipe and much easier to follow then expected from the initial read. No cherries in season this time but will definitely make it this summer with fresh cherries. Thanks Natasha for another awesome recipe!
You’re welcome Cassandra! I’m glad you find the instructions helpful! Please let me know what you think of the recipe come cherry pickin season! 🙂
Does this cake travel well? I have never made it, but I am planning on making it for my father-in-law’s birthday since it’s his favorite. If I refrigerate the assembled cake overnight, will the whipped cream frosting hold up well? Thanks for the help!
Hi Shanna, if you are traveling with the cake and could keep it in a cooler, it might be ok. Whipped cream isn’t the most stable frosting so it probably shouldn’t be out of the refrigerator for too long. It will hold up in the refrigerator though if that is what you are asking 🙂
Hi,
What’s the best alternative to liquor, please?
HI Mina, if you wanted a red wine substitute and make it alcohol free, you will still need to macerate your cherries to get the liquid out. Stir 1 Tbsp of sugar into the cherries and let them get juicy then add the cherry juice or even just water to get more volume of cherry juice/syrup for soaking the cake. I think it would work best to add the juice/water before straining the cherries to get more liquid out.
Loved it ! For the first time my cake was soft and stayed soft for good two days .
Thank you for the recipe!!
My pleasure Sabha! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe, even on the send day. Thanks for sharing your great review!
Most Amazing recipe!! Tried this out for a dinner party and it was a hit! Never thought I could bake a Black Forest cake. Thank you!!😊
You’re welcome! I’m glad to hear the recipe was such a great success. Thanks for sharing your great review!
The filling and frosting was lovely but the cake itself was too dense (not the good kind of dense). I’m not sure what I did wrong though. I whipped the eggs until they were almost peaked and tried not to overmix it. I didn’t put the batter in the oven immediately however so maybe the waiting time of 15 minutes let all the air release from the batter?(Ok I just looked back up and saw the note about putting it in the oven right away. That was my fault.) It just ended up gummy and hard.
Hi Charlie, It sounds like the waiting time is the issue. Once the butter is added to the batter, it should be placed into a preheated oven and baked right away. I will bold face that section so folks don’t miss it in the future.
This looks amazing, and I can’t wait to make it for my boyfriends bday. I live a 6500 feet. What adjustments would you recommend for higher altitude? If any at all. I don’t want to have disaster.
Hi Hannah :), Unfortunately, I have zero experience with baking at high altitude.
If anyone else has tried, please let us know and thank you in advance!
Hi, have baked sponges at high altitude 6000 ft, without any adjustments successfully, try it
Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha,
Do you have any suggestions for using something in place of the kirsch. Would cherry juice work as well?
Hi John, If you want to make the syrup without any alcohol, you will still need to macerate your cherries to get the liquid out. Stir 1 Tbsp of sugar into the cherries and let them get juicy then add the cherry juice or even just water to get more volume of cherry juice/syrup for soaking the cake. I think it would work best to add the juice/water before straining the cherries to get more liquid out.
Thanks for the tip!
You’re welcome John!
Hi Natasha, would I have to use natural cocoa powder or Dutch processed for this recipe?
Hi Shweta, I used dutch processed when I took these photos but either will work 🙂
For just 100 gms or 1 cup of flour, 9 eggs are too much..( i think)
Is there any particular reason to why are we adding so many eggs? ( as i believe eggs will make the cake more harder)
Thanks
Hi Ifra, that is correct. The cake relies on the volume of the eggs and sugar to rise and make it fluffy so it is super important to beat those adequately with the right tools (per the recipe).
Hi Natasha, I’m planning on making this for my anniversary end of July. But since there’s just the 2 of us here, this recipe would be too much. How do i cut it in half? 4.5 eggs? 😅
Hi Aqilah! I haven’t tested halving the recipe but here is what one of our readers wrote “1. Hi Natasha! I have made this cake few days back and I just wanna tell you that the cake taste super awesome!!! So light and fluffy! I read all the comments before making and I don’t have any issues that the cake did not rise well! I halved the recipe to make it into 2 pans of 6inch and they rise so beautifully in the oven!” I would recommend halving all of the ingredients. I hope this helps
My husband requested a black forest cake for his birthday, so my recipe search brought me here. I followed the recipe using frozen cherries and omitted the kirsch (couldn’t find it anywhere) AND am happy to say the cake turned out amazing! The cake baked perfectly and was super light as well as it was easy to assemble with your instructions. Overall the cake is not very sweet so having a nice big piece doesn’t feel too bad 🙂
That’s great, I’m glad to hear the recipe is such a hit! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review Jo-Anne!
