This cake combines a delicious dark chocolate flavor with a cherry filling and homemade whipped cream! It is a great way to enjoy the tastes of Germany from the comfort of your own kitchen.
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Recipe Origins
In the German language, this cake recipe is called Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, which translates to Black Forest Cake in English.
There are a few theories about where the Black Forest cake got its name, but the biggest theory is that it most likely originated from the Black Forest region of Germany in the 16th century.
This is the first century in which chocolate was incorporated into cakes and cookies, and the Black Forest region of Germany was famous for its cherries and cherry brandy.
The first written recipe for a German Black Forest recipe was recorded in 1915 when Josef Keller, a pastry chef in Germany, created the cake. To this day, Black Forest Cake is incredibly popular amongst German families, but it is also popular in Austria, Italy, and Switzerland (PS check out this Sacher Torte recipe, a popular cake in Austria).
Why Make this Recipe
- Travel to Germany: If you’ve ever wanted to experience the wonderful tastes of Germany, you must try this recipe! Bring the tastes of Germany to your own kitchen.
- Cherry Filling: Cherry desserts are my all-time favorite desserts, especially during the summer months here in my hometown of Michigan. You’ll love the cherry filling and brandy in this recipe!
- Not Too Sweet: If you want to make a dessert but don’t have a huge sweet tooth, this is a great dessert for you to try! It’s delicious without being overly sweet.
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
- Cherry Brandy: I used a less expensive brand (bottom shelf) to keep this Black Forest Cake Recipe affordable. You can also use Schladerer Kirschwasse (cherry schnapps) if you are able to find it.
- Cherries: I used canned dark sweet cherries in a heavy syrup. You can also use jarred sweet cherries if you can find them. Don’t use maraschino cherries or tart cherries.
- Cherry Juice: I drained the cherries from the cans and reserved the cherry juice in a separate bowl.
- Dark Chocolate: Find a bar of high quality dark chocolate and grate it on the fine setting of a cheese grater.
Tools
- Medium Pot
- 2 Medium Bowls
- Rubber Spatula
- Stand Mixer
- Whisk
- Sifter/fine Mesh Strainer
- Springform Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Small Pot
- Pastry Brush
- Serrated Knife
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Make the Cake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fill a medium sized pot with water. Choose a bowl large enough to sit on the rim of the pot to create a double boiler (like in this Raspberry Oreo Truffle recipe).
Put the chocolate and butter in the bowl, and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring the water in the pot to a simmer, and stir the chocolate/butter mixture together until melted.
Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Turn the stand mixer to a high speed, and whip the egg whites until stiff.
In the medium bowl, add the granulated sugar to the egg yolks and beat with a hand mixer until the mixture turns foamy.
Pour the egg yolks into the melted chocolate and use a whisk to combine the batter.
Sift the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder into the bowl with the chocolate. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix. The batter will be dry and crumbly, this is okay.
Add the whipped egg whites into the chocolate batter and gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter using a rubber spatula until fully combined.
Grease a 9” springform pan. Cut out a piece of parchment paper the size of the bottom of the pan, then lay the parchment paper in the pan.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 2: Make the Cherry Filling
Put the cherry juice, brandy, and water in a small pot on the stove. Remove about ¼ cup of the cherry juice and pour it into a small bowl.
Add the granulated sugar and cornstarch into the small bowl of cherry juice and whisk until smooth. Then pour it back into the pot.
Bring the cherry juice to a simmer and allow it to simmer until thickened. Once thickened, add the cherries into the thickened juice and stir. Set aside to cool.
Step 3: Make the Whipped Cream
Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). Beat on high until whipped cream is formed. Set aside.
Step 4: Assemble
Cut the cake into 3 layers.
Add the bottom layer to a cake stand, then brush it with some cherry brandy using a pastry brush.
Pour half of the cherry filling to the bottom layer. Then, spoon about ⅓ of the whipping cream filling onto the cake.
Add the second layer of cake, then repeat with cherry brandy, cherry filling, and then whipped cream.
Add the top cake layer to the cake. Brush the top layer with cherry brandy, then spoon the rest of the whipped cream onto the top of the cake.
Use a cheese grater to grate the dark chocolate onto the whipped cream on the cake. Decorate the top with fresh cherries. Enjoy!
Remember, The Layers Are…
- Cake
- Cherry Brandy
- Cherries + Sauce
- Whipped Cream
- Cake
- Cherry Brandy
- Cherries + Sauce
- Whipped Cream
- Cake
- Cherry Brandy
- Whipped Cream
- Fresh Cherries
Expert Tips
- You don’t have to make a full cherry filling if you don’t want to. Some Black Forest Cake recipes call for just putting the dry cherries in between the layers of cake. This is an option as well if you’d like.
- The cherry brandy is necessary to keep some moisture in the cake. Given that one of the only leavening agents in the recipe is egg whites, Black Forest Cake tends to be on the dried side. Adding the cherry brandy gives some moisture back into the cake.
