If you’re looking for a cake that’s both simple and delicious, this easy, foolproof Black Forest recipe is for you.
The traditional Black Forest cake, known in German as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, consists of a soft chocolate sponge soaked in kirsch syrup, filled with light whipped cream and amarena cherries. The entire cake is then generously covered with chocolate shavings.
It’s an iconic German dessert, loved for its lightness and ease of preparation, and very popular in Alsace. Perfect as a birthday cake, for a family gathering, or any special occasion!
This recipe is straightforward, there’s no need for the perfectly smooth finish often required with some layer cakes. Once the chocolate sponge is assembled, simply cover it with whipped cream without worrying about achieving a flawless surface. Finally, cover the cake with chocolate shavings, which you can easily make using a chocolate bar and a vegetable peeler.
Black forest – birthday cake
Table of Contents
Tips for a successful homemade Black Forest
The only step in this recipe that may seem challenging is preparing the sponge cake and whipped cream. Don’t worry, making a beautiful sponge cake isn’t complicated. I explain everything in detail in the article dedicated to a high and fluffy chocolate sponge cake.
For best results, be sure to let the sponge cake cool completely before adding the topping to prevent the whipped cream from melting.
You can also prepare the sponge cake in advance and store it, well wrapped, in the fridge or freezer to save time on assembly day.
You’ll also find all my tips for making perfect chantilly in the article on easy mascarpone whipped cream. You’ll easily achieve a delicious, airy whipped cream.
Use very cold heavy cream for better stability. Feel free to adjust the amount of kirsch in the soaking syrup to your taste for the perfect balance of sweetness and aroma.
As for the cherries, you can use canned amarena cherries, but pitted fresh cherries work just as well and add a touch of natural freshness.
Video recipe
Black forest recipe for 12 people:
NB: Find the printable recipe card at the end of the content.
Chocolate Sponge Cake (for a 23 x 8 cm / 9 x 3 inches cake pan)
- 6 large eggs ( about 68–72 g each, with shell )
- 200 g granulated sugar (7 oz)
- 170 g all-purpose flour (6 oz)
- 30 g cocoa powder (1 oz)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 packets vanilla sugar
Syrup for soaking
Note: If you use cherries in syrup, use their syrup to soak the sponge cake.
- 180 g granulated sugar (6.3 oz)
- 150 ml water (5 fl oz )
- 2 packets vanilla sugar
- A few cherries optional
- A few drops of kirsch optional
Whipped Cream
- 750 ml heavy cream ( 25.4 oz ) preferably 35% fat; 30% can work if very cold
- 80 g powdered sugar (2.8 oz ) adjust to taste
- 15 g vanilla sugar ( 0.5 oz ) 2 packets or seeds from one vanilla bean (optional) Note: If using vanilla sugar, subtract its weight from the powdered sugar
For filling and topping
- 500 g cherries ( 1.1 lb ) in syrup preferably Amarena or fresh cherries (pitted)
- 165 g dark chocolate ( 5.8 oz ) for chocolate shavings
Note : It’s best to prepare the chocolate shavings the day before and keep them in a tin in the fridge. They can even be made several days ahead.
Preparation steps :
Prepare the chocolate sponge cake
You can prepare it the day before, wrap it well and leave it in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) on conventional heat.
Grease a cake pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder with the baking powder and mix with a whisk.
Place the eggs, vanilla sugar, and regular sugar in a large mixing bowl because the mixture will triple in volume.
Place a little boiling water in another slightly smaller bowl for a bain-marie. The bottom of the bowl containing the eggs and sugar should touch the water, but the water should not rise up the sides of the mixing bowl.
Place the mixing bowl with the eggs and sugar over the bowl with hot water.
Beat for 15 minutes, or more depending on the power of your mixer. The mixture should triple in volume, become pale, and very creamy. The whisk should leave trails.
⚠️ Check the temperature of the sabayon (whipped eggs and sugar). The mixture should always remain barely warm, otherwise remove from the double boiler.
Remove from the double boiler. The sabayon should be cold; otherwise, continue to whisk it, outside of the double boiler, to cool it down.
Fold in the mixture of flour, cocoa, and baking powder in 4 or 5 additions. Gently work from bottom to top without whisking to avoid deflating the mixture.
Fill the cake pan and immediately place it in the oven for 55 minutes, a little more or a little less depending on the oven.
Check for doneness at three quarters of the baking time.
