If you are a chocoholic like me, take a look at my Honeycomb Crunch Chocolate Cake.
It’s no secret that cake is my favourite dessert and I like making my own. I don’t bake very often but when I do I make sure it’s something very special. The cake category on this website is quite extensive. So many different flavours to choose from. Which one is your favourite? This Black Forest Cake is my husband’s favourite and he usually requests it for his birthday. It’s an easy enough cake to bake, so I am happy to oblige.
I never cared for the store bought versions of the Black Forest Cake for two reasons; artificial taste of chocolate layers and the electric red of maraschino cherries. I didn’t grow up in North America and prefer more subtle flavours. I also love cakes that are not too sweet.
However, the cake is actually German and I know I LOVE German cakes. They are just the right combination of rich and decadent without being overly sweet. A small piece goes a long way! My version of Black Forest is plenty traditional. Dark. Boozy. Delicious.
What is Black Forest Cake
This cake consists of four chocolate layers, which are filled with vanilla and brandy flavoured whipped cream. The filling is studded with Morello cherries, the original Maraschino cherries before they turned bright red in America. The top is glazed with chocolate ganache. I am also happy to tell you that the cake is incredible easy to make. This is how you do it.
How To Make It At Home
Lucky for us this famous cake is not difficult to make. All you have to do is to bake two chocolate sponge cakes. And I am using my fail proof chocolate cake recipe here. Then split them in two. This way you get 4 thin layers filled with stabilized whipped cream, which is flavoured with vanilla and brandy The photo guide belows will show you exactly how I did it.
How To Decorate It
Classically the cake is decorated with whipped cream rosettes, which are topped with fresh or maraschino cherries. I’ve followed the tradition and added a few personal touches as well. I am not sure why but I’ve always thought of Black Forest Cake as a Christmas cake. I think the Black Forest itself, and all the woodland creatures, make me think of Christmas. So I decorated it along those lines by sticking wooden Christmas tree cutouts to the sides of the cake. The little tree are gift tags that I purchased earlier. If you’ve never decorated a cake before, here is a great resource to consult. Cake Decorating for Beginners from The Best Cake Recipes.
Top Tip
What sets this Black Forest Cake recipe apart from all the others is amarena cherries. Amarena cherries come from Italy (you can see them in the collage above) are demi-glacé cherries in a delicious syrup made with the sour cherry variety! You can buy them in an Italian deli or online. I brushed chocolate cake layers with a combination of Amarena cherry syrup and a splash of brandy. The result is nothing short of divine. That little extra step takes the cake to a new level!
More chocolate cake recipes:
Christmas Chocolate Cake with Cranberries Black and White Chocolate Cake with Blackberry Compote Malted Chocolate Cake Chocolate Truffle Cake
This recipe was originally published in 12/2013. Updated and republished in 12/2020.
title: “Black Forest Cake” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-20” author: “Patrick Seals”
How to Make Black Forest Cake
Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa into a large bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
Cream the butter then add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
Add the coffee to the butter mixer then beat in the eggs and yolks one at a time. Scrape the bowl down then mix once more.
Add the dry mixture in three batches alternating with the buttermilk. Beat until combined then scrape the bowl down one last time and mix once more just until any remaining pockets of butter are incorporated.
Divide the cake batter evenly either between the three six inch pans or two 8 inch pans. I always use cake strips for nice flat layers. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. Allow to cool a few minutes then invert onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
WHILE the cakes are baking you’ll need to make the syrup for soaking the layers. Add the water and sugar to a small pot then bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about a minute then remove from heat and stir in the cherry liqueur. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool before using.
Reserve the prettiest cherries. If you’re making this as a 6 inch cake then you’ll want about 12, if you’re making an 8 inch then grab 20. Halve the rest and de-pit them and set aside in a bowl.
Shave down a 4oz bar of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. Most of that will be used for the skirt. Reserve about 1/4 cup for the ganache. It’s impossible to shave all the chocolate so those big leftover pieces are great for the ganache!
Whip the cold cream, powdered sugar and cherry liqueur together until soft peaks form. It’s preferable to chill the bowl and whisk but not a must. Don’t make the whipped cream until you’re ready to use it.
SOAK your cake layers with the syrup. Don’t just brush it on, use a spoon to and slowly add all the syrup to the three layers.
Cover the first layer in whipped cream then press in as many cherry halves and pieces as you can fit. Remember the cherries support the cake and keep the whipped cream from squeezing out of the sides. Repeat this process until the cake is assembled then push in any errant cherries and smooth the side.
Cover the cake in a layer of whipper cream then smooth the top with an offset spatula and the side with a bench scraper. Pull the top corner in with the offset spatula making sure to clean it after each swipe.
Gently press the chocolate shavings onto the lower third of the cake. You can also throw them towards the cake, which is a nice way to get a gradient effect towards the middle.
Now it’s time for the ganache! This, by the by, is totally optional you may prefer to sprinkle more shaved chocolate on top, dust with cocoa powder or leave blank.
Use a large closed star tip to pipe dollops on the top’s edge. I’m using a 849 tip but any larger star tip will work.
Finish you cake off with the pretty cherries you reserved earlier. Press gently into the dollops and you’re ready to serve.
Pro Tips for this recipe
You can make this with three six inch layers or two 8 inch layers. Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set online or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested! Those cherries between each layer are very important so try to keep the pieces in halves or quarters and don’t skimp on them. If you don’t add them at all your soft whipped cream frosting will get squeezed out of the sides and the cakes. Whipped cream is soft and while delicious it won’t last very long so serve your cake the day its made and be gentle when smoothing it.
What is this cake made of?
Black forest cakes are made with chocolate cake layers soaked in a cherry brandy called kirsch with cherries, whipped cream and shaved chocolate used in the assembly.
Why is it called Black Forest cake?
The cake is named after the cherry liqueur that imparted It’s distinctive flavor onto the dessert. Invented in the early twentieth century the cake was originally associated mostly with Berlin but soon became popular throughout Germany.
Should it be refrigerated?
Black forest cakes are covered in whipped cream which must be refrigerated if being left out for more than an hour. Additionally, whipped cream does not hold up well over time so a black forest cake would ideally be served fairly soon after assembly
Does this recipe have Alcohol?
A traditional black forest cake uses kirsch, which is an unsweetened cherry liqueur. You can omit this if you’re making the cake kid safe and instead add cherry juice to the syrup.
What can I use instead of kirsch in this cake?
Kirsch is an unsweetened eau de vie which has a wonderful aroma and slight taste of cherries but is pretty powerful. It’s a great addition to the sugar syrup that soaks the cake layers but if you can’t get ahold of it try Luxardo Il Maraschino Cherry Liqueur, or any number of sweeter cherry liqueurs. You could also add in regular brandy or another alcohol you enjoy along with some fresh cherry juice. If you love this recipe try these out!Red Velvet CakeChocolate CakeVanilla Cake RecipeGerman Chocolate CakeChocolate Lava Cake If you’ve tried this black forest cake recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
