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–+ servings

Black Forest Cake

This Black Forest Cake combines soft, moist chocolate cake layers with homemade Kirsch syrup, lightly sweetened whipped cream, and fresh cherrie for a beautiful take on the classic German dessert. Every layer is packed with rich chocolate flavor, juicy cherries, and light whipped cream, creating the perfect balance of richness and freshness. While it looks like a bakery-worthy celebration cake, this recipe is surprisingly easy to make and uses soft chocolate cake layers that stay moist and tender in the fridge. 
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Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, German
Servings 12 slices

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

CHOCOLATE CAKE

  • 240 g warm coffee or water for instant coffee use 1.5 teaspoon of instant coffee
  • 240 g all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 300 g granulated sugar
  • 50 g unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 110 g vegetable oil
  • 180 g Greek yogurt room temperature
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

KIRSCH SYRUP

  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 60 g water
  • 2 fresh cherries cut in half and pitted
  • 60 g Kirsch or Cherry Liquore

SWEETEND WHIPPED CREAM

  • 420 ml (410 g) heavy cream
  • 110 g powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

ASSEMBLING

  • 300 g fresh cherries
  • Dark chocolate for shavings

The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.

Instructions
 

CHOCOLATE CAKE

  • Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and line 3x 20 cm/8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Start by making the coffee and weigh it out so it can cool down a bit while preparing the other ingredients.
    240 g warm coffee or water
  • In a bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.
    240 g all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoon cornstarch, 300 g granulated sugar, 50 g unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
  • In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including coffee, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Be sure to not mix the ingredients too vigorously so the eggs don’t get over mixed.
    110 g vegetable oil, 180 g Greek yogurt, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.
  • Divide the cake batter into the prepared baking tins and bake them for 18-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  • Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.

KIRSCH SYRUP

  • While the cakes cool, place the sugar, water and pitted cherries in a small saucepan over high heat until the sugar dissolves and starts to boil.
    50 g granulated sugar, 60 g water, 2 fresh cherries
  • Turn off the heat, and then let it sit for 10 minutes. Then sift the syrup to remove the cheries and add the Kirsch, stir it together.
    60 g Kirsch or Cherry Liquore
  • Let the syrup cool down to room temperature.

SWEETEND WHIPPED CREAM

  • Once the cake layers and syrup is room temperature, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste to a bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, or a hand mixer, and whip it until medium stiff peaks.
    420 ml (410 g) heavy cream, 110 g powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

ASSEMBLING

  • Start by cutting the cherries in half and removing the pits. Save some whole for decorating the top. (These can also be prepped in advance before assembling)
    300 g fresh cherries
  • Cut the very top of the cooled down cake layers so they have an even top.
  • Add the first cake layer onto your serving plate and brush it with the kirsch syrup. Then add ⅓ of the whipped cream and top it with ⅓ of the pitted cherries. Do the same two more times. Decorate as well with the whole cherries and chocolate shavings, and it’s ready to be served. Store it in the refrigerator.
    Dark chocolate for shavings

Video

Nutrition

Carbohydrates: 59gProtein: 6gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 349mgPotassium: 164mgFiber: 2gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 559IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 2mg
Keyword black forest cake, cherries, chocolate cake, whipped cream
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