Black Forest Cake / Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
A light airy chocolate cake (soaked with kirsch) is filled with fresh whipped cream and a syrupy cherry sauce, ensconced with more whipped cream and topped with a layer of finely shaved chocolate. This is a proper Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.
If you’ve ever been to Germany and had the chance to taste a proper Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, then you know that the flavor, texture and overall presentation of this cake far surpasses almost any other cake in the world. Here is my recipe and a full video on how to make this cake in your own home, wherever you are.
Ingredients at-a-glance:
- cake flour
- dark cocoa powder
- almond flour
- 10 eggs
- granulated sugar
- powdered sugar
- dark chocolate bars (for shaving)
- Canned cherries
- corn starch
- heavy whipping cream
- kirsch / kirschwassar
Equipment at-a-glance:
- stand mixer with paddle attachment and balloon whip attachment
- mixing bowls for stand mixer
- 3 eight inch cake pans
- parchment paper
- plane grater
- icing bags
- star icing tip (optional)
- icing spatula
- sieve/sifter
Shannon’s Tips for Best Results:
- Do not grease the baking pans. Use one round of parchment paper to line the bottom of each baking pan. You want the sides of the pan to be dry so the egg whites can creep up the pan whilst baking.
- Plan to make this cake a day before serving. This cake is best when it’s had a day for the flavors to soak into the cake. Store in the refrigerator.
- You can make the cherry filling several days in advance.
- Fold the egg whites into the batter in four separate intervals (see video).
- Line the cake plate with parchment paper to keep it somewhat clean as you decorate. See video.
Black Forest Cake / Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
A light airy chocolate cake (soaked with kirsch) is filled with fresh whipped cream and a syrupy cherry sauce, ensconced with more whipped cream and topped with a layer of finely shaved chocolate. This is a proper Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- 2 large mixing bowls for the cake paddle attachment, balloon whip attachment
- 1 chilled mixing bowl for the whipped cream icing chilled balloon whip attachment
- small saucepan for cherry filling
- Parchment paper
- 3 8-inch cake pans
Ingredients
The Cake
- 10 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tbs vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 10 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
The Cherry Filling
- 720 gram jar of morello cherries, in juice (German) OR 2 14oz cans Oregon Tart Cherries, in juice (reserve 8 cherries for garnish)
- 1-2 Tbs cornstarch
- 1 Tbs Kirsch optional
- 1 -2 Tbs powdered sugar recommended for the Oregon cherries – the German Morello cherry juice is usually slightly sweetened
The Whipped Cream Filling/Icing
- 4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 Tbs powdered sugar
- 1 Tbs Kirsch
Garnish/add-ons
- 2 Tbs kirschwasser – kirsch/cherry Liqueur for brushing on baked cakes
- 2 bars (200 g) / 8 oz dark chocolate grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F / 160°C. Line the bottoms of 3 8-inch cake pans with rounds of parchment paper. Do not grease pans, as the sides of the pans need to be grease-free for the egg whites to rise.
- Separate 10 egg whites from the yolks. Take care not to allow any bits of yolk in the egg whites. Set the whites aside.
- Beat the 10 egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar. This will create a light yellow, thick, custardy mix. Add vanilla and mix.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Make sure it is lump-free. Stir in the almond flour.
- Add the flour/cocoa mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Mix gently until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all of the dry ingredients well.
- In a separate mixing bowl using a balloon whip attachment, beat the 10 egg whites until they are about halfway up the bowl, then add 1/4 cup sugar gradually and beat until the egg whites are stiff.
- Fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter. I fold the whites in in four separate batches. See video for instruction.
- Pour the batter into the three cake pans. Bake at 325°F for about 18 minutes. Check for doneness by making sure the crumb is fully formed underneath the top crust. You want to see bubbles of crumb, not gooey batter.
- Cool cakes completely before filling or decorating. Brush with kirsch before filling.
The Cherry Filling
- Separate the cherries from the juice.
- In a small saucepan, heat the juice and add 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch, whisking to break up any lumps. Simmer sauce until it thickens (about 4 minutes). If you are using the Tart Oregon Cherries, add 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, as the juice for these cherries is not pre-sweetened.
- Add the cherries back to the thickened juice and add a splash of kirsch (optional). Chill the cherries before filling the cake.
Whipped Cream Filling/Icing
- Working in batches of 2 cups per batch, whip the cream in a chilled bowl using a chilled balloon whip attachment. When the cream is whipped enough to form lines/indentations, add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until stiff enough to pipe through a bag. Make two batches of this.
Assembling the Cake
- Place strips of parchment paper under the first layer of cake on your cake plate/pedestal. See video.
- Using an icing bag, draw two circles of icing on the cake layer, one near the outer perimeter of the cake, the other, bullseye fashion in the middle of the cake. See video. Spoon cherry filling in between the two circles of whipped cream, and into the center of the smaller of the smaller whipped cream ring. Top with the second layer of cake and repeat the process.
- Top the two filled layers with the third layer of cake. Ice the entire cake with whipped cream. Cover the icing with an even layer of shaved chocolate. See video for technique. Pipe 8 rosettes of whipped cream on the cake and top each rosette with a reserved cherry. For best results chill overnight.
Video
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