Black Forest Cake

Chocolate and cherries are the star of the show in this Black Forest cake! Moist chocolate cake layers, sweet cherry filling, stabilized whipped cream frosting, chocolate ganache, chocolate flakes, and maraschino cherries. This Black Forest cake recipe is decadent and impressive!

Ingredients for Black Forest Cake

Chocolate cake

• All-purpose flour: Be sure to level your measuring cups!
• Granulated sugar: For sweetness
• Dark cocoa powder: My favorite is Hershey’s Dark Cocoa Powder.
• Baking soda: Leavening agent to help the cake rise.
• Baking powder: Another leavening agent.
• Salt
• Eggs: Room temperature.
• Milk: Room temperature.
• Vegetable oil: You could also use canola oil.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds great flavor to the cake.
• Boiling water: The cake batter will be thin, this is normal!
• Espresso powder: Optional but highly recommend. It will not make the cake taste like coffee. Espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor.

Cherry filling

• Frozen sweet cherries: You can use fresh cherries but frozen are usually more readily available.
• Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar adds a bit of sweetness to the filling.
• Water: Water helps dissolve the sugar and is also used to make cornstarch slurry.
• Lemon juice: Lemon juice adds a bit of tartness to the cherry filling. I recommend using fresh for best results, but you can also use bottled if you have it.
• Cornstarch: Water and cornstarch create a slurry that thickens the cherry filling.

Stabilized whipped cream frosting

• Unflavored gelatin: Unflavored gelatin stabilizes the whipped cream, so it maintains shape when spread or piped.
• Water: Water dissolves the gelatin. After the gelatin blooms, it is briefly heated to dissolve the granules.
• Heavy cream: Cold.
• Powdered sugar: You can add a bit more or a less to the recipe to suit your taste.
• Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract adds a touch of vanilla flavor.

Garnishes

• Chocolate ganache: Two parts chocolate to one part heavy cream.
• Chocolate flakes: I love using Merckens chocolate to make chocolate flakes as it does not need to be tempered.
• Maraschino cherries: For a pop of color and flavor.

How to Make Chocolate Cake

To make the chocolate cake, all you need is a bowl and a whisk! For this cake, I used three 7″ round cake pans. You could also use three 8″ pans.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment circles.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt).
3. Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture. Whisk to combine.
4. In a liquid measuring cup, combine boiling water and instant espresso powder.
5. Pour the water into the cake batter. Gently whisk until the water is well combined and the batter is smooth. The consistency of the batter will be thin – this is normal.
6. Portion the cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Use a kitchen scale to get even layers.
7. Bake the cake layers for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until the cake layers bounce back when gently touched.
8. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 15 minutes before removing and transferring the cake layers to a wire rack to cool completely.

How to Make Cherry Filling

*If you don’t want to make your own cherry filling, feel free to use store-bought cherry pie filling.

1. Combine frozen cherries, granulated sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.
2. Cook the cherries over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cherries have softened.
3. Stir together cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cornstarch slurry mixing immediately to combine.
5. Transfer the filling to a heatproof bowl and cool to room temperature.

How to Make Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting

Stabilized whipped cream frosting takes only about 10 minutes to make! I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or electric hand mixer!

1. Combine unflavored gelatin and water. Mix and set aside.
2. Add heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a bowl. Mix on low speed until combined and then slowly turn the mixer to medium speed.
3. Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
4. Microwave the gelatin for about 10 seconds until the gelatin dissolves. Cool for a few minutes while the heavy cream is whipping.
5. Slowly drizzle the cooled gelatin into the whipped cream mixing on medium speed.
6. Turn the mixer to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form.
7. Use immediately to frost cakes or cupcakes for best results.

How to Assemble the Black Forest Cake

1. Level the cake layers with a serrated knife to remove the cake domes.
2. Place first layer of cake on a round cake board.
3. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream frosting onto the cake with an offset spatula.
4. Pipe a ring of whipped cream around the edge of the cake.
5. Spoon on about half of the cherry filling and spread evenly.
6. Add the next cake layer. Be sure that it lines up with the bottom layer.
7. Repeat steps 3-6. Add the final cake layer upside down so the pan side is on the top.
8. Frost the cake with whipped cream frosting using an offset spatula. Chill for 20 minutes.
9. Add a chocolate ganache drip around the sides of the cake. You can also add some to the top. Pipe on swirls of whipped cream frosting around the top edge. I used a Wilton 1M tip.
10. Garnish the cake with maraschino cherries and chocolate flakes.