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    Home » Recipes » Courses » Desserts » Cake

    Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe

    Published: Feb 5, 2020 by Terri Gilson · Modified: Dec 23, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe
    piece of black forest cake on black plate with whole cake on black stand in background
    Pinterest pin with white text on red background on the top and bottom and a whole black forest cake with cherries in the middle

    If I had one last meal on earth and could choose whatever I wanted, alongside a beautiful prime rib dinner, this Easy Black Forest Cake would be my #1 choice for dessert! Seriously. That's how much I love this Black Forest Cake Recipe! And once you try it, I know you'll feel the same... 

    Whole black forest cake on black stand

    With a delicious kirsch dark cherry filling, layers of moist chocolate cake and light whipped cream frosting, this Easy Black Forest Cake recipe will become your new favorite and leave everyone begging for more!

    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 📖 Variations
    • 💭Black Forest Cake Icing
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🎥 Video
    • 💭Black Forest Cake History
    • 🍽Equipment
    • 👪 Serving size
    • 🌡️Storing
    • ⭐ Reviews
    • 📋 Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe
    • 🎂More Chocolate Cake Recipes!

    Black Forest was the very first cake I ever made (with a box mix and canned cherries) and I've spent years trying to create the perfect homemade Black Forest cake combination of cake, filling and frosting. Now I'm happy to be able to share it with you! However, this cake is special because not only does it taste spectacular, it's also a simple black forest cake that's easy to make and decorate.

    🥘 Ingredients

    For this Easy Black Forest Cake recipe, you'll need:

    • chocolate cake or chocolate cake mix *I recommend Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Mix
    • whipped cream frosting
    • canned dark sweet pitted cherries and juice
    • cornstarch
    • white granulated sugar
    • kirsch
    • maraschino cherries
    • semi-sweet baking chocolate (bar)

    *See recipe card for quantities

    📖 Variations

    • Cake: I use my Old Fashioned Sour Cream Chocolate Cake  but you could use a light chocolate sponge cake or your favorite chocolate cake. But I especially love this delicious sour cream chocolate cake because although it's easy, it still tastes like it's from a high-end bakery (brown sugar is the secret ingredient!)
    • Cherries: You can use fresh cherries instead of canned cherries, if they are in season. Or you can substitute canned cherry pie filling for the cherry filling, but trust me, you won't want to! Cherry pie filling is very sweet and you'll want to use tart cherries to make this homemade cherry filling. You could also use fresh dark sweet cherries as a garnish, instead of the maraschino cherries.
    • Kirsch: You can substitute chambord, framboise or cherry liqueur, amaretto, cherry schnapps, rum or apple cider 
    piece of black forest cake on black plate with whole cake on black stand in background

    💭Black Forest Cake Icing

    There's no fancy decorating here, folks.  And it would only be a waste of time anyway because this cake is devoured as soon as you set it down. This easy cake is frosted with a simple Easy Stabilized Whipped Cream Icing, adding a few dollops of whipped cream on the top, then maraschino cherries and chocolate shavings. That's it! And if you want it even more chocolatey, then try it with my 2 Ingredient White Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting (Ganache) Alternatively, you could use Cool Whip. The filling itself, is made with canned sweet black cherries and kirsch. And although this filling takes a little more time than using canned cherry pie filling  it's much closer to the traditional black forest cake flavor. I promise -it's totally worth the time investment!

    🔪 Instructions

    How to make a Black Forest Cherry Cake

    Cake:

    1. Bake cake in two 8 inch cake pans, as per directions (of whichever recipe you choose to use) or use a chocolate cake mix. Coo on wire rack and trim uneven tops off cakes.

    Cherry Filling

    1. Combine cornstarch and sugar in saucepan, stir in cherries and cherry syrup. Cook over medium heat until thick and clear. Add kirsch. Chill until thick

    Assembly

    1. Make a border around the edge of the bottom cake (this will be the middle of the cake), then add some whipped cream. Add cooled cherry mixture to the top of the cake
    2. Add second cake.
    3. Cover the sides of the cake, then the entire cake with a thick layer of whipped cream frosting
    4. Move to a serving plate or platter and add chocolate shavings or chocolate curls and maraschino cherries

    *See recipe card for full instructions

    collage of 4 photos showing easy assembly instructions for black forest cake

    🎥 Video

    Video (Cherry Filling) : https://foodmeanderings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Cherry-filling.mov

    💭Black Forest Cake History

    Black Forest cake is traditionally made with a chocolate sponge cake and a rich cherry filling. It's based on the German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, literally translated to "Black Forest Cherry-torte". Traditionally, kirschwasser (known commonly as kirsch), a brandy made from sour cherries, is added to the cake. Historians believe that this cake originated in the late 16th century in the Black Forest Region, located in the state of Baden-Wttemberg; a region known for its sour cherries and Kirsch or Kirschwasser.  It is thought that the cake is named after this brandy.  You can read more about the history of black forest cake HERE.

    Homemade Black forest cake with slice taken out

    🍽Equipment

    For this easy Black Forest Cake, you will need 2-8 inch round cake pans and an electric mixer.

    👪 Serving size

     This recipe makes 1 double layer cake and serves about 8 people.

