Authentic German Black Forest Cake
The German Black Forest Cake, or Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, is the best-known German cake there is. This is an authentic recipe.
Servings: 14 slices
Calories: 399kcal
Equipment
- springform about 9.5 inches/ 24 cm)
- Several bowls
Ingredients
Sponge (Note 1):
- 5 large eggs Note 2
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cake/ pastry flour Note 3
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp cornstarch ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon
- ⅛ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ⅛ cup, Note 4
Cherry filling:
- 1 jar of morello/sour cherries in light syrup 12.5 oz/ 350 g weighed after draining, keep the juice, Note 5
- 1 cup cherry juice from the jar of cherries or from a bottle if using fresh or defrosted cherries
- ¼ cup cornstarch ¼ cup
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Note 6
- 3 tablespoons Kirsch leave out for a non-alcoholic cake
Heavy cream and decoration:
- 2 tablespoons Kirsch or use cherry juice instead
- 3⅓ cup heavy cream 3 ⅓ cups, preferably 35-36% fat content, Note 7
- 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar or 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, to taste, Note 8
- 14 nice-looking cherries reserved from the jar
- 3.5 oz dark chocolate shavings or coarsely grated chocolate
Instructions
Sponge:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Line the bottom of the springform with parchment paper. Don’t line or butter the sides of the form.
- Beat egg whites: Separate 5 large eggs. Beat the egg whites for one minute. Slowly start adding half of the measured sugar and the vanilla extract. Continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes, depending on your mixer.egg whites + ½ cup sugar (100 g) + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until thick, creamy, and pale. Carefully add to the egg white mixture and fold in with a spatula.egg yolks + ½ cup sugar (100 g)
- Combine: In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cocoa, and cornstarch. Sieve over the egg mixture and fold in carefully with a spatula. Don’t stir, just fold!1 cup cake/ pastry flour + 2 teaspoons baking powder + ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch + ⅛ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared springform. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with only a few crumbs attached.
- Cool: Remove the ring and turn the cake onto a wire rack. Peel off the parchment paper. Let cool completely.
Cherry filling:
- Drain the cherries but reserve the juice. Reserve 14 very nice-looking cherries for decorating. Measure 250 ml/ 1 cup juice and remove 4 tablespoons; you will need them to make the corn starch slurry.1 jar of morello/sour cherries in light syrup
- Cook: Place the rest of the juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Slurry: In the meantime, mix the cornstarch and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in the 4 tablespoons of reserved juice. Whisk the slurry into the liquid and let it thicken while whisking continuously. It will happen almost instantly. Add the cherries, stir well, and remove from the heat. ¼ cup cornstarch + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Cool: Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
- Add Kirsch and stir well.3 tablespoons Kirsch
- Tip: See the blog post for instructions on preparing the filling with fresh or defrosted cherries.
Heavy cream:
- Tip: Make sure that the cream is icy, straight from the fridge.
- Whip the heavy cream at medium-low speed in at least 2 batches. However, I prefer to do it in 3 batches to ensure that the cream is whipped correctly.Slowly start adding the vanilla sugar (and the cream stiffener if using) or pour in some vanilla extract. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. Don’t overbeat!3⅓ cup heavy cream + 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
Assemble:
- Cut the cake into 3 even layers using a serrated knife. Reserve the bottom layer for the top of the cake; it is usually the most even one.
- Assemble the gateau directly on the serving platter. Place two pieces of parchment paper, that are slightly overlapping, on the platter. Place the layer that was on top on the platter.
- Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons Kirsch or cherry juice. Cover with the cherries, leaving a narrow border at the edge of the cake. Top with ⅓ of the whipped cream and smooth it with a spatula.
- Place the second cake layer on top. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons Kirsch or juice. Cover with ⅓ of the whipped cream. Smooth.2 tablespoons Kirsch
- Place the third cake layer on top.
- Cover with cream: Transfer about 4 tablespoons of the remaining whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a nozzle. Use the rest of the cream to cover the top and the side of the cake.
- Decorate the sides of the cake with chocolate shavings. I use a dough scraper to do that. Sprinkle chocolate shavings on the platter near the edge of the cake and lift them onto the sides of the cake with the scraper.3.5 oz dark chocolate shavings
- Trace the cake slices in the whipped cream on top; you should have 14 slices (I use a cake divider for perfectly sized pieces). Pipe a cream rosette on each slice and place one of the reserved cherries on top. Sprinkle some of the leftover chocolate shavings in the middle.14 nice-looking cherries
- Very carefully pull the parchment paper from under the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Measurements: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it guarantees the best results. (Amazon affiliate link)
- Eggs: Use medium in Germany and large in the US.
- Cake or pastry flour (without added raising agents) works best; it makes the cake airy and light, but all-purpose is also ok.
- Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder is typical for Germany, but natural would be fine as well in this recipe.
- Sour cherries in light syrup are what we always use for this cake in Germany. If using fresh or defrosted cherries, check the blog post for instructions on preparing them for the filling (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
- You will need ¼ cup/ 50 g sugar if using fresh or defrosted cherries.
- If using heavy cream with under 35 % fat content (typical for Germany), you will need 4 packets of Dr. Oetker Whip it (Sahnesteif) to help the cream get stiffer and hold its shape. (Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab)
- The use of vanilla sugar is typical for a German cake recipe. See the blog post for instructions on how to make vanilla sugar at home. Otherwise, use pure vanilla extract to taste.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g