Black Forest Cake is a traditional German dessert, Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, literally translates to “Black Forest Cherry-torte”, made with chocolate sponge cake, whipped cream, and maraschino cherries. This delicious cake recipe is completely made from scratch and perfect for special occasions. It is a stunning and decadent cake but it’s simple to make. This is non-alcoholic, kids-friendly version.
Black forest cake is one of my favorites, so that was one of the first cakes I learned to make. With trials and errors, I came up with a recipe that is my favorite. The soft and moist chocolate cake with fresh whipped cream frosting, cherry syrup and maraschino cherries inside and on the top, with cake covered with chocolate shavings or wrap. It’s Magic in the mouth!
As a child, going to a pastry shop in India, I only wanted a Black forest cake block, small rectangular piece, it looked like a piece of heaven. There were many flavors in the shop, but my heart would only stop at one place, where I see my piece, didn’t buy anything else. I always use to buy and take it home, and not eat at the shop, only because I wanted to be in my cozy corner, enjoying each bite and crumb of the cake. Also didn’t have to worry about having cream on my face when I bite into the dreamy cake, hehe!
I made this cake for a client’s Birthday and feedback was rewarding. They loved it so much that I received another order from that same party. The feeling is amazing when people admire the hard work and effort one puts in making cakes or any baked goodies.
I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Thank you!
Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte )
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- ¾ Cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp Salt
- ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Cup Buttermilk room temperature
- 1 Cup Hot Water
- 2 Tsp Instant Coffee
- 2 Eggs large
- 3 Tsp Vanilla Extract
CHERRY SYRUP
- Cherry Syrup used syrup that comes with maraschino cherries
WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
- 3 Cup Whipping Cream cold
- ¼ Cup Powdered Sugar sifted
CHOCOLATE LACE WRAP
- 1 Cup Dark or Semisweet Chocolate chopped, unless using chips
- Parchment Paper
CAKE ASSEMBLY
- Chocolate Lace Wrap
- 2 ½ Cups Cherries pitted and cut in half
- 1 Bar Dark Chocolate for shavings
- Whole Cherries maraschino cherries
Instructions
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease two 8″ round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
- Place all dry ingredients, except the instant coffee, into the bowl and stir to combine. Keep aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (hot water, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract) and instant coffee.
- Stir well to combine.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and mix to combine. The cake batter will be very thin.
- Next whisk the eggs,then mix well.
- Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.
- Bake for ~45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean.
- Remove from oven and let it cool for ~10 minutes in the pans then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
CHERRY SYRUP
- I used the syrup from the jar of Maraschino cherries.
WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
- Use a cold bowl with a cold whisk. (Refrigerate the bowl and whisk for a while before using).
- Whip cream for about 3 minutes, then slowly add powdered sugar while whipping.
- Whip until stiff peaks forms. Keep aside for frosting the cooled cake.
CHOCOLATE LACE WRAP
- Measure around the circumference of the cake with a piece of kitchen string.
- Next, cut a sheet of parchment paper that is 1-2 inches longer than the circumference of the cake and about 1 inch taller than the height of the iced cake. Keep aside.
- Melt the chocolate chips in microwave for about 1 minute or until almost melted.
- Pour the melted chocolate in the piping bag with small round tip.
- Place the sheet strip flat on your work surface and pipe the chocolate in a pattern. I patterned with slanted line and across.
- Let it sit for about 15-20 minutes or until you see the chocolate a little dried.
CAKE ASSEMBLY
- Cut each cake to make flat top. If you prefer you can cut the layers in half.
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand. Brush generously with cherry syrup.
- Top with whipped cream frosting and spread evenly.
- Add chopped cherries and gently press them into the whipped cream. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Frost the outside of the cake.
- Next, wrap the chocolate lace on the iced cake. Make sure to level at the bottom of the cake, while wrapping. This process must be done very gently, so not to break the chocolate lace.
- Refrigerate the cake for about 10 minutes to let the lace set.
- After about 10 minutes, remove from fridge, and gently remove the sheet from the lace.
- Decorate the top with whipped cream frosting rosettes, topping that off with whole cherry.
- Lastly add chocolate shavings on top-middle of the cake and around the rosettes.
- Add whole cherry on top of rosettes.
- Cut a piece to enjoy the delicious cake now or save for later.
