This Black Forest Cake combines rich chocolate cake layers with fresh cherries, cherry liqueur, and a simple whipped cream frosting.
Black Forest Cake was a staple when I was growing up (much to my dismay…read on).
You know, the grocery store kind with the nuclear red maraschino cherries? My mom loooooved that cake and always got it for her birthday, and often at other times throughout the year as well. This was epically disappointing to me.
Why on earth would you ruin a perfectly delicious cake with those sickly sweet, sticky, artificial 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 cake.
I’ve talked about my disdain for maraschino cherries before, and that feeling still holds true to this day. I have caved and used them as a garnish because I will admit, they look pretty and just go with certain desserts, but they get plucked right off before eating the cake.
Thing is, I actually love cherries. Real cherries. Fresh cherries. They are one of my favourite summer seasonal fruits. So, I set off to re-create the decades-old Black Forest Cake my way.
I promise you, this is one of the easiest cakes you will make.
It looks fancier than it is, and the chocolate bark was actually dead easy to make. The trickiest part of this cake is making sure you don’t have any 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.
So, super easy chocolate cake, a simple whipped cream for frosting, and fresh cherries. That’s really all you need.
In order to keep it traditional, I also made a cherry syrup (using kirsch – cherry liqueur) to brush onto the cake layers.
You can leave this out if you’d like to keep it kid-friendly or use a non-alcoholic cherry syrup.
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 Chocolate Cake. She has a video tutorial to show you how to make it, and I basically followed her steps: melt chocolate, spread on parchment, chill, unroll.
The only difference is that I popped mine into the freezer for 20mins instead of the fridge for 30mins because I’m mega impatient.
I actually didn’t think it would work out, to be honest, since it was my first time trying it and all, but it worked great!
I actually thought my pieces were too big/thick and was thisclose to re-melting it and trying it again, but after I placed them on the cake they looked perfect.
You will have to work quickly 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 help a ton. I also popped the chocolate shards back in the fridge/freezer here and there to cool them off — it was a hot day too, so that didn’t help my plight.
At one point I actually had the cake and bark in the fridge and was placing the shards on the cake with the fridge door open (lol).
Desperate times. Is it Fall yet??
I used a vegetable peeler on a block of chocolate to create the chocolate shavings on top, and then used a 1M tip to pipe rosettes out of the whipped cream on top.
Really though, you could skip all the bells and whistles and just do a rustic frosting job with the whipped cream.
If you’re a Black Forest Cake fan, I hope you try this version! And if you’re not, maybe this recipe will convert you.
It is much better than the ones you can get at the grocery store, I promise!
Tips for this Black Forest Cake:
- The cake batter will be very thin and rises a lot! The cakes will double in size and rise right to the top of two 8×2″ pans. I do not recommend using springform pans.
- You can leave the cherry liqueur out (though it is traditional) or use a non-alcoholic version.
- You can use maraschino cherries or use cherry pie filling instead of fresh cherries.
- When making the whipped cream frosting, make sure everything is chilled, as the cream will whip up better. I stick my mixer bowl and whisk in the freezer beforehand to chill them before starting.
- I used this technique from my friend Janette to create the chocolate bark. I recommend wearing food safe latex gloves when handling the bark, as the heat from your hands will melt the chocolate. Work quickly regardless!
- This cake will not keep incredibly long due to the whipped cream. I recommend eating within 1-2 days and storing in the fridge. I do not recommend freezing.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.

Black Forest Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup hot water or hot coffee
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Cherry Liqueur Syrup:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup cherry liqueur
Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 3 cup whipping cream cold
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
Chocolate Bark:
- 250 g good quality dark chocolate chopped
Assembly:
- 2 1/2 cups cherries pitted and cut in half
- 1 bar dark chocolate for shavings (optional)
- cherries
Instructions
Chocolate Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F, grease two 8" round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
- Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (pour hot water in slowly as not to cook the eggs).
- Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 mins. Batter will be very thin*.
- Pour evenly into prepared pans. I used a kitchen scale to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.
- Bake for 45 mins or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pans then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cherry Liqueur Syrup:
- Place sugar and water into a small pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 min then remove from heat. Stir in cherry liqueur and allow to cool completely.
Whipped Cream Frosting:
- Whip cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks. Ideally in a cold bowl with a cold whisk.