At the end of the baking time, check with a skewer inserted into the center of the sponge. The skewer should come out dry, without any trace of batter. Leave the cooked sponge in the turned-off oven, with the door slightly ajar, for 5 minutes.
Remove the sponge from the pan onto a wire rack and let it cool before cutting it into 3 discs.
Prepare the chocolate shavings
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave, stirring it several times to mix well.
Spread it thinly on the work surface.
Once the chocolate starts to set and is no longer sticky, create curls using a dough scraper (see at 2:47 minutes in the video).
You can make shavings with a chocolate bar and a vegetable peeler. Just soften the chocolate bar slightly.
chocolate chips for black forest decor
Prepare the syrup for soaking
You won’t need to prepare a syrup if you’re using cherries in syrup, as their syrup will be used to soak the sponge cake.
Put the water, sugar, and vanilla sugar in a saucepan with 5 cherries and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat as soon as the sugar has completely dissolved.
Let it cool before using.
Flavor with kirsch if desired (about 2 tablespoons, to taste).
Prepare the whipped cream
- Use a cream with 35% fat content if possible. The richer the cream, the firmer and better the whipped cream will be.
- Chill the cream and the bowl in the refrigerator or for about fifteen minutes in the freezer. They need to be very cold.
- The powdered sugar should be very fine or sifted.
Place the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer and start whisking at medium speed to avoid splattering.
As soon as the cream begins to thicken, add half of the powdered sugar.
Increase the speed to the maximum setting on the mixer until the cream starts to achieve a good consistency.
Stop the mixer before the whipped cream is fully firm to taste and check the sweetness. Add the remaining sugar according to your taste.
Whisk at maximum speed until you achieve a firm whipped cream.
Be careful towards the end, as soon as the cream is firm and smooth, stop the mixer. If you go beyond this point, the cream will turn into butter.
Assembly :
Place the whipped cream in a piping bag, preferably without a tip.
Set a gold cake board on a serving plate and protect the edges with strips of freezer bag.
Add a layer of sponge cake on top and brush it with syrup using a pastry brush.
Pipe a layer of whipped cream on top and spread it evenly.
Place the cherries over the entire surface.
Press the cherries slightly into the whipped cream.
Soak the second sponge cake layer on the side that will be against the cream, then place it on the cherries. Then, soak the top.
Spread a second layer of whipped cream over the cake, then add the cherries.
Soak the last layer of sponge cake on the side that will touch the cream, then place it on top of the cherries. Brush the top side with syrup as well.
Smooth out any cream that has spilled over the sides.
Cover the entire Black Forest cake with whipped cream and smooth it out.
Transfer the remaining whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M or 2D tip, and pipe rosettes around the edge. Feel free to decorate it however you like.
Cover the cake with chocolate shavings and top each rosette with a cherry
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, it gets even better with time. I usually make it the day before or in the morning for an evening occasion.
Share this light and indulgent dessert with your loved ones, perfect for birthdays or any special moment.
How to store black forest cake?
Sometimes you want to prepare the cake well in advance and stay relaxed on the big day. As mentioned above, you can make it a day ahead, it will only taste better. If you want to prepare it several days in advance, Black Forest cake freezes very well without any issues.
Once you have finished decorating it completely, place it in the freezer until it firms up. The outer cream should be well set. Cover the cake with a large freezer bag by sliding the bag over the top of the cake.
You can keep it frozen for up to 3 months without any problem.
One day before serving, take it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to thaw slowly.
I hope this recipe will inspire you to make it for a special occasion.
Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Sponge Cake (for a 23 x 8 cm / 9 x 3 inches cake pan)
- 6 large eggs about 68–72 g each, with shell
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 170 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 packets vanilla sugar
Syrup for soaking
- Note: If you use cherries in syrup, use their syrup to soak the sponge cake.
- 180 g granulated sugar
- 150 ml water
- 2 packets vanilla sugar
- A few cherries optional
- A few drops of kirsch optional
Whipped Cream
- 750 ml heavy cream preferably 35% fat; 30% can work if very cold
- 80 g powdered sugar adjust to taste
- 15 g vanilla sugar 2 packets or seeds from one vanilla bean (optional)
- Note: If using vanilla sugar, subtract its weight from the powdered sugar
For filling and topping
- 500 g cherries in syrup preferably Amarena or fresh cherries (pitted)
- 165 g dark chocolate for chocolate shavings
- Note : It's best to prepare the chocolate shavings the day before and keep them in a tin in the fridge. They can even be made several days ahead.
