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black forest cake
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5 from 1 vote

Black Forest Cake

Rich but light, decadent but fruity, this moist Black Forest Cake is made with dark sour cherries, kirschwasser, homemade whipped cream, and chocolate curls. Delicious!
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 12
Author Jen Leigh

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 oz dark chocolate for decorative shavings (optional)

For the Cherry Syrup:

  • 2 15 or 16 oz cans cherries in syrup*
  • 3/4 cup kirsch (cherry brandy), divided

For the Whipped Cream:

  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients and mix.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients, taking care to add the hot water slowly so as not to cook the eggs.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the mixer bowl with the dry ingredients and mix gently on low until smooth. Do not overmix. The batter should be thin.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the two 8-inch round cake pans. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
  • Remove the cakes from the oven and cool in the pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cherry Syrup and Garnish

  • Drain the cherries, reserving 1 cup of the syrup. Set syrup aside. Put cherries in a bowl and pour 1/2 cup kirsch over them. Let steep for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, simmer the reserved syrup and 1/4 cup of kirsch in a small saucepan over low heat until reduced down to about 1/2 cup. Set reduced syrup aside.
  • Drain the cherries again. Reserve some whole cherries for decorating the top, then slice the remaining cherries in half.

Whipped Cream

  • Whip the heavy cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium until just firm, usually about 7 minutes.

Assembly

  • Trim cake tops if necessary and divide each cake into two even layers; you should have four cake layers in all. Brush the syrup generously all over the top of each of the cake layers. Reserve left-over syrup.
  • Place one layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with about 1 cup of the whipped cream and spread in an even layer. Add a layer of halved cherries and drizzle with a little of the reserved syrup. Repeat with the remaining layers, then lightly frost the top and outside of the cake.
  • Decorate the top of the cake with chocolate shavings and curls (optional), whipped cream rosettes, and cherries, as desired.
  • Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

*The most readily available U.S. brand of canned cherries in syrup that I've been able to find is Oregon Pitted Whole Sweet Cherries. If you feel like splurging, however, the Italian Toschi brand of Amarena Black Cherries in Syrup are gorgeous in this cake.