Chocolate Bark:
- Melt 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.
- Roll up from the short side of the parchment. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
- Unroll to create chocolate bark.
Assembly:
- Cut each cake layer in half horizontally.
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Brush generously with cherry syrup.
- Top with approximately 1 cup whipped cream 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 outside of the cake.
- Decorate with chocolate bark, chocolate shavings, rosettes, and cherries if desired.
Dorothy says
I am now a chocolate cake lover! First time making a black forest cake and it turned out so good. Thank you!!!
Olivia says
Hi Dorothy! So happy to hear that. I’m glad you loved it! 🙂
Jennifer says
The chocolate bark garnish didn’t work at all. Is it because I used waxed paper? It wouldn’t unroll and the chocolate was stuck to the paper. I used Ghirardelli’s semi sweet chocolate.
Olivia says
Hi Jennifer! Yes, it must be parchment. The wax will melt and stick.
Nan Manning says
Hello, the only cake tins I have are either 2x 7inch loose bottomed or one 9 inch springform cake tin, is the batter too liquid to use in these tins and would the mixture fit in the springform to cook as a whole cake and cut in half when cooled ? Thank you for your time.
Olivia says
Hi Nan! The batter is very thin. I would not trust it in a springform. For the loose bottom ones, I assume that’s ones where you push the bottom up to release? I would line the bottom with parchment and then it should work ok. I would use the two 7″ pans but be sure not to fill them more than half full as the batter easily doubles in size. You will have some extra batter unless you reduce the recipe. Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here is a site I use as a guideline:
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
Sammmy says
Hi Olivia,
Quick question- I needed to decorate the cake with fondant and wanted to know if I can make the frosting cream cheese instead of just whipping cream to make it stable. Any suggestions?Also, I’m thinking of making one day a head. Would they be okay? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Sammmy! Cream cheese would affect the flavour and it wouldnt be a traditional black forest cake but it would certainly work. A day in advance if using CC frosting would be fine.
Julie Nusbaum says
I’ve never stirred my dry ingredients in my mixer before and I never will again. I ended up with a chewy cake. Thankfully, a generous dose of cherry juice helped the texture when it was soaked up into the cake.
Olivia says
Hi Julie! Stirring the dry ingredients will not make for a chewy cake so something else must have been off. This cake should be quite light and delicate. Did you check to make sure your baking power & soda were still active?
Tara Lynn says
Black Forest cake was amazing! Fresh cherries make such a difference. Chocolate bark on outside make this extra special. This is my “go to” birthday cake from now on.
Olivia says
Hi Tara! I am so happy to hear that. Thank you!
Caroline Miller says
My dad requested a Black Forest cake for his 80th. His birthday is in July, which is winter where we live. I managed to find fresh cherries (imported, and rather expensive of course) and circled a number of recipes online until I felt this one seemed just right.
And it was!
It was such a hit, made his day, and made my day because he was happy. And it looks and tastes so good! For novices like me, I recommend making the chocolate bark a couple of times to get the feel of the spatula and how to spread the chocolate. By the end you’ll feel like a pro.
Brilliant recipe, thank you I will definitely be making this again.
Olivia says
Hi Caroline! Thanks so much, your comment made MY day. Happy to hear you both loved it 🙂
Melisa Creemer says
My husband asks me to make this for his birthday every year! Thanks for the great recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Melisa! So glad he loves it. Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Josanne says
I made this for my mom (a retired professional baker!) for her birthday this week and it was PERFECT!! So perfect, that she asked me to make another one 4 days later. The cake is moist and absolutely delicious!!! The recipe is also super easy to follow. Five stars!
Olivia says
Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback, Josanne! So glad you both loved it 🙂
Leena says
Really liked the recipe, but sadly my cakes wouldn’t rise, and I have no idea why. I used self-rising flour instead of all puprose+ baking soda + baking powder since those are really hard to find where I live. I don’t know if that’s the reason though, because it always works for me. Any idea what I did wrong?
Olivia says
Hi Leena! Self raising flour wouldn’t have enough raising agent in it for this recipe.
Demi says
Hi..can i use cherries preserved for the top?thank you
Olivia says
Hi Demi! For sure 🙂
Mac says
Excellent cake. Baked it last weekend ( June 11th) It is quite easy to make, yet, if a person has no experience in baking (like close to zero) it could be a bit of a challenge. I did not follow the recipe to a dot. My cake did not look 100% like the one in your picture, but quite close. Creating the bark looks easy and it is but you need to experiment to perfect your technique and get the desired results. THE CAKE COMES OUT DELICIOUS!!!!
