Traditional Black Forest Cake

Everything about this rich black forest cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte) is mouthwatering. Three light and fluffy layers of genoise sponge cake, similar to a roll cake, are soaked with a kirsch cherry liqueur, layered with sweet whipped cream, and covered in Kirsch-soaked cherries and chocolate shavings.

The black forest cake is probably Germany's most well-known contribution to the cake world. It's a beloved dessert that is widely admired all over the world and has become an iconic cake. Keep reading to learn how to recreate a traditional black forest cake from scratch.

Ingredients

These are some important ingredients to note that you may not have on hand.

Kirsch Cherry Liqueur - This somewhat spicy and fiery liqueur is what the black forest cake is named for! It gives it its distinctive flavor. You can omit the liqueur if you desire and use an extra Tablespoon of sugar in your cherry syrup.

Cake Flour - This flour can typically be found in most grocery stores in the baking aisle. Cake flour is a soft flour with a lower protein content than all-purpose flour resulting in very soft and delicate sponge cakes.

Dutched Cocoa Powder - This cocoa powder is different than a natural cocoa powder such as Hershey's. It has been alkalized so the flavor of the cocoa powder is much smoother and richer. Typically you cannot switch out cocoa powder without changing the rising agents but since genoise doesn't have any rising agents, you can switch the cocoa powder to any brand with no issues.

How to Make Black Forest Cake

Preparing the kirsch Soaked Cherries

I like to make the Kirsch soaked cherries a day or two in advance but really you can make them as far in advance as you want and just store them in the fridge until you're ready to use them. The sugar and alcohol will preserve the cherries and the flavor just gets better and better.

1. If your cherries are fresh, go ahead and pit them and set them aside. Make sure you reserve 8 cherries for the decoration of the cake later. You can also use frozen or canned cherries. If you use canned cherries in syrup then use the syrup as the water and omit the sugar from the recipe.
2. Combine the water, sugar and cherries in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
3. Once the sugar granules have dissolved (after about 1 minute) then remove the mixture from the heat.
4. Add in your Kirsch and stir to combine.
5. Transfer the cherries and syrup to a covered container and place it into the fridge. The longer it sits, the more the flavors will develop. If you're in a rush you can use them right away, the flavor just wont be as strong.

Making the Chocolate Genoise

Genoise is a very light sponge cake with no leavening. It gets all its lift from how well you whip the eggs and how delicately you mix in the flour. Kinda like making french macarons, you don't want to mix too much or too little. Genoise is also very dry so you'll want to make sure you give it a really good soak with that kirsch cherry juice!

Depending on how well you folded your batter, your cakes may be very tall or very short. If your layers are shorter, don't despair! They will still taste delicious.

1. In a separate bowl, melt the butter until warm, but not hot. Set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, and salt. This aerates the dry ingredients so it's easier to fold into the egg mixture later and avoid getting flour lumps.
3. Place the eggs, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk the mixture until it's slightly warm, around 100ºF. I just feel the mixture with my fingertips, if I can't feel any grains of sugar I know it's ready.
4. Whip egg mixture on high for about 5-10 minutes until the mixture triples in volume. The batter will make a "ribbon" when the whisk is lifted. If the ribbon sits on top of the mixture for a few seconds before melding back in, the mixture is ready. Pro-Tip: Make sure to whip for long enough, there is no leavening agent in this cake, so the egg volume will help our cakes rise.
5. Sift ⅓ of your flour mixture into the egg mixture and fold to combine. Try to deflate the mixture as little as possible. Sift and fold in another ⅓rd of the mixture and then finally the last portion. Make sure no lumps remain.
6. Scoop 1 cup of the batter into a separate bowl and fold the butter into it. This will make it easier to add the butter to the rest of the batter without deflating it.
7. Add the butter mixture and vanilla to the egg/flour mixture and fold them together carefully.
8. Coat three 6-inch cake pans with cake goop. Some people also like to put parchment circles on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.
9. Divide the genoise batter evenly between the 3 pans.
10. Bake the cakes at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until the center of the cake is set. Try not to open the oven to look at the cakes until after 20 minutes of baking as the movement and temperature change can cause the cakes to fall.
11. Let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes and then gently loosen the edges of the cakes from the pan with a knife and turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to cool fully before frosting.

How to Make the Stabilized Whipped Cream Filling

I love to use my stabilized whipped cream to frost and fill this cake because once it sets up, it's much easier to cut without the whole cake falling apart.

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it bloom for 5 minutes.
2. Melt the gelatin in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until you no longer see any granules and the mixture looks clear.
3. Add the Tablespoon of cream to the gelatin and stir to combine.
4. Begin whisking your heavy cream in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment attached until it begins to get thick and foamy.
5. Add in your powdered sugar and continue mixing on medium speed until you start seeing lines beginning to form on the surface of the whipped cream (medium peak stage) and reduce the speed to low.
6. Add in your vanilla.
7. Slowly drizzle in the gelatin mixture and continue mixing until stiff peaks form that hold their shape but do not over-mix.

How to Assemble the Black Forest Cake

1. Trim the bottom and top of your chocolate cake layers with a serrated knife to make them level and for them to be easier to soak with the syrup.
2. Place your first cake layer onto a cake cardboard or onto a cake platter. Soak the layer generously with the kirsch syrup, don't forget the side of the cake!
3. Add a thick layer of your whipped cream and spread it evenly.
4. Place some of your cherries onto the layer of whipped cream. Make sure the whipped cream and cherries are level with each other.
5. Place the next layer of cake on top and continue with this process a second time.
6. Cover the whole cake in a layer of whipped cream and then freeze the cake for about 20 minutes.
7. Then cover the cake in your final layer of whipped cream and make it smooth or leave it rough if you like a rustic look.
8. Cover the bottom of the cake with some chocolate shavings. I use a vegetable peeler and a block of chocolate.
9. Make your ganache drip by combining the chocolate and cream and mixing until smooth. Wait until it cools to 90ºF and then pipe the drip on top of the cake.
10. Cover the top of the cake with the leftover ganache and smooth it out.
11. Finish the cake with some rosettes of whipped cream and more fresh cherries and shredded chocolate. You could also use maraschino cherries if you'd like.

FAQ

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