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Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe – layers of chocolate cake, brushed with cherry liqueur, whipped cream and cherry filling. Gorgeous cake, with amazing flavors, light, chocolatey, boozy and fruity. Perfect for a celebration.
As sophisticated as this cake looks, I can guarantee that this Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe is super easy to make. Since is is still summer (for at least a few more weeks), I thought that is isn’t too late to share this recipe with you.
What is Black Forest Cake?Where does it come from?
This Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe is not authentic. It is my spin on traditional German dessert called Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.
Components of Black Forest Cake. How is it made?
For the chocolate cake layers I used my European Sponge Cake Recipe (from an old cookbook, but you can also see the original, non chocolate version here). I also added some melted chocolate to enhance the flavor.
I brushed the cake layers with cherry Kirsch syrup, to make them extra moist. The cherry filling is made with fresh cherries (could use frozen if you make it in the winter), Kirsch liqueur and sugar.
The homemade vanilla whipped cream is super easy to make and extra light.
I left the cake “naked”, no frosting on the outside, but compensated this with the addition of chocolate ganache on top of the cake, dripping to the sides of it.
How to garnish, decorate Black Forest Cake?
Then garnished the cake with fresh cherries and chocolate shavings.
Super easy to make, impressive, great for chocolate lovers.
No maraschino cherries or canned cherry pie filling here, but a delicious dessert, that also isn’t too pricey to make. You know I’m not a huge fan of maraschino cherries, but you can use them for decoration in this cake if fresh are not available.
Fresh cherries are my favorite fruit ever! And the combination with chocolate is a killer!
If you love cherries, you may also like this Cherry Sundae Recipe – Ice Cream In A Mason Jar, Chocolate Cherry Stracciatella Gelato or Sweet Cherry Lime Smoothie.
One of the main ingredients (I think the most important!) in the authentic German Schwarzwald Cake is Kirsch liqueur. I was able to easily find it at my local store, but if for some reason you can not, feel free to use a cherry liqueur of your choice.
A kirschwasser or kirsch is a clear, colorless fruit brandy made with cherries.
Unlike cherry liqueurs and cherry brandies, kirschwasser is not sweet.
Want to make Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe kid friendly?
You can use alcohol free cherry liqueur.
If you’d like, you can also skip the liqueur, make the cherry filling without it and brush the chocolate sponge cake layers with simple syrup. Keep in mind that if you decide to skip it, the cherry flavors will not be as intense and if you decide to use simple syrup for the layers, the cake will be sweeter.
I’ve shared quite a few cakes and desserts on the blog, since I started it.
I can honestly say that this Black Forest Cake is one of my favorite desserts! I’ll be making it again for Labor Day.
If you love cherries and chocolate just like me, I hope you get to try this Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe. Make sure you let me know how you like it in the comments or connect with me on social media.
Ingredients you need to make Black Forest Cake
- eggs
- flour
- chocolate
- butter
- sugar
- cocoa powder
For the Cherry Filling + Cherry Kirsch Syrup:- cherries
- sugar
- liqueur
For the Whipped Cream:- heavy cream
- cherry liqueur
- sugar
For the Chocolate Ganache:- heavy cream
- chocolate
Other:
Tips to make this Easy Black Forest Cake: (Full instructions in recipe card)
- Make sure you properly fold the flour into the wet ingredients. The foamy eggs should not be deflated too much, since we are not using a leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder. I use a J folding technique, where you scrape the side of the bowl, then cut through the middle of the batter. This helps to make it smooth, but still keeps it airy.
- Use fresh cherries for the filling and for garnishing. I must admit, maraschino cherries look good for garnishing, but I rarely use them.
- Use a good cherry pitter like this one.
- Make sure you use good quality cherry brandy like Kirsch, to achieve a unique flavor.
- The cake will not look perfect (top may not be smooth, cake may tilt very slightly), since it is naked and also filled with whipped cream, which is not steady. It is best if you make it 1 day in advance and keep left overs in the fridge for not longer than 2 days.
