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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.
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Admit it, you want a slice! 🙂 What’s your favorite cherry dessert (besides this one of course)?
Hi, just wondering how thick the cakes should be? Mine turned out about 1 inch thick each.
Hi Lucas, mine were a little taller than that. I didn’t measure them when I baked them so I can’t say for sure. Did you use a 9″ pan?
Yes I used a 9″ pan. Is it likely I over mixed the flour/cocoa into the batter?
It’s possible if you really overmixed but more likely the cake doesn’t rise to it’s full potential if you under-beat the eggs and sugar. This cake relies on the volume of the whipped eggs for leavening which is why it’s important to make sure you beat the eggs long enough. Did you use a hand mixer or stand mixer? Most hand mixers take slightly longer than stand mixers. I hope my relpy helps for the next time you make a European sponge cake.
That must be it! I used a hand mixer, so mustn’t have underbeated the eggs.
Hi Natasha, I made this cake for my daughter’s 18th birthday, and it turned out really well! Bought black forest cakes tend to be too sweet, and yours is just right for us. I found your instructions very clear and easy to follow. I did find that I did not end up using all of the cherry syrup, and I think next time I may do what another recipe I read says, and poke little holes all over the cake layers before sprinkling, rather than brushing on the syrup. The cake was lovely as it was, but I am hoping with this minor adjustment, it will be able to absorb more syrup for maximum moisture and flavour.
I am so happy you enjoyed the cake and thank you for the wonderful review! I do like your idea of poking holes in the cake for it to absorb the syrup quicker. Thanks again! 🙂
No, thank you for sharing your recipe! My daughter was very happy. This was the first time I tried a recipe on your website. I will be coming back for more!
The picture of the cake looks so good and the step by step instructions seemed so clear that I had to try it. Unfortunately for me, this turned out a disaster. I followed the whisking times of the egg as mentioned in the recipe and it looked perfect until I folded in the flour/ cocoa & butter. It immediately turned flat and watery despite folding gently . I can only assume that the power of my hand mixer was high that it I over mixed the eggs & sugar. I threw it out , tried a second time slightly under mixing and it didn’t rise much and had a floppy texture. Then I over mixed the frosting. Needless to say I wasted quite a lot of ingredients !! This is definitely a technically cake and by no means simple.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Did you have a chance to watch the sponge cake video that I linked in this recipe to see what the egg and sugar mixture should look before adding the flour and cocoa? For a classic European sponge cake, underbeating the eggs can result in a flat cake since this cake relies on the eggs as leavening to rise. With European sponge cakes, it’s always safer to overbeat it rather than underbeating it. Various mixers can yield different results as well and in general, an electric hand mixer will take longer to beat than a stand mixer. In the future, when making whipped cream, be sure to keep a close eye on it. It is easy to overbeat whipping cream and turn it into butter and it really only needs the instructed beating time. Also, if you overbeat whipped cream (as long as it’s not too far overbeat, you can save it by whipping in a little more heavy whipping cream to thin it). I hope that helps for the future!
Hello, I am making this for children. You mentioned leaving out the liqeuer than.. how do I make the cherry syrup without the liqeuer?
Do I just add 1 tbsp of sugar to the cherries and let them sit for 30 mins?
Thank you
Hi Deni, you can replace it with more water and add a Tbsp of sugar. You’ll still want to add the water since it becomes your syrup for soaking the cake layers.
Hi Natasha,
Do you think it would be a bad idea to use 4 cake tins instead of 2? I’ve never halved a cake before and I’d feel more comfortable splitting the cake batter into 4 cake tins instead.
Hi Natasha, I think that could work, but I would recommend putting in into 3 pans since the layers might be a little difficult to spread into 4 pans. You might bake for just 20 minutes since it would bake faster being thinner layers.
Thanks so much for responding so rapidly! I will try it with 3 cake tins 🙂
Hi, thanks for the recipe! Quick question: the original sponge cake recipe on your website lists 6 eggs to 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of sugar. Is there a reason why this one has 9 eggs instead? Seems like the same amount of flour and sugar. Thank you!
Hi Inna, this one also has chocolate and butter and the additional eggs help to keep the cake fluffy without falling.
Hi,
I was just wondering about the no salt in this recipe? Im cautious about how it will taste….
Thanks!
The cake has so much flavor that you won’t miss the salt, I hope you’ll love it 😀.
I’ve only got a springform pan or tart pan…can I use one of these?
A springform pan would work but you really need 2 pans since it isn’t recommended to leave the batter on the counter while the first one bakes or it will deflate.
Hi!
Can you please tell me if the cream actually should be refrigerated before spreading it on the chocolate layers? And if yes, for how long?