This was a huge hit! Our family of 4 finished the cake in 3 days (oops!). I replaced the alcohol with simple syrup to make it teen-friendly for my sister. My sponge didn’t rise as much as I would have liked, but I think I messed with the batter just a little too much. I will definitely make this again!
Hi Lina! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I grew up eating black forest cake for birthdays. I can’t wait to attempt baking it myself. Is it a good idea to replace the all purpose flour with cake flour?
Tjanks and Merry Christmas!
-lisa
Hi Lisa, I haven’t tried this cake with cake flour so I’m not sure how that would affect the texture or rise of the cake. Sorry I can’t be more help but I really can’t advise on that without first testing it.
Hi Natasha,
I baked the cake yesterday for a dinner party. I did use cake flour and it turned out great,Thanks for the recipe!
-lisa
Thank you so much for sharing your great review!! 🙂
This recipe is amazing. I made this for my anniversary. It turns out great. Though I had not 2 x 9 inches pan, I used a 8″ pan instead, it raised good. 4 layers, kirsch cream, fresh cherries, dark chocolate is the best.
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Venus! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers.
Hi Natasha I made yoir black forest cake yesterday an it,s great ,thanks for the precise recipe i placed my photo of the cake in pinterest ,good lock🌷
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Can I freeze this cake for few weeks?
Hi Maria, I haven’t tried freezing this particular cake but I’m not sure the frosting would hold up well in the freezer since it is just a whipped cream frosting. I think the cake layers would be freezer friendly but probably not the assembled cake with the whipped cream.
The cake will freeze no problem and will look just as beautiful. I know because my dad used to freeze them all the time (he was a pastry chef)
Thank you for sharing!! 🙂 Did his have whipped cream or a different frosting?
Great recipe- worked perfectly for me. The only problem I had was that it only just fit in my stand mixer bowl and couldn’t incorporate the ingredients without it all overflowing. So I transferred it to a much larger bowl and it worked much better!!
I’m glad you made it work! I use a 6 QT mixer and I think a 5 Qt would work well also, but probably not a smaller one.
Hi Natasha. I am planning on making this tonight and assembling it tomorrow. However, I plan on using canned cherries. Do you know how many cans I need? Or do I just measure 4 cups like you would for fresh cherries? (Sorry if you already answered this question)…
Hi Sarah, it depends on how many cherries are in the can. I would suggest about the same amount 3 to 4 cups of cherries. I hope you love it!
Is it a tablespoon of cherry syrup, plus a tablespoon of sugar for each tablespoon of Kirsch?
Hi Donna, I’m not sure what you are asking since there is no sugar added in the kirsch syrup.
You had said ” If making for children, omit kirsch and add 1 Tbsp sugar to the cherry syrup.”…What would I have to do, if omitting Kirsch?
Oh ok got it! If you want to omit the kirsch, just add a total of 1 Tbsp of sugar to the full amount of cherry syrup and stir to dissolve for a little more flavor.
I’m sorry, but what cherry syrup?
Donna, please see “Making the Syrup for Black Forest Cake” section of the post.
You say to refer to the “making the cherry syrup” section, but you also use kirsch to make the syrup. So adding sugar instead of kirsch to a syrup made with kirsch doesn’t work to not use alcohol. I think Donna’s question (at least mine is) how do you make the cherry syrup without the alcohol? Is a simple syrup the best option? Maybe a cherry juice instead?
Hi Laura, sorry for the confusion. If you want to make the syrup without any alcohol, you will still need to macerate your cherries to get the liquid out. Stir 1 Tbsp of sugar into the cherries and let them get juicy then add the water to get more volume of cherry juice/syrup for soaking the cake. I think it would work best to add the water before straining the cherries to get more liquid out.
