Easy Black Forest Cake

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 cake! And once you try it, I know you'll feel the same... 

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 easy to make and decorate.

🥘 Ingredients

For this recipe, you'll need:

•  chocolate cake
• whipped cream frosting
• canned dark sweet pitted cherries and juice
• cornstarch
• white granulated sugar
• kirsch
• maraschino cherries
• semi-sweet baking chocolate (bar)

📖 Variations

• Cake: I use my Old Fashioned Sour Cream Chocolate Cake  but you could use a chocolate sponge cake or your favorite chocolate cake. But I especially love this cake because although it's easy,  it still tastes like it's from a high-end bakery.
• 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!
• Kirsch: You can substitute chambord, framboise or cherry liqueur, amaretto, cherry schnapps, rum or apple cider 

💭Icing for Black Forest Cake

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)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

Assembly:

1. Make a border around the edge of the bottom cake, then add some whipped cream. Add cooled cherry filling.
2. Add 2nd cake on top of cherry filling.
3. Add whipped cream all over cake.
4. Top with about about 8 dollaps of whipped cream frosting and one in the centre, 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.

Garnish: Shave some chocolate (I use a small grater) and sprinkle over the top and sides of cake. Serve and enjoy!

💭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.

👪 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).

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

No Bake Black Forest Tiramisu

NO BAKE Easy Black Forest Trifle

⭐ Reviews

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

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5 from 5 votes

📋 Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe

This Easy Black Forest Cake is a simply decorated, delectable combination of chocolate cake, whipped cream frosting and a luscious sweet cherry kirsch filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Canadian, German

Keyword black forest, cake, easy, whipped cream icing

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 8 slices

Author Terri Gilson

Cook ModePrevent 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 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 juice.
• Cook over medium heat until thick and clear. * See VIDEO
• 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 all over cake.
  
• Top with about about 8 dollaps of whipped cream frosting and one in the centre, 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

📖 Variations

Cake: I use my Old Fashioned Sour Cream Chocolate Cake  but you could use a chocolate sponge cake or your favorite chocolate cake. But I especially love this cake because although it's easy,  it still tastes like it's from a high-end bakery.

Cherries: You can use fresh cherries instead of canned cherries, if they are in season. Or you can substitute canned cherries for the cherry filling, but trust me, you won't want to!

Kirsch: You can substitute chambord, framboise or cherry liqueur, amaretto, cherry schnapps, rum or apple cider 

Icing:  You can use my EASY Stabilized Whipped Cream Icing or try my 2 Ingredient White Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting (Ganache) if you are looking for super chocolatey!

👪 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!

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).

My Amazon Recommendations (affiliate links)

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🎂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

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and hashtag #foodmeanderings 

OR tag @foodmeanderings – I love seeing what you make!