Black Forest Cake

By Samantha Seneviratne

Black Forest Cake
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1½ hours, plus chilling
Rating
4(940)
Notes
Read community notes

Black forest cake, which originated in the Black Forest region of Germany, is typically made with a light chocolate sponge cake, soaked with cherry syrup and cherry brandy (Kirsch), then layered with whipped cream and cherries. This version swaps the chocolate sponge for a denser, fudgier chocolate cake to delicious effect. But slicing a rich chocolate cake into four thin layers can be a bit tricky. To make the job a little easier, cool them completely before slicing. The cherry jam and syrup can be made in advance.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

    For the Cake

    • 1cup/240 milliliters vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the pans
    • 1½cups/140 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder
    • 1½cups/360 milliliters boiling water
    • 1cup/240 milliliters buttermilk
    • 4large eggs
    • 1½cups/330 grams packed dark brown sugar
    • 1½teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • 3cups/385 grams all-purpose flour
    • 1tablespoon baking powder
    • 1½teaspoons kosher salt
    • ¾teaspoon baking soda

    For the Cherry Jam

    • 4cups (about 20 ounces/600 grams) fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries, pitted
    • ½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
    • 1teaspoon cornstarch
    • ¼teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 to 2tablespoons Kirsch

    For the Whipped Cream and Assembly

    • ⅓cup/40 grams confectioners’ sugar
    • 1tablespoon cornstarch
    • 4cups/960 milliliters heavy cream
    • 6ounces/170 grams bittersweet chocolate, shaved into curls
    • 8fresh or frozen whole dark sweet cherries, pitted
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

1060 calories; 68 grams fat; 29 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 30 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 111 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 69 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 616 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with oil and line the bottom of each with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    To prepare the cake, in a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth. Add the buttermilk and 1 cup vegetable oil, and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract, then whisk to combine.

  3. Step 3

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then whisk to combine. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.

  4. Step 4

    Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a rack to cool for about 20 minutes, then flip the cakes out onto the rack and let them cool completely. Flip the cakes again, so the domed portion is on top, and trim a bit of the dome off each cake to flatten the top. Carefully cut each layer in half horizontally, creating four layers.

  5. Step 5

    While the cake cools, prepare the cherry jam: In a small saucepan, combine the cherries and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the cherries down with a wooden spoon or potato masher, until the fruit has released its juice, about 6 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Pass the cherry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the syrup in a medium bowl and setting aside the cooked cherries. Measure out ½ cup/120 milliliters of the syrup. (If you have more, store the rest in the refrigerator for another use). Transfer 1 tablespoon syrup from the ½ cup to small bowl, then stir the Kirsch into remaining syrup; set aside to cool completely.

  7. Step 7

    Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the reserved 1 tablespoon cherry syrup in the small bowl; whisk to combine. Transfer it to the saucepan, add the cooked cherries and cook over medium, stirring, until the mixture has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool completely. (You should have about 1¼ cups/300 milliliters jam.)

  8. Step 8

    Prepare the whipped cream: In a small saucepan, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch and 1 cup heavy cream. Bring that mixture to a low boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thickened to the consistency of thin pudding, reducing heat as necessary to avoid scorching, about 2 minutes. Transfer cream mixture to a large bowl to cool completely.

  9. Step 9

    Assemble the cake: Whisk the cream mixture to loosen it, then add the remaining 3 cups heavy cream. Using an electric mixer on medium, beat the mixture until you have medium-stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Set one cake layer on a serving plate, cut-side up. Brush it with some of the cherry-Kirsch syrup, spread about 1 cup whipped cream over the top, then ⅓ of the cherry jam. Swirl the jam and the cream together a bit to spread it out evenly. Repeat this process two more times and top it with the last cake layer, cut-side down. Then cover the entire cake with a thin layer of whipped cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  10. Step 10

    To finish, frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Prepare the chocolate curls: Warm the chocolate bar in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, then use a vegetable peeler to create curled chocolate shavings. Press the chocolate shavings onto the sides of the cake and over a 1-inch of the border on top. Top with the 8 cherries. Store leftovers, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Ratings

4 out of 5
940 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Esther R.

