Black forest cake is a layered chocolate dessert built for a celebration: moist cocoa sponge, tart cherries, cherry syrup, softly sweetened whipped cream, and dark chocolate curls. The cake is rich without being heavy because the fruit keeps each bite bright. Plan ahead for the final chill; four hours gives the syrup time to settle into the sponge and lets the layers slice cleanly.
What makes this black forest cake work
The sponge relies on well-aerated eggs rather than baking powder, so the long beating time matters. Cocoa and flour are folded in gently to protect that volume, while melted butter adds tenderness. Jarred sour cherries are especially useful because their juice becomes an instant syrup and their soft texture sits neatly between the layers.
Ingredients for black forest cake
- Large eggs, vanilla, caster sugar, Dutch-process cocoa, plain flour, and cooled melted butter
- Pitted morello cherries in syrup, reserved cherry juice, cornflour, and optional kirsch
- Heavy cream, vanilla, icing sugar, dark chocolate, and cherries for decoration
Prepare the chocolate sponge
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F, or 160°C fan, and prepare three 20cm / 8-inch pans with butter and parchment. Sift the cocoa and flour together. Beat the room-temperature eggs for 30 seconds, then add the sugar slowly over about 45 seconds. Add vanilla and continue beating for seven minutes, until the mixture is pale and has tripled in volume.
Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula, using broad, gentle strokes. A few faint streaks are fine at first; the goal is to avoid knocking out the air. Fold in the cooled melted butter as soon as the flour disappears, then divide the batter between the pans.
Bake and cool the layers
Bake for about 25 minutes. The sponge should spring back lightly when pressed, and a skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes before turning them onto a rack. They must be fully cool before assembly, or the cream will soften and slide.
Make the cherry syrup and filling
Drain the cherries and keep their juice. Stir the cornflour into 1/4 cup of the juice. Simmer the sugar with another 1/3 cup juice, whisk in the slurry, and cook for one minute, stirring, until the mixture becomes a thin syrup. Remove it from the heat, stir in the optional kirsch, and pour it over the cherries. Let everything cool completely.
Make chocolate curls and whipped cream
Melt the dark chocolate and spread it as thinly as possible over the back of a baking pan. Chill it for three to four minutes, just until the center is set. Scrape with a straight-edged spatula to create curls; if the chocolate breaks, use shavings instead. Refrigerate the curls. Just before assembling, whip the heavy cream with icing sugar and vanilla to firm peaks.
Assemble the cake
Set one sponge layer upside down on a platter and brush it with cherry syrup. Spread on about one cup of whipped cream, leaving a small border, then add half the cherries. Repeat with the second layer, syrup, cream, and remaining cherries. Place the final layer on top and cover the top and sides with the remaining cream.
- Preheat the oven and prepare three lined pans.
- Sift cocoa and flour; beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until tripled in volume.
- Fold in the dry ingredients and butter, divide, bake, and cool.
- Cook the cherry syrup, combine it with the cherries, and cool.
- Prepare chocolate curls and stiffly whipped cream.
- Layer sponge, syrup, cream, and cherries, then decorate.
- Chill for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
Serve and slice cleanly
Pipe a border of reserved cream around the top, add a cherry to each portion, and pile chocolate curls in the center. Chill the finished cake for at least four hours, or overnight, so the sponge absorbs the syrup and the flavors develop. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife.
Tips, storage, and an optional variation
Use a wide scraper for chocolate shavings and keep the cream cold while you work. If the sponge domes, trim only enough to level it before layering. For an alcohol-free variation, replace the kirsch with more reserved cherry juice. Refrigerate leftovers covered and serve within three days; keep the cake cold because the whipped cream softens at room temperature.
Search answers for chocolate cherry cake
Can black forest cake be made ahead? Yes. Assemble it the day before and refrigerate overnight for the best texture.
What cherries are best? Pitted morello or sour cherries in syrup provide both the fruit and the liquid needed for the filling.
Why is the cake chilled so long? The rest allows cherry syrup to soak into the sponge and helps the cream-set layers hold their shape.
Black forest cake FAQs
This black forest cake balances deep chocolate, tart cherries, and cool whipped cream in every slice. Give the layers their full chilling time, and you will have a dessert that is easy to portion, beautifully textured, and ready for a special table.
Why this black forest cake works
The long egg beating creates the light chocolate sponge, while the cherry syrup keeps it tender. Whipped cream and sour cherries balance the cocoa and make each layer distinct.
How to make black forest cake
- large eggs; vanilla extract; caster sugar; Dutch-process cocoa powder; plain flour; unsalted butter; pitted morello cherries in syrup; kirsch or cherry liqueur; cornflour; heavy cream; vanilla; icing sugar; dark chocolate; maraschino or fresh cherries.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Grease three 20cm / 8-inch cake pans and line them with parchment.
- Sift the cocoa and flour together and set aside.
- Beat the eggs for 30 seconds, slowly add the sugar over about 45 seconds, add vanilla, then beat for 7 minutes until pale and tripled in volume.
- Fold in the sifted cocoa and flour gently, then fold in the cooled melted butter. Divide the thin batter among the pans.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until springy and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a rack.
- Drain the cherries and reserve the juice. Mix 1/4 cup juice with the cornflour. Simmer sugar with another 1/3 cup juice, whisk in the slurry, cook 1 minute, stir in kirsch, and pour over the cherries to cool.
- Melt the chocolate, spread it thinly on the back of a baking pan, chill until just set, then scrape curls or shavings and refrigerate them.
- Whip the cream with icing sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks and refrigerate until needed.
- Place one cake layer on a platter, brush with syrup, spread with cream, and add half the cherries. Repeat with the second layer, then top with the third.
- Cover the cake with the remaining cream, pipe the reserved cream around the top, decorate with cherries and chocolate curls, and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup caster sugar divided
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa
- 2/3 cup plain flour all-purpose flour
- 150 g unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 670 g pitted morello cherries in syrup drained; reserve juice
- 1/3 cup kirsch or cherry liqueur or extra cherry juice
- 4 tsp cornflour cornstarch
- 4 cups heavy cream thickened cream
- 2 tsp vanilla for the cream
- 1/3 cup icing sugar powdered sugar
- 100 g dark chocolate for curls or shavings
- 12 maraschino or fresh cherries for decorating
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Grease three 20cm / 8-inch cake pans and line them with parchment.
- Sift the cocoa and flour together and set aside.
- Beat the eggs for 30 seconds, slowly add the sugar over about 45 seconds, add vanilla, then beat for 7 minutes until pale and tripled in volume.
- Fold in the sifted cocoa and flour gently, then fold in the cooled melted butter. Divide the thin batter among the pans.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until springy and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a rack.
- Drain the cherries and reserve the juice. Mix 1/4 cup juice with the cornflour. Simmer sugar with another 1/3 cup juice, whisk in the slurry, cook 1 minute, stir in kirsch, and pour over the cherries to cool.
- Melt the chocolate, spread it thinly on the back of a baking pan, chill until just set, then scrape curls or shavings and refrigerate them.
- Whip the cream with icing sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks and refrigerate until needed.
- Place one cake layer on a platter, brush with syrup, spread with cream, and add half the cherries. Repeat with the second layer, then top with the third.
- Cover the cake with the remaining cream, pipe the reserved cream around the top, decorate with cherries and chocolate curls, and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