PREPARATION
Prepare the chocolate sponge cake
- You can prepare it the day before, wrap it well and leave it in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) on conventional heat.
- Grease a cake pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder with the baking powder and mix with a whisk.
- Place the eggs, vanilla sugar, and regular sugar in a large mixing bowl because the mixture will triple in volume.
- Place a little boiling water in another slightly smaller bowl for a bain-marie. The bottom of the bowl containing the eggs and sugar should touch the water, but the water should not rise up the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Place the mixing bowl with the eggs and sugar over the bowl with hot water.
- Beat for 15 minutes, or more depending on the power of your mixer. The mixture should triple in volume, become pale, and very creamy. The whisk should leave trails.
- ⚠️ Check the temperature of the sabayon (whipped eggs and sugar). The mixture should always remain barely warm, otherwise remove from the double boiler.
- Remove from the double boiler. The sabayon should be cold; otherwise, continue to whisk it, outside of the double boiler, to cool it down.
- Fold in the mixture of flour, cocoa, and baking powder in 4 or 5 additions. Gently work from bottom to top without whisking to avoid deflating the mixture.
- Fill the cake pan and immediately place it in the oven for 55 minutes, a little more or a little less depending on the oven.
- Check for doneness at three quarters of the baking time.
- At the end of the baking time, check with a skewer inserted into the center of the sponge. The skewer should come out dry, without any trace of batter. Leave the cooked sponge in the turned-off oven, with the door slightly ajar, for 5 minutes.
- Remove the sponge from the pan onto a wire rack and let it cool before cutting it into 3 discs.
Prepare the chocolate shavings
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave, stirring it several times to mix well.
- Spread it thinly on the work surface.
- Once the chocolate starts to set and is no longer sticky, create curls using a dough scraper (see at 2:47 minutes in the video).
- You can make shavings with a chocolate bar and a vegetable peeler. Just soften the chocolate bar slightly.
Prepare the syrup for soaking
- You won't need to prepare a syrup if you're using cherries in syrup, as their syrup will be used to soak the sponge cake.
- Put the water, sugar, and vanilla sugar in a saucepan with 5 cherries and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat as soon as the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Let it cool before using.
- Flavor with kirsch if desired (about 2 tablespoons, to taste).
Prepare the whipped cream
- Use a cream with 35% fat content if possible. The richer the cream, the firmer and better the whipped cream will be.
- Chill the cream and the bowl in the refrigerator or for about fifteen minutes in the freezer. They need to be very cold.
- The powdered sugar should be very fine or sifted.
- Place the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer and start whisking at medium speed to avoid splattering.
- As soon as the cream begins to thicken, add half of the powdered sugar.
- Increase the speed to the maximum setting on the mixer until the cream starts to achieve a good consistency.
- Stop the mixer before the whipped cream is fully firm to taste and check the sweetness. Add the remaining sugar according to your taste.
- Whisk at maximum speed until you achieve a firm whipped cream.
- Be careful towards the end, as soon as the cream is firm and smooth, stop the mixer. If you go beyond this point, the cream will turn into butter.
Assembly :
- Place the whipped cream in a piping bag, preferably without a tip.
- Set a gold cake board on a serving plate and protect the edges with strips of freezer bag.
- Add a layer of sponge cake on top and brush it with syrup using a pastry brush.
- Pipe a layer of whipped cream on top and spread it evenly.
- Place the cherries over the entire surface.
- Press the cherries slightly into the whipped cream.
- Soak the second sponge cake layer on the side that will be against the cream, then place it on the cherries. Then, soak the top.
- Spread a second layer of whipped cream over the cake, then add the cherries.
- Soak the last layer of sponge cake on the side that will touch the cream, then place it on top of the cherries. Brush the top side with syrup as well.
- Smooth out any cream that has spilled over the sides.
- Cover the entire Black Forest cake with whipped cream and smooth it out.
- Transfer the remaining whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M or 2D tip, and pipe rosettes around the edge. Feel free to decorate it however you like.
- Cover the cake with chocolate shavings and top each rosette with a cherry
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, it gets even better with time. I usually make it the day before or in the morning for an evening occasion.
- Share this light and indulgent dessert with your loved ones, perfect for birthdays or any special moment.
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