- If you like a sweeter cake, you could make frosting to put on your Black Forest Cake Recipe instead of whipped cream, though this is not traditional
- Grease your springform pan by using nonstick spray or crisco
Recipe FAQs
Black Forest Cake adds cherries and cherry liquor into the layers of the cake, whereas chocolate cake is just plain cake flavored with chocolate. The cherries in this recipe add a wonderful, fruity flavor!
If you don’t like/can’t have alcohol, you can still enjoy this Black Forest Cake Recipe! Instead of using cherry brandy or liqueur, you can use cherry juice to moisten the cake. If youd
This is a great alcohol-free option. (For another great alcohol-free recipe, try my Strawberry Tiramisu. If you like to drink, try my Mulled Wine in the Instant Pot)
Yes, you can use frozen cherries to make this recipe! Make sure that you thaw the cherries before using them.
If they release juice, make sure to reserve this to use as cherry juice. Alternatively, you can also buy cherry juice if your frozen cherries don’t have enough juice.
Did you enjoy this Black Forest Cake Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Cheese Spaetzle from Germany
- Obatzda (Beer Cheese Dip) from Germany
- Wiener Schnitzel from Germany
- Swiss Roll with Raspberry Cream Filling from Austria
- Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
Black Forest Cake
Equipment
- Medium Pot
- 2 Medium Bowls
- Rubber Spatula
- Stand Mixer
- Sifter/Fine Mesh Strainer
- Springform Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Small Pot
- Pastry Brush
- Serrated Knife
- Whisk
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 5 oz bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 5 tbsp butter, unsalted
- 6 eggs, divided
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
Filling Ingredients
- 2 15 oz cans dark sweet cherries, in heavy syrup
- 1 ¼ cups reserved cherry juice, from cherry cans
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup cherry brandy
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Frosting Ingredients
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
Other
- 1 oz dark chocolate, full block
- ½ cup cherry brandy
- Fresh, sweet cherries to decorate
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Fill a medium sized pot with water. Choose a bowl large enough to sit on the rim of the pot to create a double boiler.
- Put the chocolate and butter in the bowl, and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring the water in the pot to a simmer, and stir the chocolate/butter mixture together until melted.
- Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Turn the stand mixer to a high speed, and whip the egg whites until stiff.
- In the medium bowl, add the granulated sugar to the egg yolks and beat with a hand mixer until the mixture turns foamy.
- Pour the egg yolks into the melted chocolate and use a whisk to combine the batter.
- Sift the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder into the bowl with the chocolate. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix. The batter will be dry and crumbly, this is okay.
- Add the whipped egg whites into the chocolate batter and gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter using a rubber spatula until fully combined.
- Grease a 9” springform pan. Cut out a piece of parchment paper the size of the bottom of the pan, then lay the parchment paper in the pan.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cherry Filling
- Put the cherry juice, brandy, and water in a small pot on the stove. Remove about ¼ cup of the cherry juice and pour it into a small bowl.
- Add the granulated sugar and cornstarch into the small bowl of cherry juice and whisk until smooth. Then pour it back into the pot.
- Bring the cherry juice to a simmer and allow it to simmer until thickened. Once thickened, add the cherries into the thickened juice and stir. Set aside to cool.
Whipped Cream
- Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) and beat on high until whipped cream is formed. Set aside.
Assembly
- Cut the cake into 3 layers.
- Add the bottom layer to a cake stand, then brush it with some cherry brandy using a pastry brush.
- Pour half of the cherry filling to the bottom layer. Then, spoon about ⅓ of the whipping cream filling onto the cake.
- Add the second layer of cake, then repeat with cherry brandy, cherry filling, and then whipped cream.
- Add the top cake layer to the cake. Brush the top layer with cherry brandy, then spoon the rest of the whipped cream onto the top of the cake.
- Use a cheese grater to grate the dark chocolate onto the whipped cream on the cake. Decorate the top with fresh cherries. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cherry Brandy: I used a bottom shelf brand to keep this cake affordable. You can also use Schladerer Kirschwasse (cherry schnapps) if you are able to find it.
- Cherries: I used canned dark sweet cherries in a heavy syrup. You can also use jarred sweet cherries if you can find them. Don’t use maraschino cherries or tart cherries.
- Cherry Juice: I drained the cherries from the cans and reserved the cherry juice in a separate bowl.
- Dark Chocolate: Find a bar of high quality dark chocolate and grate it on the fine setting of a cheese grater.
- You don’t have to make a full cherry filling if you don’t want to. Some Black Forest Cake recipes call for just putting the dry cherries in between the layers of cake. This is an option as well if you’d like.
- The cherry brandy is necessary to keep some moisture in the cake. Given that one of the only leavening agents in this cake is egg whites, Black Forest Cake tends to be on the dried side. Adding the cherry brandy gives some moisture back into the cake.
- If you like a sweeter cake, you could make frosting to put on your cake instead of whipped cream, though this is not traditional
- Grease your springform pan by using nonstick spray or crisco
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