Black Forest Cake Recipe
This black forest cake is my take to the famous German cake and closest version to the classic and authentic black forest cake. Three layers of chocolate cake soak with cherry-kirsch syrup, in between delicious cherry filling and whipped cream, and all the cake covered with dark chocolate shavings. If like the combination of chocolate, cherries and whipped cream, this classic black forest cake is for you.
Black Forest Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 6 Eggs
- 1 cup 200g Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp 140g Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- ½ cup 50g Cocoa powder
- ¼ cup 60g Butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For the syrup:
- ½ cup 120ml Water
- ½ cup 100g Sugar
- ¼ cup 60ml Kirsch or cherry liquor (optional)
For the cherry filling:
- 1 Jar 680g Cherries
- Cherry juice from the jar/can
- 40 g Cornstarch
- ¼ cup 50g Sugar
- ¼ cup 60g Kirsch or cherry liquor (optional)
For the cream filling:
- 2½ cups 600ml Heavy cream, cold
- ½ cup 65g Powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons Instant pudding optional
For decoration:
- ½ cup 120ml Heavy cream, cold
- 2-3 tablespoons Instant pudding optional
- 2 tablespoons Powdered sugar
- Maraschino cherries/fresh cherries
- Dark chocolate shavings
Instructions
- DIRECTIONS
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350ËšF (180CËš). Butter a 9-inch (23cm) cake pan and line the bottoms with a parchment paper, grease the sides. Lightly dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer witted with whisk attachment, or in a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and salt. Whisk for 6-7 minutes until doubled in volume.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
- Add flour mixture into wet mixture and gently fold until combined and smooth. Add melted butter, vanilla extract and mix until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Let cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile make the syrup: in a small saucepan heat water and sugar. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, turn the heat off and add the kirsch/liquor. Set aside.
- Meanwhile make the filling: drain the cherries and set aside. Place the cherry juice in a saucepan, add kirsch (optional), sugar, cornstarch and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, while whisking, then reduce to medium-low heat and whisk constantly until thickness. Remove from heat, add the cherries and stir. Set aside.
- Make the cream filling: in a large bowl whisk heavy cream and powder sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag and set aside.
- Assembly: cut the cake horizontally into 3 even layers, using a Cake Leveler. Place the bottom cake layer on a cake stand or plate and brush with the syrup lightly. Pipe whipped cream around the edges of the cake. Then spoon half of the cherry mixture in the middle of the cake. Cover cherry mixture with whipped cream and smooth the top. Place second layer of chocolate cake and repeat the process one more time.
- Brush the top of the cake with syrup and cover the top and the sides of the cake with the remaining cream. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Decoration: before serving the cake, whip 1/2 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and instant pudding (optional) until stiff peaks form, transfer to a piping bag. Pipe some whipped cream on top of the cake, place cherries on the whipped cream. Decorate the sides of the cake with chocolate shavings.
This is my husband’s favorite cake. He had it in Manchester in the hotel we were staying in, the night we arrived. He has never had as good a one as then in England.
What is instant pudding which is optional in your Black Forest recipe
I had great success making this cake. Everyone enjoyed it. I have two comments. The sponge was a little dense for a Black Forest cake. I would try using cake flour to make a lighter sponge. The cream filling was excellent. I would just make more for the decoration. I found the ratio of pudding mix was too much. Nice to work with but too yellow and tasted too much like vanilla pudding.
Thank you for tutorial and sharing it
You make it very easy to cook
Iam a beginner, will try it out