Black forest cake is something that has been on my list for YEARS, so when my neighbor showed up with a bowl full of fresh-picked sweet cherries, I knew it was time. Thankfully, it turned out so delicious that I was able to return the favor with cake. This black forest cake recipe features layers of decadent chocolate cake soaked with homemade cherry syrup, fresh cherry filling, and whipped cream frosting. It’s extremely simple to make and really satisfying to use every part of the cherry (minus the pits and stems of course) to create this gorgeous cherry flavor that really comes through in every bite. This is the best way to use your fresh or frozen cherries!
One Reader, Kaylee, says: “This was the best Black Forest recipe I’ve tried to date! I have tried so many and while they were good, nothing blew me away or there was always something that, to my liking, could be better. This one was a MAJOR hit!” ★★★★★
What is a Black Forest Cake?
Originating in Germany, a black forest cake is a rich chocolate sponge cake with whipped cream and sour cherries. It often includes kirsch (cherry-flavored brandy) that is used as a soak for the cake layers and added to the cherry filling. Sour cherries and kirsch are produced in the Black Forest region of Germany, which is where the cake is believed to get its name.
I don’t include kirsch in this recipe, so it’s not a traditional black forest cake per se, but I have instructions below on how to include kirsch if you want to.
Black Forest Cake Elements
Now that we know what goes into a traditional black forest cake recipe, here are the elements that I use in mine:
- One-Bowl Chocolate Cake. This is my favorite easy chocolate cake recipe that uses simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. It’s super moist and decadent and pairs so beautifully with the cherry flavors in this cake.
- Cherry Filling. I make the cherry filling with fresh sweet cherries that I cook together with a little sugar, water, lemon juice, and almond extract. Basically bring all the ingredients to a boil and cook until the cherries soften up.
- Cherry Syrup. After cooking the cherries, I strain them from the liquid in the saucepan and continue cooking the liquid left in the saucepan until it reduces into a syrup. This is what I use to soak the chocolate cake layers in the assembly process.
- Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting. To fill and frost the cake, I made a whipped cream frosting that is lightly sweetened. I like to add a little unflavored gelatin to stabilize the frosting. This extra ingredient helps the frosting keep its shape and prevents it from deflating or weeping over time.
- Chocolate Ganache Drip. While not traditionally part of a black forest cake, a chocolate ganache drip adds a little more rich chocolate flavor and is so pretty to look at.
How to Make a Black Forest Cake
Here’s how to make and assemble the perfect black forest cake:
Bake the Chocolate Cake Layers. You can make the chocolate cake using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or simply with a whisk and large bowl. You’ll essentially combine all of the dry ingredients, mix in most of the wet ingredients, and then whisk in some hot coffee (or hot water) to create a thin chocolate cake batter with incredible flavor.
After baking, cool the cake layers to room temperature and level off the tops. The exposed cake crumb is the perfect porous surface for the cherry syrup to soak into when you assemble the cake.
Make the Cherry Filling and Cherry Syrup. Combine all of the cherry filling ingredients in a saucepan set over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until the cherries soften, which takes about five minutes. Then, strain out the cherries and store them in a separate bowl or container.
Continue cooking the liquid that’s left in the saucepan for an additional 10 minutes, until it reduces by about half. Remove it from the heat and place in a separate container. This will be your cherry syrup.
Make the Stabilized Whipped Cream. It’s best to make the whipped cream frosting right before you assemble the cake and it doesn’t take long at all. With the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract into the bowl and beat on high speed until it reaches soft peaks, about 1 minute. Stabilize it with gelatin, then continue beating until stiff peaks form, another 2-3 minutes.
Make the Chocolate Ganache. Whisk together chocolate chips and simmered heavy whipping cream to make a smooth ganache. You’ll use this as a drip to decorate the cake.
Assemble the Black Forest Cake. Once all of your elements are room temperature, place the first chocolate cake layer on your turntable and use a pastry brush to brush on some cherry syrup. Make sure to cover the whole surface of the cake layer. Add a layer of the whipped cream frosting on top and make a slight dam around the edges with your spatula. Fill in the center with half of the cherries.
Place the next chocolate cake layer on top and repeat the process of adding the cherry syrup, whipped cream filling, and cherries. Place the final layer on top, upside down so that the bottom of the cake becomes the top.
Decorate. Use the majority of the remaining whipped cream frosting to frost the cake with a semi-naked finish. I added a chocolate ganache drip on top of this for extra drama but also it enhanced the overall chocolate flavor of the cake.
For the finishing touches, I used the rest of the whipped cream frosting to pipe swirls on top of the cake using Wilton Tip 1M. Then, I topped each swirl with a fresh cherry.
Black Forest Cake FAQ’s
Can I Use Kirsch In This Recipe? Yes! I don’t include it only because I don’t drink alcohol. If you want a more traditional black forest cake, add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of kirsch into the cherry filling portion of the recipe. This will add kirsch flavor to the cherry filling and to the syrup as well.
Can I Use Canned Cherries? Yes. I prefer making the cherry elements from fresh cherries, but if you’d rather use canned cherries you can use one 15-ounce can of dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup. Strain the cherries from the syrup, then cook the syrup and kirsch (if using) together in a saucepan set over medium heat. Simmer until the syrup is reduced by half, about 5-10 minutes. When the syrup reaches room temperature and you have the rest of your elements ready, proceed with the assembly instructions below.
What if I Don’t Have a Cherry Pitter? You can either use a small metal straw to poke through the cherry and force the pit out, or slice the cherries in half and dig the pits out by hand.
How Do I Store the Cake Once Decorated? Since this cake has a whipped cream frosting and fresh fruit filling, it’s best to store this cake in the refrigerator. It can be served at room temperature or cold, either way is delicious!
