This Black Forest cake is just as stunning as it is easy to make! Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte as it’s known in Germany, is a traditional German dessert that is perfect for special occasions, Mother’s Day, birthdays, or any time you want to make something decadent.
And I bet you will love how this classic German cake comes together with layers of chocolate sponge cake, a sour cherry filling, and fluffy homemade whipped cream, all topped with dark chocolate shavings.
Being born in Stuttgart I am very partial to this traditional Black Forest cake – that I hope will become your new favorite cake, too!
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Why You Will Love This Traditional Recipe
The Ingredients
Here’s everything you need for this authentic Black Forest cake:
For the chocolate sponge cake layers:
- Large eggs
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Unsalted butter or a neutral oil (for the springform)
The sour cherry filling:
- Sour cherries or tart cherries drained (reserve the cherry juice)
- Cornstarch
- Cherry liqueur or cherry brandy (to create that authentic flavor)
For the whipped cream:
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
- Optional: cream of tartar
Decorations:
- Chocolate curls, chocolate bark, or chocolate shavings
- Whole cherries or maraschino cherries
- A thin layer of whipped cream for the sides of the cake and top of the cake
Useful Tools and Equipment
You’ll want these on hand:
- Cake pan (or springform pan), 10inches
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment OR handheld mixer
- Large bowl and medium bowl
- Flour sifter or sieve
- Saucepan (for the cherry filling)
- Piping bag (for that bakery-worthy whipped frosting)
- Cake cutter or dental floss or long sharp knife
- Plastic wrap
Substitutions and Variations
- No cherry liqueur? Use cherry juice or cherry syrup for an alcohol-free version.
- Want extra chocolate? Add a dark chocolate ganache drip.
- Don’t have chocolate shavings? Simply grate dark chocolate with a cheese grater
- No jarred sour cherries? Use maraschino or canned cherries in heavy syrup.
- Optional: Decorate the cake with fresh cherries
How to Serve
This traditional German cake is perfect for your Kaffee und Kuchen (German coffee and cake, watch my video) or simply any time! Slice generously and serve chilled. Don’t forget a big scoop of whipped cream on the side for extra indulgence!
Make Ahead of Time?
Yes! In fact, this cake tastes even better the next day when the flavors have time to meld. I recommend you cover it well and store it in the refrigerator. You can also make the chocolate cake layers and the sour cherry filling a day in advance.
How Long Does It Last?
Stored in the fridge, your Black Forest cherry cake will stay fresh for 3–4 days. Be sure to cover it well or keep it in a cake carrier to keep it from drying out.
Other German Recipes You Might Like
TIP: Don’t be put off by the long instructions. I just tried to be thorough so that even your first cake is a success but the steps are not complicated!
How to Make This Dish
1. Make the Chocolate Sponge Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your cake pan with parchment paper and brush the sides with melted butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs with sugar and water. Mix the egg mixture on high until it is very fluffy and has doubled.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and gently fold it in.
- Pour the batter into your pan and bake for 25 minutes or until done. Let cool completely.
2. Make the Cherry Filling
- Drain the sour cherries and catch the cherry juice. Reserve 16 very nice cherries and set them aside for later.
- Pour most of the juice into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix the remaining juice with the cornstarch.
- Constantly whisking, add the cornstarch slurry to the boiling juice. Cook on low heat until thickened. Remove the mixture from the heat and in a separate bowl, combine the cherries. Cover with plastic wrap to keep skin from forming and let it cool completely.
3. Make the Whipped Cream
- In a large bowl, whip the very cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and cream of tartar until you get stiff peaks.
4. Assemble Your Cake
- Slice your chocolate cake layers horizontally using a cake cutter or dental floss.
- Add the first layer to your cake stand. Brush it with some cherry brandy. Spread a layer of cherry filling, followed by a thin layer of whipped frosting.
- Add the second layer, brush it with cherry brandy, and spread some whipped cream on it, then add the top layer.
- Cover the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream. Optional: Use your piping bag to decorate the top of the cake with swirls.
- Press chocolate shavings against the sides of the cake. You can also sprinkle some on top. Decorate the top with the reserved cherries and some more chocolate curls
Let Me Know If You Have Any Questions or Comments!
Authentic Black Forest Cake | Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
Don’t be put off by the lengthy recipe! This recipe is not complicated at all but you will be rewarded with the most delicious, authentic, and stunning Black Forest cake!
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 357kcal
For the chocolate cake:
- 6 large eggs
- 200 g sugar
- 200 g AP flour
- 50 g cornstarch
- 50 g cocoa
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ TBSP melted butter or oil
For the filling:
- 1 jar sour cherries in light syrup
- 2 TBSP cornstarch
- 750 ml heavy cream
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 TBSP powdered sugar
- 6 TBSP cherry brandy
- 100 g dark chocolate shavings
To make the chocolate cake:
-
Preheat the oven to 360˚F (180˚C). Line a 10-12″ springform pan or cake pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the sides with melted butter or neutral oil.
-
To a large bowl, add eggs, sugar, and 6 TBSP water. Beat on high for about 5 mins until fluffy and doubled in size.
-
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
-
Either with a flour sifter or a sieve add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in 2 batches, gently folding it in.
-
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Drop the cake on the counter twice to allow air bubbles to come out. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 mins or until set. Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the cherry filling:
-
Drain the cherries and catch the juice. Pick out 16 pretty cherries and set them aside to decorate the cake later.
-
In a small saucepan over medium heat bring most (not all!) of the cherry juice to a boil. In a separate bowl mix the remaining cherry juice with the cornstarch.
-
While constantly whisking, add the cornstarch slurry to the cherry juice and cook until thickened. Remove from heat, add the cherries, and cover tightly with plastic wrap to keep skin from forming. Let cool completely.
To make the whipped cream:
To assemble the cake:
-
With a long knife or dental floss, carefuly cut the chocolate cake into 3 even layers.
-
With a pastry brush, brush 3 TBSP of cherry brandy on the bottom layer of the cake. Spread all of the cherry filling evenly on this layer. Spread about 3 TBSP of whipped cream on top of the cherry filling.
-
Put the second layer on top and spread ½ of the whipped cream on this layer.
-
Add the top layer. Evenly spread the remaining whipped cream on top and along the sides of the cake. Add the chocolate shavings to the sides of the cake. Use the 16 reserved cherries for decoration on top. Optional: add some more chocolate shaving or curls on top of the cake.
-
For the best flavor, cover the cake and refrigerate it overnight.
- even though the cherry brandy gives this cake its distinct flavor, you can omit it and use extra cherry juice instead
- I highly recommend sifting the dry ingredients for best results
- you can also bake the cake in 3 batches instead of cutting one cake into 3 layers
Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 97mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg