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Black Forest Cake Recipe

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4 from 55 reviews

This Easy Black Forest Cake recipe combines moist chocolate cake layers with luscious white chocolate mousse and a rich cherry sauce for a classic and elegant dessert. The cake is built with layers of homemade cherry sauce, creamy white chocolate mousse, and finished with a smooth chocolate ganache drip, making it perfect for celebrations or a special treat.

  • Total Time: 6 hours (including chilling and assembly time)
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For Chocolate Cake

  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (280ml) milk, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
  • 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

For Cherry Sauce

  • 4 cups pitted sweet cherries, fresh or frozen
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For White Chocolate Mousse

  • 1 ½ teaspoons (6g) powdered gelatin
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 18 ounces (500g) white chocolate chips
  • 3 cups (720 ml) heavy whipping cream

For Assembly

  • 1 can (15oz) dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup

For Chocolate Ganache

  • ¼ cup (2oz/60ml) heavy cream
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cake Pans: Line two 7-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
  2. Bake Chocolate Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, instant espresso powder, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds until mixed. Add milk, eggs, oil, and melted butter; mix just until smooth about 15 seconds. Stir in the vinegar and mix an additional 10 seconds. Divide batter evenly into pans and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in pans set on wire rack, then invert and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least overnight for sturdiness.
  3. Make Cherry Sauce: In a medium saucepan, bring cherries to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl; add to cherries along with vanilla extract and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir constantly for about 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and cool completely.
  4. Prepare White Chocolate Mousse: Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand 5 minutes. Heat 1 cup heavy cream in small saucepan until simmering but not boiling. Remove from heat, add gelatin mixture, and stir until dissolved. Pour hot cream and gelatin over white chocolate in a bowl; stir until melted completely and cool to room temperature. Whip remaining 2 cups heavy cream to stiff peaks and gently fold into white chocolate mixture until combined.
  5. Slice Cake Layers: When cakes are fully chilled, slice each horizontally into two layers to create four layers total.
  6. Assemble Cake Layers: Place cake board on turntable and spread a small amount of frosting to secure first layer. Brush reserved cherry syrup from canned cherries over cake layer. Pipe white chocolate mousse evenly over the layer with a piping bag, then spread to smooth. Add a border of mousse around edges and spread one-third cherry sauce in center. Repeat for each layer until all are stacked.
  7. Crumb Coat Cake: Apply a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake to seal crumbs. Smooth with offset spatula or bench scraper. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and optionally place a metal cake collar to maintain shape. Refrigerate 30-60 minutes to set.
  8. Make Chocolate Ganache: Heat heavy cream in microwave for 45 seconds until hot. Pour over chopped bittersweet chocolate in bowl. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. If needed, microwave for 15-second intervals stirring between until fully melted and runny but not hot.
  9. Decorate Cake: Apply final smooth layer of frosting to cake. Use ganache in a squirt bottle to drizzle drips around edges and cover top completely. Fill piping bag with star tip with remaining mousse and pipe 8 dollops on top. Garnish each dollop with a dark cherry from canned cherries.

Notes

  • The vinegar reacts with baking soda to help the cake rise and keeps it moist.
  • Using espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor.
  • Chilling the cake overnight makes it easier to slice and assemble.
  • Ensure ganache is not too hot when dripping to prevent melting the frosting.
  • Use a metal cake collar to keep the cake edges neat and stable during refrigeration.
  • Author: Madelynn
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: German

Find it online: https://allyumcooks.com/black-forest-cake-recipe-2/