The Ultimate Black Forest Cake Recipe: A Decadent Homemade Classic
A Slice of Magic
I’ll never forget the first time a real Black Forest Cake crossed my path. It wasn’t in a German café, but at a friend’s grandmother’s house. She brought it to the table, and the room fell silent. It was a masterpiece—dark, dramatic, and whispering of deep chocolate and boozy cherries. One bite was a revelation: the impossibly tender chocolate layers, soaked in cherry syrup, the billowy clouds of fresh cream, and the sharp, dark chocolate shavings that melted on my tongue. It was nothing like the overly sweet, artificial versions I’d known. That cake was a story, and I knew I had to learn how to tell it myself. This recipe is my homage to that moment—a from-scratch, authentic Black Forest Cake that’s a labour of love and an absolute showstopper.
Why You’ll Love This Black Forest Cake
It’s a True Celebration Cake: This isn’t just a dessert; it’s the star of the show for birthdays, holidays, and any occasion that calls for something spectacular.
A Perfect Balance of Flavours: Experience the magic of rich, dark chocolate, tart cherries, and sweet, vanilla-kissed cream in every single bite. It’s sophisticated, not cloying.
The Make-Ahead Dream: You must make this cake a day ahead, which means zero stress on the day you plan to serve it. The flavours meld and mature into something even more incredible.
Deeply Satisfying to Create: There’s a profound joy in building this classic layer by layer, from whipping the egg-rich sponge to piling high your own chocolate curls.
The Ultimate Compliment
I once made this Black Forest Cake for a dinner party, fully aware that one guest was a notorious dessert skeptic, usually preferring a simple piece of fruit. When I brought out the cake, his eyes widened slightly. He took a small, polite slice. Then came the pause, followed by a quiet, “Wow.” He finished that slice and, with a slightly sheepish grin, asked for another. That’s the power of this cake. It doesn’t just please a crowd; it wins over the hardest of cases.
What Makes It Special
Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: This gives the cake layers a deeper, darker colour and a smoother, less acidic chocolate flavour that forms the perfect base.
Morello Cherries: These tart, jarred sour cherries provide a complex fruity tang that balances the sweetness far better than canned pie fillings or maraschino cherries ever could.
A Splash of Kirsch: The authentic, non-negotiable (but optional) touch. This clear cherry brandy adds a subtle, aromatic kick that cuts through the richness and makes the flavours sing.
Freshly Whipped Cream: We use a generous amount of real heavy cream, lightly sweetened, for a light and luxurious texture that’s far superior to any buttercream frosting.
Making It Happen
First, we’ll create the heart of the cake: the chocolate sponge. Don’t be intimidated by the lack of baking powder; the rise comes from whipping those room-temperature eggs and sugar until they are pale, thick, and tripled in volume. This step is crucial for that signature airy texture. We then gently fold in the sifted cocoa and flour, followed by the cooled, melted butter, being careful not to deflate all that beautiful air we just whipped in. The thin batter is divided between three pans and baked until springy to the touch.
While the cakes cool, we create the boozy cherry magic. We drain the morello cherries, reserving their precious juice. A simple syrup is made by simmering some juice with sugar, which we then thicken slightly with a cornflour slurry. Off the heat, we stir in the kirsch and pour this fragrant syrup over the drained cherries, letting it all cool completely.
For the dramatic finish, we make chocolate curls. Melted dark chocolate is spread thin on a tray, chilled until just set, and then scraped into beautiful curls. If they break? No problem. Chocolate shavings are just as gorgeous and classic—this is about flavour, not perfection.
Just before assembly, we whip the cold cream with a touch of icing sugar and vanilla into stiff peaks. Now, the fun begins. Place the first cake layer on your stand and brush it generously with the cherry syrup from the bowl. This step is the secret to a moist, flavourful cake. Spread over a cup of cream, top with a layer of those juicy cherries, and repeat. Once the final layer is on, we frost the entire cake with the remaining cream, pipe dollops around the top, and adorn it with the chocolate curls and fresh cherries. The final, most important step? Walk away. Let the cake rest in the fridge for at least four hours, or ideally overnight, to allow the flavours to become one glorious whole.
You Must Know
Room Temperature Eggs are Key: They whip up to a much greater volume than cold eggs, which is essential for the cake’s lift.
Be Gentle Folding: When incorporating the dry ingredients and butter, use a light hand and a spatula. Overmixing will deflate the batter.
Whip the Cream to Stiff Peaks: The cream needs to be sturdy enough to support the heavy layers of cake and cherries.
Don’t Skip the Soaking: Brushing the cake layers with the cherry syrup is what makes this dessert exceptionally moist and authentic.
