Black Forest Cake Recipe
This classic Black Forest Cake layers rich chocolate sponge with juicy kirsch-soaked cherries and billowy whipped cream for a celebration-ready centerpiece. Elegant, indulgent, and surprisingly achievable at home!
Servings 12 servings
Calories 704kcal
Equipment
- 8” round baking pans
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric mixer
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (270g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (50g)
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- ⅔ cup boiling water (160ml)
- ½ cup whole milk (120mL)
- ½ cup sour cream (120g)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (120mL)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cherry Syrup and Filling:
- 1½ pounds whole cherries pitted and halved (about 2½ cups of halved cherries)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup kirsch or cherry juice
Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 4 cups cold heavy whipping cream (960ml)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (60g)
- 2 tablespoons kirsch (optional; replace with 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
Assembly:
- ½ cup chocolate ganache (120ml) (optional)
- Chocolate shavings or sprinkles for garnish (optional)
- Fresh whole cherries (optional)
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two (8-inch) round cake pans with butter or baking spray and line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. (I highly recommend using soaked cake strips for baking flat cake layers.)
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Place the cocoa powder and espresso powder in a medium bowl. While whisking, slowly pour in the boiling water, and whisk until the cocoa powder is fully dissolved. Whisk in the milk, sour cream, and oil until combined, then add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk well combined.
- Pour the cocoa mixture into the flour and whisk together until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated and the batter is smooth. (The batter will be runny.) Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the springs back when gently pressed and the sides of the cake start to pull away from the pan. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Carefully invert the cake layers onto the wire rack, place parchment paper-side down, and let cool completely.
For the Cherry Syrup and Filling:
- While the cakes are cooling, place the cherries, sugar, and kirsch in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Cover and let cherries macerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain off the syrup that has collected in the bottom of the bowl. Add enough cold water or more kirsch to the syrup to make ⅔ cup (160ml), if needed. Set aside.
For the Whipped Cream Frosting:
- Place the cold cream and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl if using an electric hand mixer), and beat on medium speed until the cream starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Then increase the speed to medium-high, and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Drizzle in the kirsch and beat just until the cream forms stiff peaks, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Reserve 1 cup of the whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a closed start tip and place it in the fridge.
For the Assembly:
- Remove the parchment paper from the cooled cake layers. Cut each cake layer in half horizontally, so you have 4 thinner layers. (Each will have a top half and bottom half.) Reserve one bottom half to use as the final, top layer of the cake so you have a smooth, even top. Place the other bottom layer cut-side up on a serving plate. Brush 3 to 4 tablespoons of the reserved cherry syrup onto the top of the cake. Spread about ¾ cup of whipped cream on top, smoothing it out to the edges, then arrange about a third of the macerate cherries on top of the whipped cream in an even layer. (I like to put them cut side down into the cream to avoid big gaps between the layers.)
- Place another cake layer on top, cut-side up, and gently press it down, just enough until it’s even. Repeat by brushing with more syrup and adding whipped cream and cherries. Add another cake layer and top with syrup, whipped cream and cherries as before. Place the reserved bottom layer cut-side down so the smooth side is on top, and press down gently until the top is even.
- Spread the remaining whipped cream all over the top and sides of the cake in a smooth, even layer. Press chocolate curls onto the sides and sprinkle them on top of the cake, if desired. If you want to add a ganache drip, chill the cake for 30 minutes. Then, pipe the runny ganache around the top edge of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
- Pipe the reserved whipped cream on top and garnish with additional fresh cherries. Keep the cake refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly. Adding too much flour to the batter can result in cakes that are dry, dense, and too thin to cut in half easily. I always recommend a scale for accuracy, but if you don’t have one, use the fluff and spoon method. Fluff up the flour, gently spoon it into a dry measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife.
- If you can’t find kirsch, you can use a regular brandy or a different fruity-flavored liqueur. Or, swap it out for fruit juice like cherry or pomegranate for a non-alcoholic option.
- If you don’t have instant espresso, you can replace it and the boiling water with ⅔ cup hot brewed coffee or heated cold brew.
Nutrition
Calories: 704kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 1318IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 2mg