If you haven’t heard of a Black Forest Cake before, it’s time to meet one of your newest favorite cake flavors! Rich dark chocolate cake, a sweet and tart cherry compote filling, and soft whipped cream frosting are the classic components of this traditional dessert. But why on earth is it called “Black Forest”? Well, let me tell you…

I always thought Black Forest came from the actual mountain range in Germany. But the cake is known to some to be named after a cherry liquor called “Schwarzwalder Kirschwasser” (Black Forest Kirsch from the Black Forest region). Some say that it’s named after the traditional clothing of the women in Black Forest (dark clothes, white shirts, hats have red pom poms that look like cherries), but either way, it’s a very traditional German cake (or gateau).

Although my version of the cake doesn’t have any cherry liquor in it (heeeey I belong to a church that encourages us to not drink alcohol, remember?), I still think we have a really yummy version of this cake on our hands! If you’d still love to add the cherry schnapps/liquor to the cake, I suggest adding it to the compote or brushing the cake layers with it as one would traditionally add on as a simple syrup.

I’ve shared this recipe before, but it was in my Cake Confidence cookbook as a cupcake recipe (super yummy, loved those ones!). But for this version, I wanted to switch up a couple different things. I wanted the compote to be made from fresh cherries instead of maraschino cherries or cherry pie filling. After all, those juicy cherries are at the peak of their season here in Utah, and it would have been a crime to let them go to waste! If you want to skip the fresh cherry compote, simply used canned cherries and you should be fine. Although, this compote turned out divine and really compliments the dark chocolate cake and whipped cream so very well.

To make the chocolate cake, simply use my traditional method you see below. If you can’t find the Duncan Hines mix, simply use the Ghirardelli one, or Betty/Pillsbury should be fine. I prefer the two former, though, if you can find them at your local supermarket. Chill the cake rounds, it will make your life easier. They bake up pretty thick, so you can slice them in half if needed to make 6 layers instead of 3. Heads up, the filling combined with the soft frosting really make it tricky to keep things from sliding around, so you will need a dowel to keep things under control. Normally none of my cakes have this problem, and I tried my best to stabilize that whipped cream, but it did need more babysitting than I preferred while stacking.

Next, for your cherry compote, FOR THE LOVE, FIND A CHERRY PITTER. I tried using a knife to pit the cherries, then a straw, then a skewer…. yeah… just get the pitter and use it forever. Some of you may have watched me on Instagram fail miserably, and getting quite the splash of red on my face and hands. Yeah, gloves would be a smart idea while you’re at it, haha.

I stirred the cherries together with water, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla (almond extract, too, if using). Let them thicken (and smell super delicious), and store that delicious compote in a container in the fridge until it cools all the way… you don’t want it to melt your whipped cream frosting. Just a fourth a cup will do between the layers, and you can always serve some along the side of each cake slice.

Okay, so whipped cream is a beautiful, but temperamental thing! After whipping it up, it stays gorgeous for maybe a half hour, then slowly melts back into a puddle. This would be NOT BUENO for this cake – especially since we’re stacking it! So I tried a couple different ways of having your whipped cream stay strong and I think I’ve found the perfect combination.

Gelatin and a touch of cream cheese. YEP!

I’ve heard powdered milk works, too, but I don’t always have that on hand, and don’t especially like the taste. The steps for the gelatin are below, and really it’s not too much trouble, I promise! If gelatin freaks you out, then, well, no more jell-o or gummy bears for you, either. 😉

When prepared correctly, this whipped cream frosting IS A DREAM! Look at those gorgeous ridges and swirls! It behaves just like buttercream, but is much lighter in texture. I opted for a naked cake with this one to give it more of a rustic look, and I think it came together beautifully! You can always use the rest of the whipped cream, you’d just need to make sure it’s super chilled as you keep working with it. The weight of the cakes and cherries are pretty great, so it may cause some puckering if you’re not working quickly enough. The end result though, is lovely!

Slice it up, and serve it with that heavenly whipped cream and cherries, and you’re all good to go! As always, I can’t wait to see what you create in your kitchen with my recipe – make sure to tag me @bakingwithblondie on Instagram so I can join in on all the fun.

Happy Caking!

Love, Mandy

P.S. Here’s a quick video for a glimpse into the process:

Black Forest Cake
Recipe Type: Cake
Author: Mandy | Baking with Blondie
Traditional Black Forest Cake coming together with dark chocolate cake layers, a fresh cherry compote, whipped cream frosting, and a dark chocolate drip.
Ingredients
  • Dark Chocolate Cake [br]
  • ⅔ cup sour cream
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
  • 3 whole eggs + 1 egg white
  • ½ cup dark chocolate cocoa
  • ½ cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
  • 1 Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Cake Mix
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour for high altitude
  • [br]
  • Cherry Compote/Filling [br]
  • 1 1/2 Cup Fresh Cherries, Pitted and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • *optional: 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
  • [br]
  • Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting[br]
  • 1 Tablespoon Knox Gelatine (1 packet 1.8g)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • [br]
  • Chocolate Ganache Drip[br]
  • 1 cup dark chocolate candy melts
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • [br]
  • Garnish[br]
  • Fresh Cherries
Instructions
  1. FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prep three 6″ cake rounds with a wipe of shortening and dust of flour. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Sift in the cocoa, cake mix, and flour, and toss in chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.
  3. Split cake batter evenly between prepared cake rounds.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until center is fully baked. Do not overbake. Remove rounds from the oven, let cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap up in plastic wrap twice for each round, then freeze for at least 3 hours until solid. You want to frost this cake when it’s cold for better results.
  5. FOR THE CHERRY FILLING: In a saucepan, stir together all the ingredients except for the vanilla and almond extracts. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes on low until thickened. Stir in vanilla and almond, then store in a covered container in the fridge until cooled completely.
  6. FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING: Place metal mixer bowl and metal mixer whisk in the freezer. You want them chilled!
  7. Place gelatin in a microwave safe bowl with water and let sit for 5 minutes. Microwave for 10 seconds, then let cool slightly.
  8. Whip up whipped cream in chilled mixer bowl on low speed for 1 minute, then gradually increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form. Add in soft cream cheese, gelatin, and vanilla and whip up again until stiff peaks form.
  9. Add in powdered sugar and whip up again until it’s thickened and ready!
  10. FOR THE GANACHE: Stir together the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds and stir until combined and smooth. Add another 5 seconds if needed.
  11. ASSEMBLY: Place down first cake layer and pipe on a thin layer of whipped cream frosting. Spread flat, then pipe a thick rim around the outside rim of the cake layer to act as a dam. Spoon in about 1/4 cup of the cherry filling. Top with the next layer and repeat. If you notice things moving around, add a temporary dowel down the center to stabilize.
  12. Crumb coat, then freeze for 20 minutes. Add drip, then freeze for 2 minutes to set. Pipe on some of the whipped cream frosting with a Wilton 8B piping tip, then top with fresh cherries. Serve cold with some whipped cream and cherry compote on the side.