Another weekend, another cake. Again, a success. My guests (only a few, all with antibodies) LOVED it. As a holocaust survivor, baking this particular cake wasn’t easy for me. Black forest cake is really the most German cake possible. But paradoxically, perhaps thanks to the pandemic, I finally feel I’m ready to make peace with the past.

lisa murphy

No need to slice layers. Just use 4 cake pans. Professional baker for 35 years. Always used this method.

ECR

Wow, Esther. Two for two! There are tears in my eyes to read that even as a holocaust survivor, you are able to bake beautiful cakes and find such joy in life. Even German cakes! I myself am German, and I have carried that guilt with me my entire life. I try to do my part by not listening to Wagner and such, and probably I cannot bake this cake for the same reason. But so happy for you! Looks like a great recipe! -E

fefethompson

When you do add the almond extract to the syrup? Am I missing the instructions? I can’t seem to find it.

momo

Thanks to others’ comments I reduced the cake in half, using the full amount of fruit. Baked it in two 7” springform pans, and though not planned, one rose higher than the other. I cut that one in half and ended up with three layers. Next time I will intentionally add more batter to one pan and do the same. I used frozen cherries, supplemented with a frozen packet of mixed berries pre-measured for a smoothie. Frosted it with plain, stiffly whipped cream. Delicious and beautiful result.

Natasha

The cake is quite good and chocolatey but the ratio of cherries to cake isn’t quite right. I feel that you could use twice the amount of cherries and resulting cherry syrup. Next time I make this, I will only bake half of the cake recipe with the full amount of cherries. The stabilized whipped cream frosting was just right.

LowCountry

This took a lot longer than 1 1/2!!! Next time, I would look for flavourful cherries, and double the cherry mixture poured on the layers.

Megan

A) This recipe is delicious. B) It took waaaaay more than 1.5 hours, and I'm not sure the recipe actually notes where/when to employ the almond extract.

pmm

I made this yesterday for my birthday. Followed the recipe exactly, except did not add the liquor. The cake came out perfect. 100% success. Delicious. Very moist. I was surprised that it was not overly sweet, but there is actually very little sugar in the whipped cream or cherry jam. Absolute perfection. Highly recommend.

sherisheri

Made this cake exactly as outlined. I added the almond extract when I added the Kirsch, as that was the only step that seems to be missing. Cake easily took double the time in total (whoever can do this in 1 1/2 hours is a wizard). It turned out absolutely delicious and was a huge hit with the birthday girl. Would highly recommend, just leave enough time.

Stephanie G

I wish I had used regular sugar for the whipped cream. The confectioners sugar always has an off flavor to me and I think cooking it made it worse. Since you cook it, I don't see why it's necessary.

Charlie Dee

This cake is not that sweet... but it was interesting to make. Took a lot more time than anticipated. Def German type cake. And I like the recommendation to use 4 pans. The cream took longer that I thought to make. But all in all it was a pretty cake to share. Next time it will get better

Courtney

Made this a few days ago for my husband's birthday and it was spectacular! Loved that it was just barely sweet. As I was assembling it I was worried that none of the elements tasted AMAZING on their own, but in the end they combined for a perfect, lightly-sweet, beautiful cake. A lot of steps but nothing difficult, and assembly was easy. I used frozen cherries and thought the jam and syrup tasted blah, but it wasn't noticeable in the final cake. Used amarena cherries on top.

Annie

Made this for a Super Bowl Party. Really delicious cake and a lot of work. You could make it easier with ready made cherry jam. The cake was dense and fudgy as promised, with a great balance of flavors. The whipped cream frosting method produced a very light but stable frosting. It was devoured.

Jackie N

V. good but will not become a favorite. Cake was very dense & cracked badly and broke apart as I cut layers. Lucky glue back together with cream and nobody notices! Only did 3 layers and this was more than enough with such a dense cake, and more than enough to feed 12. More than 8 cherries are needed to decorate-cut cake in picture has 8, so go with 12-one cherry per slice. Also agree this cake takes much more than 1.5 hrs to make.