I tried this and it was a complete bust. I reread the instructions again and the comments. I highly recommend that you bold the part about whipping it at high speed for 8 minutes. Huge difference.
Thank you for the recipe
Hi Germaine, I do have that part bolded since it is very important. This classic European sponge cake relies on the volume of the eggs and sugar to rise. I’m glad it worked out for you! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Hi Natasha
That is funny that I did not pick it up. This recipe is amazing (if you follow the instructions). The cake came out amazing. I used frozen cherries since the fresh ones were not in season and it worked. The cake is most delicious the second day when the juice and cherries envelops the cake. Thank you for a great recipe!
You’re welcome Germaine! I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe!
Oh my goodness!thank you so much Natasha for this recipe i really enjoyed it and i really love the cake,its perfect recipe,recommendable,mine didn’t turned out well at my first try because I didn’t follow your instructions carefully but then i re baked my cake so I don’t waste the frosting I prepared and there i got it,this is now my favourite recipe ever!
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing Zel!
I’m allergic to eggs, can i use egg replacer instead of eggs?
If not can you recommend a eggless chocolate cake that would be close to this chocolate cake?
Hi Nancy, unfortunately that will not work in this recipe since this cake relies on the volume of the beaten eggs to rise properly. I don’t have a good eggless chocolate cake but if I come across something great, I will be sure to share it 🙂
the video you have included to make the sponge shows using baking powder and your recipe does not
Hi Donna, I did not use it in this recipe and the cake works great with or without. 🙂
Wow! I used this recipe for my book club dinner. I stumbled on it using Pinterest. It was perfect for my fall theme (we read a suspenseful book too!) and I had amazing reviews. I told everyone all about your site. It’s not too sweet- just right! I couldn’t find kirsch in my small town but followed the recipe otherwise. Thank you Natasha for the pictures and detailed step-by-step instructions. I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
You’re welcome Lily! I’m glad to hear the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for following and sharing your great review!
not happy with this cake. never had a failure with your other cakes. as soon as I added the butter the batter deflated and after baking it was flat and dense 🙁
Hi Avril, I’m sorry to hear that :(. I am always happy to troubleshoot. It sounds like it could be due to either adding butter that is too warm or not baking right after adding the butter. For best results, the oven should be preheated and cake baked right after butter is folded in. Also, add the butter in a thin stream while folding and stop mixing as soon as it is incorporated into the batter – do not overmix. I hope that helps!
I’ve read some of the comments below and found out that many had the problem of the cake not rising. I’m from Indonesia and this type of sponge cake is very common here. We also use it to make roll cake.
The key is to beat your eggs until very very fluffy. It takes 10-12 minutes using hand mixer on high speed for about 10 eggs. How do you know u get the right consistency? Lift up your beater (whisk) from the batter. Make a figure “8” using the batter that drip off the beater. Then count to 10 seconds. If the figure 8 still remains on top of the batter, then u have the right consistency. If the figure 8 sinks into the batter before 10 secs, then u need to beat it longer.
I haven’t tried this recipe but will try it tomorrow 🙂
Just sharing some tips from Indonesia 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing that Hilda!! That is an excellent tip!! I will add that to the notes 🙂
You’re welcome, Natasha. Btw, i love ur website! Have been looking at it for quite some time but never commented until now. This recipe is in my oven as i type this now.
Another tips to succesful sponge cake is to fold the melted butter evenly. Cake that doesn’t rise are usually due to:
1. Underbeat the egg batter which i have shared how to get the right consistency above
2. Folding in melted butter. If it is not folded evenly, the melted butter wil sink in the bottom of the pan causing the cake not rising.
Thanks again for following and sharing your great tips with other readers!
This was a very helpful guideline, becasue it took me much longer than 8 minutes to get to that point. I was working with the whip attachment on an immersion blender, and after the time, the eggs were still mostly liquid with a bit of foam floating on top. I think the I think the whip wasn’t big enough to deal with that volume, so I swapped over to a big hand-held one and went at it for another several minutes until I could convince myself the figure 8 was still there.
Glad it helps, Philip…!
I just went by your new revised recipe and my cakes did not rise at all.. very disappointed right now. not sure what the deal is. seems like your recipe is very low on flour ……?
