This black forest cake is anything but ordinary. It’s a treat for your eyes, your palate, and your heart. Juicy cherries, dark chocolate, and airy whipped cream complement one another beautifully. The best part? The recipe doesn’t call for any fancy ingredients. So, grab what you have and create your own masterpiece!

Why This Black Forest Cake Is A Hit

A feast for the eyes: The smooth whipped cream frosting makes for a picture-perfect canvas, creating an eye-catching contrast with other elements. The chocolate shavings and the deep burgundy cherries shine on the snowy white base. Every detail is Instagram-worthy!

A perfect harmony of flavors: The cake first awakes your taste buds with its cloud-like whipped cream layered with the soft, chocolate-y sponge cake. As you indulge in that heavenly goodness, it soon delights you with sweet-tart cherry syrup oozing out in every bite. And get ready for a juicy, refreshing encounter with fresh cherries on top! That’s a taste of heaven!

Simple ingredients yet rewarding results: Don’t let the fancy name fool you! This recipe only calls for simple ingredients, all easy to find at any grocery store—or maybe already in your kitchen!). This black forest cake is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at any party or get-together.

14 Basic Steps To Make Black Forest Cake

Make The Chocolate Sponge Cakes

Step 1

Grab a large bowl and crack in 3 large eggs (or 4 medium ones, your choice!). Whisk until combined, and toss in 85g of granulated sugar.

Fill a saucepan with 1-2 inches of water and place it on a stovetop. Then, put the bowl of eggs over the saucepan (creating a double-boiler). Let it warm up to 40°C (104°F) while whisking constantly. This helps the sugar dissolve completely. Take the saucepan off the heat and remove the bowl (be careful of the high heat!).

Step 2

Put 25 of unsalted butter and 25g of milk in a small bowl and place it inside the same saucepan (it’s still warm now). Let the lingering heat work its magic to melt the butter.

In the meantime, grab your electric mixer and beat the egg-and-sugar mixture on high speed until foamy (it’s gonna look pale!). I usually beat for 6 minutes to reach the desired consistency.

Here’s my tip to test the texture: Lift the mixer off the mixture and draw a ribbon (like an 8) using its trail. If you see the ribbon clearly with thick trails, you’re good to go.

Now, switch to low speed and beat it for another minute to break air bubbles.

Step 3

Use a sieve and sift 70g of cake flour and 20g cocoa powder into the mixture. But divide into 2 batches to ensure smoothness. Fold them together using a spatula.

Step 4

Remember the butter and milk in step 2? It should melt like a dream now. Scoop a small amount of cake batter into the bowl of milk and butter, then give them a good mix. Now, fold the mixture into the batter.

Prep a 15 cm (6-inch) pan with parchment paper and oil. Pour the batter into it and bake at 180°C (356°F) for 35 to 40 minutes.

Pro tip: Use a toothpick to swirl around the batter and tap the pan gently on the countertop to remove air pockets.

Now, take the cake out of the pan and let it cool down completely for an hour.

Make The Cherry Syrup

Step 5

Grab another clean saucepan and pour 280g of canned cherries, 30g of sugar, and a pinch of salt into it. Be sure to add some liquid from the can, but don’t go overboard! We aim for a thick, syrupy texture.

Cook the mixture over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Once the sugar dissolves completely, take the saucepan off the heat, add in 1 tablespoon of Kirsch, and mix well. Let it cool down completely.

Step 6

While the syrup rests, it’s time to slice the cooled sponge cake. Slice it into 3 layers using a cake leveler or a long serrated knife, each about 1 cm in height. I also trim the top of the cake to create an even surface for decorating. Set them aside.

Step 7

Back to the saucepan of syrup! Separate the cherries from the liquid using a sieve. Set aside.

Make The Whipped Cream

Step 8

Pour 450 ml of heavy cream into a bowl. Prepare a large bowl with water and ice cubes. Place the heavy cream bowl over the ice water and whip it on high speed using your electric mixer.

Then, add 40g of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of Kirsch. Keep mixing until you see soft peaks form.

Step 9

Pour 200g of whipped cream into a separate bowl, cover it, and stash it into the fridge for icing later. Whisk the remaining cream by hand until stiff.

Assemble The Cake

Step 10

Place the first sponge cake layer on the cake stand. I usually spread a little whipped cream beneath to keep the cake in place.

Brush the layer with some cherry syrup. This is my secret to make the sponge cake more flavorful.

Step 11

Scoop out a small amount of whipped cream and spread it evenly over the surface using an offset spatula. Then, top it with some canned cherries, add enough cream to cover all the cherries, and flatten out.

Do the same with the second layer. Use the spatula to smooth out the sides between layers. Then, put the final layer on top.

Step 12

Take the reserved whipped cream out of the fridge. Whisk it well to adjust the stiffness. This icing cream should be softer than the sanded cream we use between cake layers.

Continue to brush the top layer with syrup. Next, cover the surface and the sides with a thin layer of cream first. Then, add enough icing cream to cover the whole cake evenly.

Step 13

Use a scraper to smooth out all sides and edges for a picture-perfect look. Clean the scraper after each time to prevent the remaining cream from messing up with the icing.

Now, it’s chilling time! Let the cake rest in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Garnish

Step 14

Shave a bar of dark chocolate (50g) using a sharp knife. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings generously in the center and around the base of the cake.

Scoop the remaining whipped cream into a piping bag and pipe some swirls around the edges. Add a finishing touch by crowning each swirl with a fresh burgundy cherry.

There you have it! Slice and dig in!

Good news for chocoholics! I’ve got a whole collection of chocolate-based recipes, like triple chocolate cake, triple chocolate mousse cake, chocolate espresso cake, and more. Check them out!

Some Baking Notes

Go Wild With The Decoration

This is where you can let your creativity shine! I once went full “enchanted forest” mode and made chocolate curls that looked like hollowed logs—so dramatic and fun! You could even drizzle chocolate ganache over the top for that extra wow factor. Your cake will not just taste incredible but look like a masterpiece that tells its own story. Who says desserts can’t be art?

Storage Tips

Leftovers? No problem! I always cover my cake with a dome or wrap it snugly in plastic wrap to keep it moist. Trust me, it’s just as delicious the next day. You can store it at room temperature for a day, but I recommend popping it in the fridge if you want to savor it over the week—it’ll stay fresh and irresistible for up to 7 days. Bonus tip: chilled Black Forest Cake is a whole new level of indulgence!