Everything about this rich black forest cake is mouthwatering. This classic German cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte), is moist, flavorful, and a crowd favorite.
In this blog post, I will teach you how to make this dark forest cake with detailed instructions, photos, and video. Plus, I will explain the difference between regular cocoa and dutch cocoa!
Not in the mood for this black forest cherry cake? That’s okay! Try my soft and moist triple chocolate cake instead.
Why This Black Forest Cake Works:
- This authentic cake has an intense chocolate flavor.
- It’s the perfect combination of sweet and sour.
- Perfect for crowds because everyone loves it!
- Due to the whipped cream, the cake is really light and airy.
- You can serve it for all occasions.
- How To Make Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in German)
- Baker’s Tips
- Substitutions
- What Can I Substitute For Eggs?
- Frequently Asked Questions And Answers
- What Kind Of Cocoa Do I Need For This German Cake?
- What Is Kirsch?
- How To Cut Cake Into Even Layers?
- How Long Does Dark Forest Cake Last And How To Store It?
- Can You Freeze Black Forest Cake?
- Recipe Video
How To Make Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in German)
FIRST STEP: Preheat oven to 320 °F (160°C). Line the bottom and the sides of a 9″ (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
The easiest way to line a springform pan with parchment paper is to cut out a circle for the bottom and 2-3 inch strips for the sides.
FOURTH STEP: Transfer to the prepared baking pan and bake for about 33-38 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. I baked mine for exactly 35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
FIFTH STEP: Place drained sour cherries into a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
SIXTH STEP: In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 4 tbsp of canned sour cherry water to combine.
SEVENTH STEP: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring 1/4 cup canned sour cherry water, kirsch, and sugar over medium heat to a simmer. Stir constantly. Pour in the cherry-cornstarch mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes until it gets thick like syrup and coats the back of a spoon.
It should look like in the picture below.
EIGHTH STEP: Remove from the heat and pour over sour cherries. Let cool to room temperature.
NINTH STEP: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form.
TENTH STEP: Cut the cake horizontally two times so that you have three almost evenly thick cake layers. Place the bottom cake layer on a cake stand or plate and brush with cherry syrup lightly. See picture below.
ELEVENTH STEP: Spread with whipped cream and pipe an additional ring of whipped cream around the edges (together about 1/6 of the cream). Then spoon the half of the sour cherries (with very little liquid) on top of the cream but inside the piped ring.
NOTE: The ring makes sure that the cherries stay inside the cake and no syrup is running out the sides. See picture below.
Then spoon additional whipped cream on top of cherries and spread evenly to cover them (another 1/6 of the cream, so that about 1/3 of the cream is now used in total). Place the second cake layer on top and repeat.
Finish with the third cake layer on top and spread remaining 1/3 of whipped cream all over the cake and around the edges. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Before serving, decorate with chocolate sprinkles, fresh cherries, and additional whipped cream to your preference. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Baker’s Tips
- Use high-quality chocolate as a garnish because it enhances the flavor.
- Always use dutch cocoa for this moist cake.
- Allow the baked cake to cool completely before frosting and cutting layers.
- Using sour cherries gives you a great flavor combination that goes well with the sweet chocolate.
Substitutions
Consider these substitutions when making the best german cake ever!
- Substitute the vanilla bean for 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- Garnish with shredded white chocolate instead of milk or dark chocolate.
- If you don’t want to use kirsch you can replace it with cherry juice instead.
What Can I Substitute For Eggs?
For each egg you can substitute 1/4 cup (125g) of the following:
- Mashed bananas
- Applesauce (you could even use cherry flavored applesauce)
- Yogurt
Frequently Asked Questions And Answers
What Kind Of Cocoa Do I Need For This German Cake?
I used dutch-processed cocoa because in Europe this is that kind of cocoa what you can get in every store. Natural cocoa powder is not readily available everywhere. So when you read an original German baking recipe and mentions cocoa, then dutch-processed cocoa is what they are usually talking about.
Another hint of how to know if dutch-processed cocoa or natural cocoa powder is needed in a recipe is the usage of baking powder or baking soda.
- baking powder = dutch-processed cocoa
- baking soda (+ baking powder) = normal cocoa powder
This has to do with the acidity of the cocoa. Dutch-processed cocoa needs baking powder to react in your baking goods. Normal cocoa powder needs baking soda to react to let your baking goods rise. Dutch cocoa will make the black forest cherry cake taste even better too.