Hi Karen, the flour proportions are correct. This is a classic genoise sponge cake and the two things that are critical in it rising are beating the eggs and sugar sufficiently as stated in the recipe with a high powered mixer and also baking right away after folding in the butter (which should not be hot). The cake relies primarily on the volume of the eggs and sugar for leavening so making sure it is whipped properly and baked right away is extremely important. I hope that helps!
If I use two 6″ cake pan, may I just divide the recipe in half? I’m planning to make this cake for my birthday and not many guess, maybe 3-4 people only. However, I want to try this recipe as I like Black Forest Cake in my childhood, it may bring up so many memories. By the way, this will be my 2nd time baking.
Hi Venus, first, Happy Birthday! I think it could work fine to cut the recipe in half, just be sure to beat the eggs and sugar sufficiently until the mixture is thick and fluffy and then do not over-mix once the butter is in and bake right away. I hope you love the recipe!
Thank you Natasha! I will keep your tips in mind. Thanks!
Best wishes! From Hong Kong
Hi, could you post the ingredient measurements in grams instead of cups? Thank you.
Hi Cindy, with our most recent baking recipes, we have been adding grams since readers have requested it, but going through the hundreds of older recipes would be quite a task! We may have to hire someone to help with that 😉
Where can I buy Kirsch?
Hi Kaye, in most states, liquors like kirsch are sold only in the liquor and wine stores.
Hey, I wanted to double the recipe and cook it all at once. Do you think it will work for me? But probably cook longer so it’s cooked through
Hi Yesh, I’ve never tried to double it but I am concerned that it would overwhelm a stand mixer unless it was a commercial grade one with a really large bowl. I think it would be best to make the recipe 2 separate times to be safe.
This cake turned out so beautiful. THANK YOU for an authentic recipe. If you still need to convert your recipes mathematically I would love to help you get that done and boost your baking blog!
Hi Terri, thank you for the thoughtful comment and great review! Do you use an online converter?
Hi Natasha,
If I make the sponge today but assemble tomorrow will this compromise the finished product? Would it be better to make the whole cake today and refrigerate?
Hi Catherine, that will work fine to make the cake today, cover loosely with plastic wrap once it’s at room temperature and let it sit overnight at room temperature, then assemble the following day 🙂
The cream, as well as the cherries were absolutely delicious. My cake turned out a little dense, and was slightly dry, any idea on what I did wrong? Despite this incident I would totally make this cake again.
Hi Sarah! The dense and dry could both be solved (usually) by beating the eggs and sugar a little longer since the cake relies on the volume of the eggs and sugar for leavening/ to rise. Make sure you are using a high powered mixer and beating for the recommended time on the highest speed. I hope that helps! 🙂
Thank u Natasha for updating this recipe after the update my cake turned out beautiful, rose nicely, and of course very delicious. Thank u again for this amazing recipe.
You’re welcome Inna! I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for following 🙂
Hello,
May I have the measurements in grams, plz? Thank you.
Hi Anouchka, it’s on my to-do list to get through all of the recipes and add grams but for now, there just aren’t enough hours in the day for me to get that done without hiring someone to do it for me. I would suggest using online ingredient conversion tools. I have been adding gram measurements to my newer recipes but don’t have most of my older ones done yet.
Beautiful image of cake,thank you for sharing the recipe
My pleasure! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can I use cherry juice instead of cherry liquor? Would have mean I would have to reduce the sugar content in the cake inorder to not make it extremely sweet? Thanks.
Hi Swas, this cake is not overly sweet so I do think it would be ok to use cherry juice instead but you probably won’t want to add any extra sugar to the cherry juice syrup. I hope you love it! 🙂
I am Planning to Make for Tomorrow Dinner for 50 pax. Will let u guys know how it will turn out.
I hope you love it! 🙂
What a beautiful recipe the cake turned out perfect will defiantly be making this again. Thank you so much for sharing.
You’re welcome Megan! I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Natasha,
If I make this cake and refridgate it well, will I be able to transport it in a carrier? Would the whipped cream filling be too running to do that.
Thanks!
