How To Make Black Forest Cherry Cake

By Olivia on July 30, 2018 | | This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

This Black Forest Cake combines rich chocolate cake layers with fresh cherries, ruby-red liqueur, and a uncomplicated whipped cream frosting.

A piece of cake sitting on top of a wooden table

Black Forest Cake was a staple when I was growing up (much to my dismay…read on).

You lot know, the grocery store kind with the nuclear crimson maraschino cherries? My mom loooooved that cake and always got it for her altogether, and oftentimes at other times throughout the year as well. This was epically disappointing to me.

Why on earth would y'all ruin a perfectly delicious cake with those sickly sweet, mucilaginous, bogus tasting cherries? Whyyyyy? Needless to say, I ate around them, but they totally tainted the cake and frosting. Sad times.

Now that I think about it, it's probably been a good 20-25 years since I've had that block.

I've talked virtually my disdain for maraschino cherries before, and that feeling nevertheless holds truthful to this day. I have caved and used them as a garnish because I will acknowledge, they look pretty and merely go with sure desserts, but they get plucked right off before eating the block.

Matter is, I actually love cherries. Real cherries. Fresh cherries. They are one of my favourite summer seasonal fruits. And then, I set up off to re-create the decades-quondam Black Forest Block my way.

Close up of the bark on the cake

I promise you, this is one of the easiest cakes you will brand.

Information technology looks fancier than it is, and the chocolate bark was actually expressionless easy to make. The trickiest part of this block is making sure you don't have whatever lingering cherry pits in your cherries, which totally happened due to a less-than-stellar cherry pitter that broke after about 10 cherries.

Needless to say, it got returned.

Overhead shot of the cake

So, super like shooting fish in a barrel chocolate block, a simple whipped cream for frosting, and fresh cherries. That's really all you need.

In order to go on it traditional, I too fabricated a cherry syrup (using kirsch – cherry liqueur) to brush onto the block layers.

You can go out this out if you'd similar to keep it kid-friendly or utilize a non-alcoholic crimson syrup.

Cake with fresh cherries beside it.

How to Make Chocolate Bark

The chocolate bark on the side of the cake is much easier to make than it looks. I first saw this on my friend Janette's Irish gaelic Chocolate Cake. She has a video tutorial to show you how to make information technology, and I basically followed her steps: melt chocolate, spread on parchment, arctic, unroll.

The only difference is that I popped mine into the freezer for 20mins instead of the refrigerator for 30mins because I'm mega impatient.

I actually didn't call back it would work out, to be honest, since information technology was my first fourth dimension trying it and all, but it worked smashing!

I really thought my pieces were too big/thick and was thisclose to re-melting it and trying it again, merely afterward I placed them on the cake they looked perfect.

Close up of the cake

Y'all volition have to work chop-chop with this chocolate bark — since the chocolate isn't tempered, it will melt on contact.

I recommend using food safe latex gloves so that you're not touching the chocolate directly. It will aid a ton. I as well popped the chocolate shards back in the fridge/freezer here and there to cool them off — it was a hot day too, and then that didn't assistance my plight.

At one point I actually had the cake and bark in the fridge and was placing the shards on the block with the fridge door open (lol).

Desperate times. Is it Fall nonetheless??

I used a vegetable peeler on a block of chocolate to create the chocolate shavings on top, and then used a 1M tip to piping rosettes out of the whipped cream on height.

Really though, you could skip all the bells and whistles and just do a rustic frosting job with the whipped cream.

A piece of chocolate cake on a plate

If you're a Black Forest Cake fan, I hope y'all endeavor this version! And if you're not, maybe this recipe will convert you.

It is much meliorate than the ones y'all can go at the grocery store, I promise!

Tips for this Black Woods Cake:

Y'all can exit the ruby liqueur out (though information technology is traditional) or use a non-alcoholic version.
You can use maraschino cherries or utilise ruby pie filling instead of fresh cherries.
When making the whipped cream frosting, make sure everything is chilled, equally the foam will whip upwardly amend. I stick my mixer bowl and whisk in the freezer beforehand to arctic them before starting.
I used this technique from my friend Janette to create the chocolate bark. I recommend wearing nutrient safe latex gloves when treatment the bark, as the heat from your hands will cook the chocolate. Work quickly regardless!
This cake will non keep incredibly long due to the whipped foam. I recommend eating inside 1-two days and storing in the refrigerator. I practise non recommend freezing.
To assist ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.

Black Wood Cake

This Black Wood Cake combines rich chocolate cake layers with fresh cherries, cherry liqueur, and a simple whipped cream frosting.

Class Dessert

Cuisine High german

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 45 minutes

Full Fourth dimension 2 hours 45 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 774 kcal

Blood-red Liqueur Syrup:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/ii cup water
i/4 loving cup cherry liqueur

Whipped Cream Frosting:

3 loving cup whipping cream cold
1/4 cup powdered sugar sifted

Assembly:

two 1/2 cups cherries pitted and cut in one-half
one bar dark chocolate for shavings (optional)
cherries

Chocolate Cake:

Preheat oven to 350F, grease 2 8" round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
Place all dry out ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (cascade hot water in slowly as not to cook the eggs).
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-iii mins. Batter will be very thin.
Cascade evenly into prepared pans. I used a kitchen scale to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.
Broil for 45 mins or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean.
Cool ten minutes in the pans and then plough out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cerise Liqueur Syrup:

Identify carbohydrate and water into a pocket-size pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 min and so remove from heat. Stir in crimson liqueur and allow to cool completely.

Whipped Cream Frosting:

Whip cream and powdered sugar until potent peaks. Ideally in a cold basin with a cold whisk.

Chocolate Bawl:

Cook chocolate over a double boiler or in 20 second bursts in the microwave.
Using a large offset spatula, spread melted chocolate in a thin layer on a large sheet of parchment.
Curlicue up from the short side of the parchment. Place on a baking sail and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
Unroll to create chocolate bawl.

Assembly:

Cutting each cake layer in one-half horizontally.
Place i layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Brush generously with cherry syrup.
Meridian with approximately 1 loving cup whipped foam and spread evenly. Top with approximately 1 cup of cherries and gently press them into the whipped cream. Repeat with remaining layers and frost the exterior of the cake.
Decorate with chocolate bawl, chocolate shavings, rosettes, and cherries if desired.

Calories: 774 kcal Carbohydrates: 84 g Protein: ix thou Fat: 46 one thousand Saturated Fat: 29 g Cholesterol: 116 mg Sodium: 468 mg Potassium: 502 mg Fiber: 6 thou Saccharide: 56 g Vitamin A: 979 IU Vitamin C: 2 mg Calcium: 119 mg Iron: 6 mg

The nutritional data and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favorite nutrition estimator and/or metric conversion tool.

Black forest cake photo collage