Dutch-processed cocoa is darker in color and has a strong chocolate flavor.
What Is Kirsch?
Kirsch is made of cherries, and it’s a type of brandy. It has a cherry flavor and is used in many baking recipes, especially this moist cake.
How To Cut Cake Into Even Layers?
If you haven’t cut a cake into layers before I understand that it can seem a little scary. Once you get the hang of it, you will be making the best cakes ever! Here are the easy to follow directions:
- Make sure the cake isn’t hot, or it will not cut properly. Begin by taking a knife and cutting a line around the entire exterior of the cake. Just score it, so you know where the cut needs to be when you start making the actual layer.
- Slowly cut a layer with a serrated knife. Then with the help of the knife, lift the layer and set it aside.
- Just repeat the process for each layer. It’s actually pretty easy.
How Long Does Dark Forest Cake Last And How To Store It?
You should keep the black forest cherry cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will last around 3 days as long as it’s properly stored and kept cold.
You shouldn’t leave the cake on the counter more than 1 or 2 hours at a time because of the whipped frosting. If it does get left out for longer, then you will need to throw it out.
Can You Freeze Black Forest Cake?
Yes, you can freeze this dark forest cake. Make sure the moist cake is completely cooled before freezing, or it will become mushy. It’s important to wrap it tightly with 1-2 layers of plastic wrap or foil.
Then add one more layer of protection by placing it in an airtight container with a lid. It will age much better as long as it’s protected. You can freeze the easy cake for up to 4 months. To serve, simply place in the refrigerator the night before.
If you try this Authentic Black Forest Cake recipe leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #alsothecrumbsplease on Instagram! Would love to see your snap!
Check Out More Desserts To Make
Everything about this rich black forest cake is mouthwatering. This classic German cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte), is moist, flavorful, and a crowd favorite.
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated white sugar (200g)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (56g)
- 1 vanilla bean* (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (150g)
- 1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder, spooned and leveled (42g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tsp cornstarch
- 4 tbsp canned sour cherry water
- 1/4 cup canned sour cherry water (60ml)
- 1/4 cup kirsch (60ml)
- 3/8 cup granulated white sugar (75g)
- 1 lbs canned sour cherries, drained (450g)
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream (720ml)
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar (50g)
Preheat oven to 320 °F (160°C). Line the bottom and the sides of a 9" (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper and set aside. The easiest way to line a springform pan with parchment paper is to cut out a circle for the bottom and 2-3 inch strips for the sides.
In a large mixing bowl, using a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, mix eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla* until creamy and fully combined about 2-3 minutes.
Sift in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine, another 1-2 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking pan and bake for about 33-38 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. I baked mine exactly 35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Place drained sour cherries into a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 4 tbsp of canned sour cherry water to combine.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring 1/4 cup canned sour cherry water, kirsch, and sugar over medium heat to a simmer. Stir constantly. Pour in the cherry-cornstarch mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes until it gets thick like syrup and coats the back of a spoon. Stir continuously. Remove from the heat and pour over sour cherries. Let cool to room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form.
Cut the cake horizontally two times that you have three almost evenly thick cake layers. Place the bottom cake layer on a cake stand or plate and brush with cherry syrup lightly.
Spread with whipped cream and pipe an additional ring of whipped cream around the edges (together about 1/6 of the cream). Watch the photos and video for better understanding. Then spoon the half of the sour cherries (with very little liquid) on top of the cream but inside the piped ring. The ring makes sure that the cherries stay inside the cake and no syrup is running out the sides. Then spoon additional whipped cream on top of cherries and spread evenly to cover them (another 1/6 of the cream, so that about 1/3 of the cream is now used in total). Place the second cake layer on top and repeat.
Finish with the third cake layer on top and spread remaining 1/3 of whipped cream all over the cake and around the edges. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Before serving, decorate with chocolate sprinkles, fresh cherries, and additional whipped cream to your preference. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe Video
SUBSTITUTIONS
Consider these substitutions when making the best german cake:
- Substitute the vanilla bean for 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- Garnish with shredded white chocolate instead of milk or dark chocolate.