Pam

this is not authentic. Much too heavy and sweet. It completely misses the point. Black forest cake is light, not too sweet and each flavor is distinct. Try going to the actual Black Forest (not "near" and have a piece. It is amazing and readily available.

CFXK

There is no claim to "authenticity." Ms Seneveratne states clearly that she swapped out a typical "light chocolate sponge cake" with "a denser, fudgier chocolate cake to delicious effect." Different? Yes. But not inherently less delicious. Better than "authentic" would be words like "typical" or "traditional." Recipes evolve among many over time - with different traditions even within and among neighboring families and towns. There is no one "authentic" recipe locked in a vault somewhere.

Maria B.

In my experience, an authentic Black Forest Cake uses tart cherries, not sweet ones. It's what makes it so special.

sidewayguy

I mixed drained sour cherries and dried tart cherries, and soaked them in cherry liqueur and tart cherry juice (added a wee brandy if too thick). Did this 2 weeks prior! Yep……

Katrin

Sour cherries are the correct cherries to use, not sweet cherries.

Susan Dasso

This made huge cake and the cake part was very dense. I should have cut the recipe in half and just made one cake and sliced it in half.

Jamie

Tasty cake but I wanted more filling. I just did plain whipped cream and it worked well. I just thought more cherries in each layer would have been good.

Eva

Excellent cake! I doubled the cherries as suggested in other reviews. Almond extract goes into the syrup w the cherry liquor. Made and assembled the cake a day before, and it was perfect the next day. I didn't think the time required was much longer than noted in the recipe. Well worth the effort!

raina

I made this! Subbed luxardo, given I couldn’t find kirch. I could have over cooked the cornstarch/cream slurry, but I will agree with others that the prepared whipped cream I made tasted a bit too much like cornstarch. It was too late when I realized to swap out the filling, but I scraped off much of the crumb coat and made a stabilized whipped cream with marscapone to finish the cake. Also did what others did and doubled the cherry recipe, and went really ham with the soaking of the layers.

DSB

Adaptations/additions to consider: 1. Mix eggs with sugar, vanilla, and salt until light brown (about 4-6 minutes); 2. Slowly stream in neutral oil to egg/sugar mixture; 3. Bloom high quality cocoa with espresso instead of boiling water; 4. Alternate adding the cocoa/buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture; 5. I used 5 cups of cherries (bing/montmorency blend) for four tiers and the cherry was delicious but subtle. I will use 7/8 cups next time; 6. Coat top layer with chocolate ganache

Ana Z

The time on this recipe is way off. 2 and a half hours…. At least

Anne in NC

I made this cake for my book club when we were discussing Ann Patchett's Tom Lake, which is set in a cherry orchard. We were also celebrating a member's retirement, so I wanted to make something special. This cake was perfect. Everyone loved it, and it looked so pretty. It took me 4 1/2 hours to make, including pitting the cherries and letting things cool. Since I had read other notes that said it takes a long time, I had allowed enough time. Couldn't find kirsch anywhere in 2 counties, though!

Feeun

Delicious. Tasted like a Cherry Garcia cake. I used Beatty’s chocolate cake for the cake, no kirsch, and cream cheese in place of the first step/cup of the whipped cream frosting. 1.5X cherries (I used frozen) and it was plenty, but be sure to use all of the jam in the filling because it’s the best part. I tried to get fancy and added a chocolate ganache topping like I saw some other recipes do. Don’t be tempted. It looked pretty, but actually detracted from the flavor.

Therese

I'm making this cake this week for my son's 12th birthday, third year in a row. It's the only birthday cake he wants, and we all absolutely love it.

AnnaS

Made it for brother’s-in-law birthday. Excellent cake. Double cherries

GC

Hi! Used this recipe as inspiration. Baked the easy All-in-One Chocolate Cake by Nigella Lawson: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7470-all-in-one-chocolate-cake Then, pitted cherries and soaked in Cointreau overnight. Next day, made whipped cream, cut cake in half, poured some Cointreau/cherry juice onto bottom layer of cake. Then, spread whipped cream, then some soaked cherries. Then, put on second layer of cake, more whipped cream, topped all with more cherries. Was divine! Enjoy!

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