Black Forest Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the chocolate Sponge Cake Layers:
- 6 eggs, large
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 oz dark chocolate (or semi sweet), melted
- 2 tbsp butter, melted, cooled
For the Cherry Filling + Cherry Kirsch Syrup:
- 18 oz cherries , 500 grams
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup Kirsch
For the Whipped Cream:
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate , 100 gr
- 4 oz heavy whipping cream, 120 ml
Other:
- 1 cup fresh cherries for garnishing
Instructions
For the chocolate Sponge Cake Layers:
- Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of 2 9″ cake pans with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray on top of the paper and the sides of the pans.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs on medium speed and slowly add the sugar. Continue beating on high speed for 8 minutes until light and thick. we need the egg sugar mixture to be very fluffy. Add vanilla.
- In a bowl combine flour and cocoa powder.Add flour mixture to the eggs and using a rubber spatula, fold flour cocoa mixture into the eggs.
- This step is tricky, make sure there are no thick pockets of flour. Keep scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Do not over mix. Stop folding, when there are no pockets of flour.
- Add melted (cooled) chocolate and carefully mix it into the batter.Add melted butter and carefully mix it into the batter.
- Pour batter into the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through.Remove from the pan, using a knife to loosen the cake. Let it cool on a cooling rack.Using a serrated knife, carefully cut cakes into two thin layers each, through the middle.
For the Cherry Filling + Cherry Kirsch Syrup:
- Pit cherries and cut in half (or quarter). Place on a bowl. Pour 1/4 cup cherry liqueur over them and let them soak for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the liqueur (brandy) to brush the cake layers later.
- Combine cherries and sugar in a sauce pan. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. If the fillings looks too thick and dry, add 2-3 tbsp water. Cool to room temperature.
For the Whipped Cream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip cream on medium-high until soft peaks form.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream until it just begins to boil and remove immediately.
- Place chocolate in a bowl and pour hot cream on top. Let it sit for 1 minute, then stir with a rubber spatula. Stir continuously, until mixture gets smooth. Let it cool to room temperature, then pour over the cake.
To Assemble:
- Place one cake layer on a cake platter or a large plate.
- Brush layer with cherry Kirsch syrup.
- Spread whipped cream on top (1/3 of the total whipped cream).Spread 1/3 of the cherry filling, leaving about 1 cm around the edges.
- Repeat with the second and third layers.Top with the fourth layer.
- Pour chocolate ganache on top, smooth with a spatula, so the top if the cake is relatively smooth and the ganache is dripping on the sides.
- Top with fresh cherries and chocolate shavings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You May Also Like:
No Bake Three Chocolate Cake Recipe
This is such a GORGEOUS cake, Mira! Better than a bakery! And I’m loving that this is easy to make, too. I’ve never made my own black forest version, so I’ve got to try this! Pinned!
?, my sentiments exactly! Absolutely, sublime! Pinned!!
The first thing that popped in my head was a cake this elegant looking is easy?? I believe you if you say that, and I love anything and everything black forest. This looks divine!
I love this cake and your photos!!
What a pretty cake Mira, black forest was one of my favorites when I was a kid 🙂
OMG. My favorite, but the recipe my mother passed down to me is overwhelming. Can’t wait to try this out for my Oktoberfest party.
Hi Laura, hope you get to try it and like it! Not 100% authentic, but easy to make and totally worth it!
Just beautiful!
As I’m making this cake, I noticed that there is no step in the sponge cake when to add the vanilla and then it says to add baking powder, but there is no measurement and it’s not on the ingredients list. Fingers crossed this comes together when it’s done baking.
Hi Elle, you add the vanilla after you beat eggs and sugar. Sorry for this, there is no baking powder in the recipe, I’m not sure why it says it, my mistake. Hope you like the cake!
Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
I made this for my daughter for her birthday and was huge hit. This cake is light and delicious and will be made for many occasions now. Next time, I will double the ganache, so it will drip all around.