Olivia says
Hi Mac! So happy you loved it. Thank you! 😀
Mac says
I was asked by the family to make it again for this weekend’s birthday party.
hahah
Heidi says
Excellent recipe!!!
Turns out perfect every time and people love it!!
Olivia says
Thank you Heidi! So happy to hear that 🙂
Bianca says
Would I be able to bake this in a 10” pan or would I have to double the recipe or something? I need to make 10” layers of this chocolate cake and I’m ok if I can’t cut in half I just need to get 10” layers.
Olivia says
Hi Bianca! You could need to increase the recipe. Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
Based on that I would 1.5x the recipe for two 10″ pans. Baking time may need to be adjusted too.
Laura says
Olivia,
Thanks for providing help on converting tin sizes for cakes. I’ve used the Joy of Baking one before, but didn’t know the other. SUPER helpful and I have already bookmarked. I didn’t make your cake recipe, but used your decorating ideas. My heritage is German, and if you ever get a chance, try jarred sour cherries in syrup for this cake. Get either the morello or amareno cherries. They’re quite different from maraschino or bing cherries. They’re tart to offset the sweetness of the cake and cream. Thanks for the decorating tips. My cake looks fantastic!
Olivia says
Hi Laura! I will try to find those for sure! Thanks 🙂
Jess D says
This may be the best looking cake I’ve ever made! Wish i could post a photo, I’m absolutely rubbish at prettifying cakes (they always taste good but presentation is not my thing!) and I’m just so proud of this one 😁
Olivia says
Hi Jess! I am so happy it turned out for you! I would love to see it. You can email me a photo if you like 🙂
Mark H says
My family loves this recipe, but the last time or two that I’ve made it, the cake rises really fast and then sinks while it’s in the oven. Am I using too much raising agent?
Olivia says
Hi Mark! Have you made any adjustments to the recipe or moved somewhere with higher elevation? Sinking in the oven is usually due to either too much raising agent (using more than the recipe calls for) or elevation changes.
Angel says
Hello,
I am planning to make this using gluten free flour. I know gluten free might make the sponge dry and hard, and I don’t want that. How do I adjust the recipe to make it very moist still?
Thank you,
Looking forward to your reply
Olivia says
Hi Angel! I don’t have much experience baking with GF flours but I know people have made my cakes with them and they’ve been great. Be sure to use a proper GF AP flour blend. Cup 4 Cup is a popular one.
Jessica says
This looks wonderful! Could it be made in 9inch rounds versus the 8inch?
Olivia says
Hi Jessica! Yes, but you wouldn’t be able to cut each of the layers in half though as they’ll be too thin. You may also need to reduce the baking time.
Cheri says
Hi,
I want to make this for my husband’s birthday today, but I’m confused after reading some reviews.
People are mentioning coffee, but I don’t see coffee in the recipe. Am I missing it somewhere?
Olivia says
Hi Cheri! You can use hot coffee instead of hot water in the cake portion of the recipe. Some people like to do this as it can enhance the chocolate flavour.
Glenna Black says
I’m making this cake tomorrow. Can I bake it in a Bundt pan? If not would your German buttercream taste good with this recipe? I’d like the cake to last longer than a whipped cream frosting can last.
Olivia says
Hi Glenna! It should work fine in a Bundt but be sure to increase the baking time. The German buttercream would be delicious with this! Not traditional with Black Forest Cake but will taste great anyhow.
Glenna Black says
I just made it and had to use items I had on hand to avoid driving 1/2 hr to the store in a storm. I had instant custard and made that and mixed it with a whipped dairy product with some confectioner sugar. Not perfect at all but tasty. I had cherry almond dark chocolate for the shards. The filling I used some Solo cherry pie filling. The top of my cake is a gelatin cherry mold. I call it cherry berry. Very cute but not your awesome design. My cake came out perfectly baked.
Glenna Black says
Oh my goodness ….. this cake is the best chocolate cake I’ve tasted. My husbands really loves it!! It was so easy to make and it will now be my go to.
Olivia says
Yay! So happy it all worked out and that you both loved it 🙂