    🌡️Storing

    • Once filled and decorated, this cake must be stored in the fridge. You can store it up to 3 days. Do NOT freeze this cake filled or fully decorated - the filling will run and leak!
    • If you want to make this cake in advance, freeze only the cake (it can be frozen up to 3 months if properly wrapped then fill it and decorate it prior to serving. You can make the filling and the frosting a day in advance.
    • How to freeze an undecorated cake: My method is to wrap it in Glad Press N' Seal (affiliate link) then put it into a sealed cake carrier (affiliate link).
    piece of black forest cake on black plate

    So if you are looking for the perfect easy and simply decorated, best Black Forest cake, then this cake is for you! 

    Check out my other Black Forest Recipes!

    Black Forest Biscotti

    Black forest biscotti on a blue mug with Christmas tin of more biscotti in background

    No Bake Black Forest Tiramisu

    No Bake Black Forest Tiramisu Dessert | #nobakedessert - Foodmeanderings.com

    NO BAKE Easy Black Forest Trifle

    Large Glass bowl of trifle

    Black Forest Yule Log

    whole black forest yule log cake on a white platter with tinsel and red tree decorations in background

    ⭐ Reviews

    Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below and leave a comment.

    Here's what others are saying: "This is a decadent dessert! We were all fighting over the last piece." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Please SUBSCRIBE  (get my FREE E-cookbook) and be sure to FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    whole black forest cake on black cake stand
    Food Meandering Logo

    📋 Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe

    This Easy Black Forest Cake recipe is simply decorated, and a delectable combination of chocolate cake, whipped cream frosting and a luscious sweet cherry kirsch filling.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, Canadian, German
    Keyword: black forest, cake, easy, whipped cream frosting
    Special Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 8 slices
    Author: Terri Gilson
    Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 1 double layer chocolate cake recipe * I use my Old Fashioned Sour Cream chocolate fudge cake (See NOTES)

    Cherry filling:

    • 398 ml -can of dark, sweet pitted cherries and juice
    • 2 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
    • 3 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon kirsch

    Icing:

    • 1 recipe for stabilized whipped cream icing * See recipe in NOTES

    Garnish

    • 9 maraschino cherries with stems, patted dry with paper towels -or use fresh cherries, if in season
    • 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, grated -approximately
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    Cake:

    • Bake cake in two 8 inch round cake pans, as per directions (of whichever recipe you choose to use). Cool and trim uneven tops off cakes.

    Cherry Filling

    • Combine cornstarch and sugar in saucepan, stir in cherries and cherry syrup.
    • Cook over medium heat until thick and clear. * See VIDEO in post
    • Add kirsch. Chill until thick.

    Assembly

    • Make a border around the edge of the bottom cake, then add some whipped cream.
    • Add cooled cherry filling.
    • Add 2nd cake on top of cherry filling.
    • Add whipped cream frosting all over cake.
    • Top with about about 8 dollaps of whipped cream frosting and one in the centre with remaining whipped cream frosting, using a 1M icing tip and a pastry bag.
    • Top each dollop of whipped cream with a maraschino cherry (*make sure you pat the cherries dry with a paper towel or they will leak all over your cake!). You can use fresh cherries instead if they are in season.
    • Shave some chocolate (I use a small grater) and sprinkle over the top and sides of cake. Serve and enjoy!

    Video

    https://foodmeanderings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Cherry-filling.mov

    Notes

    *Notes:
    Chocolate Cake: Old Fashioned Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
    Frosting: EASY Stabilized Whipped Cream Icing (with piping gel)
    *See post contents for important information on substitutions and variations, as well as recipe tips!
    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!
    Rate this Recipe

    🎂More Chocolate Cake Recipes!

    • Old Fashioned Sour Cream Chocolate Fudge Cake
    • Chocolate Italian (Genoise) Sponge Cake with berries
    • Microwave Chocolate Banana Mug Cake
    • Root beer Float Cake
    • Red Wine Strawberry Chocolate Fudge Cake

    « Sheet Pan Vegetarian Huevos Rancheros
    Chocolate Avocado Mousse & Strawberry Spoon Desserts »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Demeter

      February 17, 2020 at 8:37 am

      This is a decadent dessert! We were all fighting over the last piece.

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        February 17, 2020 at 12:58 pm

        I'm glad you loved it!

        Reply
    2. Erika

      February 17, 2020 at 8:38 am

      This cake looks beautiful and a great way to use cherries!

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        February 17, 2020 at 12:58 pm

        Thank you, Erica!

        Reply
    3. Cathleen

      February 17, 2020 at 8:52 am

      Black forest cake used to be my favourite cake, and I always requested it for my birthday. I have got to try this one, because I haven't had one in FOREVER!!

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        February 17, 2020 at 12:58 pm

        Yes - it's definitely time to bring this oldie but goodie back into your life, Cathleen!

        Reply
    4. Toni

      February 17, 2020 at 8:56 am

      This is such an amazing cake! Everyone at my house loved it!

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        February 17, 2020 at 12:57 pm

        Thank you - I'm glad to hear you liked it!

        Reply
    5. Annie @ Annie's Noms

      February 17, 2020 at 8:57 am

      This looks fantastic!! I love Black Forest anything and so does my husband! This would disappear quickly in my house!

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        February 17, 2020 at 12:56 pm

        Thanks, Annie!

        Reply

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    I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer, and a busy working mom who is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks, and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

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