- If you don't want to use kirsch you can use cherry juice instead.
For each egg you can substitute 1/4 cup (125g) of the following:
- Mashed bananas
- Applesauce (you could even use cherry flavored applesauce)
- Yogurt
Recommendations
- Use high-quality chocolate as a garnish because it enhances the flavor.
- Always use dutch cocoa for this moist cake.
- Allow the baked cake to cool completely before frosting and cutting layers.
- Using sour cherries gives you a great flavor combination that goes well with the sweet chocolate.
*First, cut off the straight end of the vanilla bean. Then place the tip of your sharp knife below the curled end and cut the vanilla bean through the middle of the bean lengthwise. Although you don't need to cut it all the way through, it's ok when you do so. Then open the vanilla bean and scrape out the flavorful seeds with the back of your knife. Then just use the seeds.
Made this for Mother’s Day ; it was a success. I like the way you kept the recipe simple and fuss-free, otherwise I’d have been too intimidated to give it a try. I’ve taken the liberty to translate your recipe into French for my family.
Such a great cake! I made it for my Granny’s 85th birthday and she loved it! I never liked black forest but homemade is completely different – ate seconds 🙂
P.S. I used frozen cherries due to lack of options and it tasted great! I couldn’t find sour cherries, so if anyone else is stuck frozen may work for you.
Black forest cake is ideal to make because it is very simple to make. Moreover, the fabulous taste and attractive appearance of the cake make it a classic favorite.
This was a birthday present for the boyfriend. He thinks I’m all fancy with the baking, now. 🙂
Heyy! Tq so much for your recipe! I have a question; would you happen to have any make ahead tips? Like what can I make ahead of time and store so I can just stack & decorate the cake the day before I serve and how long ahead do I do it?
You can do the filling ahead of time and store it covered in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. The rest is best eaten when baked/assembled freshly. I hope that helps!
I am making the cake for christmas. I have to travel 2 and a half hours to my children. If I freeze the cake ahead of time how long will it take to thaw? I think it will travel better if more solid.
I always let my cake thaw in the fridge overnight. It takes a couple of hours to fully thaw.
what brand cocoa powder is Dutch I’m googling but I’m now even more confused. if it helps I’m in the uk.
Amanda x
If you live in the UK the regular cocoa powder in the store will be Dutch-processed one. There are differences depending on where you live, like in the US, for example, the standard is natural cocoa powder, in the EU, Dutch-processed is standard. So Dutch-processed refers to the kind of cocoa powder and not to a brand. Hope that helps!
I could only find canned cherries in light syrup from Trader Joe’s. The others would have been pie filling. Should I leave out the sugar for the cherries or just rinse them well and make as the recipe states?
You could use cherry pie filling and cook it with kirsch for a few minutes until thickened up. It won’t be as the original but I’m it’s delicious as well.
So happy to have found this recipe. Although the cake was delicious it didn’t rise very much which made for very thin layers. Is this typical? I wonder if I did something wrong. Should the eggs be very foamy or maybe stiff? In any case it was simple and delicious and I will happily try again.
The black forest cakes don’t leaven very much with modern leavening agents. The old German recipes would require that you whisk the batter fast until it was fluffy then you would put it into the oven immediately, that is how the cake would rise. My advice would be, pre sifting the dry ingredients onto a parchment paper. Prepare your pan and be ready to put it into the oven as soon as you finished mixing. Whisk the batter at a high speed, until the wet ingredients are incorporated 2-3 minutes. Put the dry ingredients in and incorporate them. Once incorporated pour into the pan ASAP and put it into the oven. If you let the batter sit it will become less fluffy. The altitude you are at also affects how much the cake is leavened by baking powder and salt so doing this can help minimize the shortcomings of the baking powder.
That is great advice! Thank you so much for your input!
I have made this recipe twice now and my German in-laws absolutely love it. Lovely, lovely cake. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Katie! I’m super happy that your in-laws like it! It’s a very delicious cake though.
Hallochen – would you say we could substitute jarred Morello
cherries in this recipe (and use the water in the jar for the cherry water?) Vielen Dank, Daniela
Hi Daniela, Yes, that is absolutely fine! Happy baking!