Can I Make This Cake Ahead of Time? Yes. Aside from the whipped cream frosting, you can make the individual elements ahead (see the notes section of the recipe) or assemble the entire cake one to two days ahead. It actually tastes even better after a day or two in the refrigerator because the cherry flavor soaks into the cake even more.
Black Forest Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
- 1 2/3 Cups (340g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in the notes
- 1 Cup (240ml) hot coffee or hot water
Cherry Filling & Syrup
- 1 1/2 Cups (250g) fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved frozen cherries work as well!
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1 tsp unflavored gelatin
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cold water
- 2 1/4 Cups (540ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 3/4 Cup (90g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache (Optional)
- 1/2 Cup (93g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
Garnish
- 6-7 fresh sweet cherries
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle.
- Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot coffee (or hot water) in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 32-36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting.
Make the Cherry Filling & Syrup
- Add all of the cherry filling ingredients into a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking the cherry mixture for 5 minutes.
- Using a mesh strainer or slotted spoon, remove the cherries from the saucepan and place them into a separate container to cool. This will be your cherry filling.
- Continue cooking the liquid that remains in the saucepan, stirring frequently until it reduces by half, about 10 minutes. Pour the liquid into a separate container to cool and set aside. This will be your cherry syrup.
Make the Stabilized Whipped Cream
- Make the stabilized whipped cream right before you're ready to assemble the cake (the cake layers and filling/syrup should be cooled to room temperature). Get started by chilling the metal bowl of your stand mixer for 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Sprinkle the gelatin into a small glass measuring cup or microwave safe dish. Add the cold water and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. Set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to let the gelatin set.
- While the gelatin is setting, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract into the chilled metal bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed to combine. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the mixture is thickened, stopping just shy of reaching soft peaks, about 1 min.
- At this point, the gelatin should be solidified. If so, pop it into the microwave for 5-10 seconds, until the mixture has re-liquified but is still cool to the touch. Use a whisk to briefly stir the gelatin mixture together to make sure it's smooth.
- With the mixer on low speed, drizzle the liquid gelatin into the cream. Slowly increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until you have reached stiff, fluffy peaks, about 2 minutes. Use immediately to ensure the best consistency for piping.
Make the Chocolate Ganache (Optional)
- Place the chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal) and set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the heavy whipping cream until it just starts to simmer. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft simmer starting in the middle. When it's reached this point, pour the cream into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds.
- Whisk the chocolate and cream together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool the ganache at room temperature for 10-20 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature or slightly above, before dripping the cake in the assembly instructions below.
Assembly
- Once the chocolate cake layers are cooled, level them to your desired height. Add the first layer onto a cardboard cake round on your turntable or cake stand. Use a pastry brush to add some of the cherry syrup onto the cake layer as a soak.
- Add a layer of whipped cream frosting onto the cake layer and create a bit of a dam on the outer edges by smoothing the center down lower than the edges with your angled spatula. This is to keep the cherry filling from spilling out from between the cake layers. Add half of the cherry filling into the dam.
- Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the process of adding the cherry syrup, whipped cream, and the rest of the cherry filling. Place the final cake layer on top, upside down so that the bottom of the cake layer becomes the top of the cake.
- Use the rest of the whipped cream frosting to decorate the cake. To create the look pictured, reserve about 1/2 Cup of the frosting for the swirls on top and use the remaining whipped cream frosting to create a semi naked finish on the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate ganache, which should be room temperature or slightly above (see this blog post for tips about creating the perfect ganache consistency).
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and use either a piping bag or small spoon to drip the chocolate ganache over the sides of the cake. Place the cake back in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes to let the ganache drip set, then fill a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 1M with the reserved whipped cream frosting. Pipe swirls on the top edge of the cake and top each one with a fresh cherry.
Notes
- The chocolate cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature.
- The cherry filling and syrup can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- The chocolate ganache can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it as a drip, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.
- The stabilized whipped cream cannot be made ahead. It should be made right before you’re ready to assemble the cake.
- The assembled and decorated black forest cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Did you make this Black Forest Cake? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments (don’t forget to rate it!) and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
This was the best Black Forest recipe I’ve tried to date. I have tried so many and while they were good, nothing blew me away or there was always something that, to my liking, could be better. To be completely honest, the only thing I followed to the T was the actual cake, simply because I know how we like our desserts and adjusted to our preference.
But the main and most important piece of this cake, in my opinion, is the cake itself; (and for any cake that is). But this particular one was tricky for me to get right. And then I found yours…wow. This one is literally perfect. My own chocolate cake recipe is great and somewhat similar to this one but I could never get it to be “spongy” enough for soaking and I didn’t want to go with the traditional genoise because we just don’t prefer that.
Anyway, thank you so much for this recipe! It was a MAJOR hit. I’m always having the family cake-tasting just because I like to make yummy cakes lol and for my side hobby-business. This one was a winner right off the bat.
I added mascarpone to the whipped cream frosting and it took it over the top lol
I’m so happy to hear this was such a hit, Kaylee!! Adding mascarpone to the frosting sounds next level and now I want to try it!
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday and it was a hit! I will be making it again!
Yay, Marisol! That makes me so happy!
I will be making this for my husbands birthday party next week. I do have a question. He wants a photo on top. Can I make a disc of fondant, add the edible image and on the day, put it on top of the cake?? Would it work?
Hi Jane! I’m so excited for you to make this cake for your husband! I think the fondant disc method will work, another method would be to just drip the ganache around the sides of the cake (don’t fill in the top) and then place the photo on top of the whipped cream frosting. From there, you could pipe a decorative border around the photo. Hope that helps!