Hi Susan, if the cream is whipped until fluffy and spreadable, you should be ok – I probably wouldn’t try to transport it long distances or keep it in the sun though.
how many oz is 1cup?
Hi Rita, for liquid ingredients, 1 cup is 8 oz or 240 mL.
Thank you. This is my first time baking…. what about for salt or other stuff?
Hi Rita, this list of ingredients is pretty typical for a European sponge cake so it does not call for salt 🙂
I’m wanting to make Black Forest cupcakes (it’s for a larger gathering that will mainly be outside). Would the sponge cake work for cupcakes?
In general, sponge cakes are not ideal for cupcakes because they will stick to the pan or liners and you lose alot of the cupcake when you try to pry off the wrapper.
Thank you for the speedy reply. That’s what I thought, but wanted confirmation. I guess I’ll fudge it, and use my usual chocolate cake recipe. 🙂
My pleasure 🙂
I must admit I had the same problem getting the cake to rise, once visiting another website however I read that once you beat the mixture it should fall off the whisk and still ‘stand up’ on the cake mixture, I feel like if I tried this recipe again it would work, I simply didn’t know what consistency to look for 🙂 Apart from that, this recipe was fantastic! A much loved cake, shall be making it again!
Hi Errin! That is a brilliant way to describe it!! I have updated the recipe to include that tip on the consistency. I’ve been making this for years but I can definitely see how someone new to the sponge cake would really benefit to having that description. thank you, thank you!!! 🙂
Thanks very much Natasha, looking forward to trying many more of your beautiful recipes!
Hi Natasha! I have made this cake few days back and I just wanna tell you that the cake taste super awesome!!! So light and fluffy!
I read all the comments before making and I don’t have any issues that the cake did not rise well! I halved the recipe to make it into 2 pans of 6inch and they rise so beautifully in the oven!
I know you have a basic European sponge cake recipe which does not require butter. If I am going to use this chocolate sponge cake recipe omit the cocoa powder and add more flour instead. Do you think it will work?
I’m asking because I wish to make a moist basic sponge cake like this chocolate sponge cake hence I think with the addition of butter it will make it taste more moist.
Hi Shirley, you are basically describing this sponge cake recipe. Generally, you replace equal amounts of flour with cocoa powder. So if you wanted to make just a vanilla cake using these proportions, you would do 1 1/2 cups of flour and omit the chocolate and butter. I hope I answered your question!
Thank you for your reply! Will the sponge cake recipe be as soft and moist as this chocolate version since that has no butter?
Hi Shirley, yes since it is naturally soft and the moisture comes from the syrup 🙂
It was flat, do exactly as direction. 🙁
Hi Annie, have you made a classic European sponge cake before? I would highly recommend reading through this post for common troubleshooting tips. I hope this helps!!
Natasha, my first time baking in a very very long time. You missed mentioning baking soda in the instructions. I thought it was a special type that didn’t need baking soda.the cake turned out a bit hard- didn’t rise. But was tasty anyway. Would have bee fabulous if not for that missing ingredient.
Hi Priya, this one does not require baking soda or baking powder. The eggs act as the leavening so it is critically important to make sure you beat the eggs long enough on high speed in a stand mixer and if using a good electric hand mixer, you should add 2-3 minutes of beating time since a stand mixer’s whip is more efficient. Also, once you add the butter and (make sure it is room temperature), as soon as the butter is in, you have to get the cake into the oven so the oven should be fully preheated by this time so you can bake right away. I hope those suggestions help!
Hi Natasha, I’m having the same problem with rising. In the video link you posted about making a classic sponge, there is baking powder added to the that sponge cake, I’m thinking about adding the baking powder to this one as well. Is there any reason that baking powder would be added to the white sponge cake but not the chocolate one?
Hi Eleanor, I more recently started adding baking powder to the cake batter because it gives me a more consistently flat result but with this classic European sponge cake, baking powder is not traditionally used as the cake relies on the volume of the eggs for leavening so if the eggs and sugar are under-whipped, it will not rise properly. The other reason why this cake may go flat is if the butter is added too warm or not baked right away after adding butter. The butter makes the cake more moist but it does require getting the cake in the oven quicker. I hope that helps for next time!