Hi I tried this recipe as a surprise birthday cake for my boyfriend who is from the Blackforest in Germany, I sourced all the ingredients from a German grocer here in South Africa but unfortunately my cake did not rise… I wiil attempt again and hopefully it rises…
I’m sorry that it didn’t rise. Please make sure to use just dutch-processed cocoa powder when using baking powder. Natural cocoa powder does not interact with baking powder but with baking soda. If you have just natural cocoa powder available then use 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 baking soda.
I am in Canada, and I would like to know what brand of sour cherries did you use? they are dark in your picture. I made a black forest cake many years ago and I remember it turned out great, but I have no idea what recipe I used back then, I was in high school. I want to try your recipe as think I can manage it. I’ve already tracked down where I can get kirsh, I just need to know what type of cherries you used.
I’m currently living in Austria and I bought any retail brand sour cherries. So no popular brand. In German, they are called “Weichseln”. I hope that helps.
I had to search 4 stores in alberta where I am, and finally found a jar of sour cherries at one place, so I am now going to try this. While I don’t mind the cakes being made with maraschino cherries, I just feel this recipe would be better.
May I ask what type of cherries you used for the top with stem? I might have a hard time finding those at this time of year.
My husband always loved the ice cream Cherry Garcia so I thought he would love Black Forest cake. He’s never had it! It tastes great. I made two batches, and still didn’t seem to get a rise out of it. It it still was great!! Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you so much, Alisha! I’m happy that you like the recipe!
After slicing the three cooled down layer’s of the cake, i sprinkle clear Kirsch generously on the first bottom layer.
I’ve always made the cake a day before an event (birthday, etc.).
Keep it in the fridge, and take out about a half hour before serving, it helps the ingredients to soak and breath.
Your recipe is very similar to the one I got from my mom. Love it
I’m so happy to hear that, Doris! Thank you so much for your nice feedback!
your article is very good. I can’t wait to try it with my family. Thank you for sharing ideas with me. I’m waiting for your next article.
Thank you so much!
My fiance asked for a Black Forest cake for his birthday so I spent quite a bit of time hunting down an authentic recipe that looked straightforward enough – hurrah! I found your site! I have had this recipe saved for so long on my Pinterest board. I’m so glad I finally get to make this cake today! This is a fantastic recipe – so, so easy. My cake is just out of the oven cooling down now and it smells divine. The syrup was easy to make too. I’m surprised at just how easy this is. Thanks for such a good recipe, we’ll be tucking into a slice tonight after birthday dinner out!
I’m so glad that you like this recipe, Michaela. I know, Black Forest Cake seems hard to make but actually it isn’t. It’s like you said, a straightforward cake to make. I hope you two had a wonderful day celebrating!
Hi. This cake looks delicious and I want to try making it! Quick question: Do you use the kirsch liqueur or the brandy? I see the clear brandy or colored liquor but not sure which one to use?
Thanks!
Hi Jav, Use the colored liquor. That’s what I used too. Have a great day!
Is it salted or unsalted butter?
I used unsalted butter.
Sabine, thank you for your recipe. This looks like the same recipe I used over 50 years ago! Traditional and authentic. I lost my recipe over the years but have always tried to keep to the authentic torte I remembered. After cutting the three layers I would sprinkle some kirsch onto them. Also, I would mix the sour cherries with the cornstarch thickened syrup. Otherwise all your ingredients and your method is identical. It’s as though I have my old recipe back again.
Lorna, Your lovely comment just made my day! I’m so happy that you like this recipe and that it is that close to your old recipe. Have a great day! Happy baking 🙂
Whenever my 50+ YEAR OLD SON and family has come home to visit I’ve made a BF cake at his request. . This time I’m using your recipe. Never used the booze in it before, Hope it turns out as lovely and delicious as yours looks!
Joan, I hope you and your family like the cake! Happy birthday to your son! The original recipe from Germany calls for booze. It fits perfectly. Have a great day and happy baking (:
Classy, Professional, Rustic, Natural: Perfect. Amazing. ????????????????
Thank you so much! (:
Masterpiece it is ! Thank you !
Thank you so so much!!
This cake is so pretty, and it looks delicious, too!
Bethany, thank you so much! If you try it, let me know what you think!
This cake looks classic and wonderful. I love the beautiful contrasting colors and flavors and exposed sides!
Thank you so much!