Patience is a Virtue: The resting time in the fridge is non-negotiable for the best texture and flavour.
Serving It Right
Bring your Black Forest Cake out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving to take the chill off. Use a sharp knife, dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices, for clean cuts. This rich cake needs little accompaniment, but a cup of strong black coffee or an espresso makes for a perfect pairing, balancing the sweetness. For a truly German experience, a glass of the kirsch used in the recipe is a classic digestif.
Make It Different
Non-Alcoholic: Simply replace the kirsch with an equal amount of the reserved cherry juice.
Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in place of the plain flour.
Dairy-Free: Use a high-quality dairy-free butter alternative and ensure your chocolate is dairy-free. For the cream, chill two cans of full-fat coconut cream overnight, scoop out the solid cream, and whip it with the icing sugar and vanilla.
Flavour Twist: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a warm, spiced note.
Storing Your Masterpiece
This Black Forest Cake must be stored covered in the refrigerator, where it will keep beautifully for 3-4 days. The cream may soften slightly after day three, but it will still be delicious. Do not freeze this cake, as the whipped cream and soaked layers will not hold their texture well upon thawing.
Success Tips
For the best chocolate flavour, use a high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
If your three cake pans don’t fit on one oven rack, place two on a middle rack and one on a rack directly below. Rotate them halfway through baking if needed.
To easily get clean slices, use a long, thin-bladed knife and wipe it clean between each cut.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use fresh cherries instead of jarred?
While you can, I don’t recommend it for your first time. Jarred morello cherries have the perfect balance of tartness and tenderness, and their syrup is essential for the recipe. Fresh cherries can be too soft when cooked and lack the consistent flavour.
2. My chocolate curls keep breaking! What am I doing wrong?
This usually means the chocolate is too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for a minute or two to slightly soften. If it’s too soft and smears, it needs more chilling. And remember, shavings are a perfectly wonderful and classic alternative!
3. Is there a substitute for kirsch?
Yes, you can use more reserved cherry juice. For a different flavour, a cherry brandy (like Cherry Heering) or even a dark rum can work, though it will taste less traditional.
4. Can I make this cake over two days?
Absolutely! It’s highly recommended. Bake the cake layers and prepare the cherry filling on day one. On day two, whip the cream, make the chocolate curls, and assemble the cake, allowing it to rest for at least 4 hours before serving.
5. Why did my cake layers not rise very high?
The most common culprit is not whipping the eggs and sugar for long enough, or deflating the batter when folding in the dry ingredients and butter. Ensure you whip for the full 7 minutes until very pale and thick, and fold with a gentle, confident hand.
Black Forest Cake Recipe Card
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes (plus chilling)
Servings: 12
Category: Dessert
Difficulty: Intermediate
Cuisine: German
Yield: One 8-inch, 3-layer cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
2/3 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour)
150g / 10.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Cherry Syrup & Filling:
670g / 23.5 oz pitted morello cherries in syrup, drained and juice reserved
1/3 cup kirsch or cherry liqueur (optional)
1/2 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
Decorating:
4 cups / 1 litre thickened / heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup soft icing sugar / powdered sugar
100g / 3.5 oz dark chocolate
12 maraschino or fresh cherries
Instructions
For the Cake: Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Grease and line 3 x 20cm (8”) cake pans.
Sift the cocoa powder and flour together. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat eggs for 30 seconds. With the mixer running, slowly stream in the sugar, then add vanilla. Beat on high for 7 minutes until very pale, thick, and tripled in volume.
Gently fold in the sifted flour/cocoa mixture with a spatula until almost combined. Drizzle in the cooled melted butter and fold gently until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
Divide batter between the three prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Cherry Filling: Drain cherries, reserving the juice. Mix 1/4 cup of the juice with the cornstarch to make a slurry.
In a saucepan, heat the sugar and 1/3 cup of cherry juice until simmering. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and simmer for 1 minute until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, stir in kirsch. Pour over drained cherries and cool completely.
For Chocolate Curls: Melt chocolate and spread thinly onto the back of a baking tray. Refrigerate for 3-4 minutes until just set. Scrape with a sharp edge to form curls. Refrigerate.
To Assemble: Whip the cream, icing sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks.
Place one cake layer on a plate. Brush with 1/4 cup of the syrup from the cherries. Spread with 1 cup of whipped cream, leaving a small border. Top with half of the cherries.
Repeat with the second layer. Place the final cake layer on top.
Use most of the remaining cream to frost the top and sides of the cake. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups for piping decorations, if desired.
Press chocolate shavings onto the sides and pile curls in the center. Top with piped cream dollops and the remaining cherries.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