Hi Lana, if you aren’t using it right away, then you want to refrigerate the cream, otherwise, you can frost it right away if your cake layers are at room temperature and ready 🙂
Hi natasha, just want to ask you how heavy is the cake roughly? Because I plan to make a 2 kg forest cake using your recipe. If this one is a 2 kg then great! But if not, can you tell me how I can make it into a 2 kg cake. Thank you
I Amret, I never weighed the cake so I can’t say for sure but I don’t think it’s anywhere near 2 kg. I think its probably closer to 1 kg, max 1.5 kg since it has 1 lb of cherries, but really I can’t remember how heavy it felt in my hands to gauge the full weight of the cake. I would suggest adding more cherries to make it heavier.
Hi Natasha,
I am planning to make this cake for my daughter’s first birthday. Please can you give the measurements in grams as I don’t want to take any chances and the cup measurements can differ based on their make.
Unfortunately, I didn’t measure this out in grams when I made it. We usually don’t measure in grams so most of our recipes are in US measurements.
Amazing recipe!
(btw is this the type of cake thats in portal? im just wondering since it looks like it)
Hi Kate, I’m so glad you like it! I’m not sure what portal is though?
Hi kate,
It looks the same, but according to Serious Eats, the Portal cake is a chocolate chiffon. Similar though, as it also has 9 egg yolks in it!
http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/04/the-portal-cake-is-delicious.html
Hi, Natasha
I was wondering if instead of the whipped cream frosting I can use the one you used in your honey cake with the sour cream and whipped cream ?
And also what can I use instead of Kirsch , so It can be OK for kids to eat ?
Thanks.
Hi Valerie, the sour cream frosting is looser than the whipped cream but I think it would work. Also, you can omit the kirsch and add cherry or berry juice, or even a little water/lemon juice/sugar simple syrup. Let me know how you like it! 🙂
Dear Natasha: Thank you for such a beautiful recipe. The cake was so light! The eggs became so fluffy and full after beating them…amazing to see!! I love the whipping cream frosting too…so light and not too sweet! My guests were amazed at the appearance and thought that it was store bought 🙂
I am so happy you enjoyed it and impressed your guests! Thank you so much for sharing your great review.
Hi.. I just want to know that making of cake recipe there is no baking powder or baking soda why? Without those ingredients can I make this cake pls reply me soon …
Yes, this is a classic European sponge cake base – watch the video in this post to see how and why it works. It rises from the volume of the eggs. You can add 1/2 tsp baking powder but I haven’t found it to be necessary in this recipe. I usually don’t add it when I make it. Just BE SURE to beat the eggs and sugar for the time that the recipe specifies.
Hi Natasha !
Since the frosting on the cake is whipped cream, would heavy cream work too? And does the cake need to be kept in the refrigerator?
Hi Lency, I do use heavy whipping cream to make the whipped cream frosting. Also, yes, it should be refrigerated until ready to serve since it is a dairy-based frosting 🙂
Hey Natasha, Dont you think 9 eggs are a little too much and will cause a rathr hard cake?
Hi Himani, this is a classic European sponge cake and it relies on the eggs to rise which is why it is super important to beat them long enough and then not to overmix after adding the four/cocoa. Here is a video where I make a similar cake base but omit the cocoa to make it a white cake. I hope it’s helpful to you! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I tried yr recipe but the cake turned out hard. I think you miss out the baking powder in your above recipe (as it was mentioned in your video when I viewed it after baking).
Hi SuanneKhoo, I actually did not use baking powder in this recipe. The most common cause of the cake turning hard or not rising is under-mixing. The cake relies on the volume of the whipped eggs to rise. When you watched the video, did your cake batter look similar (fluffy and thick) before adding the cocoa/flour? I hope that helps for next time! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I don’t have kirsch ( cherry liqueur) or golden rum now but I have dark rum on handy, Will the dark rum works for this recipe?? Or anything I can substitute for it??
I have not tried it with dark rum, but gold rum does have a sweeter flavor. I think dark rum could still work though.
Hi Natasha. I made this for my son’s 40th birthday and it was sensational. Looked like I’d laboured for hours but it was really so simple, especially with your amazing guidance. I used 2 tins of pitted black cherries in syrup & some cherry liqueur I had in the cupboard and it turned out just fine. Thankyou for making my son one very happy man!! Warm regards, Annie
Awww that’s the best! Annie, thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles!
I’m having trouble finding these cherries you refer to! In my grocery store, I can only find frozen pitted cherries, can of cherrie pie filling, or fresh cherries.
I’m thinking of going with the frozen Cherries, what do you think?
The frozen cherries would work fine except probably not for decorating the top.
Thank you for posting this recipe! I want to make this cake for my parents anniversary next weekend. I don’t have two cake pans the same size. Do you think it would be possible to make the cake in 1 pan and cut it in four? Or, shound I split the recipe and bake the two cakes separately?
Also, can I assemble the cake the day before, store it in the fridge, and put the frosting on the day of?
Thank you for your help, and posting the recipe!
HI Teresa, 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. You can definitely make the layers ahead of time and assemble the day you are serving. It would also be ok to assemble the entire cake the day before and refrigerate it until ready to serve.