Black Forest Chocolate Cherry (Printer-Friendly)

A luscious German dessert with chocolate cake layers, cherry filling, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chocolate Cake

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
04 - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
05 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
06 - 1/4 tsp salt
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup whole milk
09 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
10 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 cup boiling water

→ Cherry Filling

12 - 2 cups pitted dark sweet cherries, fresh or jarred and drained
13 - 1/2 cup cherry juice or syrup
14 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
15 - 2 tbsp kirsch (cherry brandy), optional
16 - 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water

→ Whipped Cream

17 - 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
18 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
19 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Assembly & Decoration

20 - 3 oz dark chocolate for shavings
21 - Extra cherries, fresh or maraschino, for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract to dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Gradually incorporate boiling water and mix until blended; batter will be thin.
04 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
05 - In a small saucepan, combine cherries, cherry juice, and sugar. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add kirsch if using, and allow to cool completely.
06 - Beat cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on high speed until stiff peaks form. Keep chilled until assembly.
07 - Horizontally slice each cake layer in half to create four total layers.
08 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Brush evenly with cherry syrup. Spread a layer of cherry filling followed by a layer of whipped cream.
09 - Continue layering remaining cake layers with cherry syrup, cherry filling, and whipped cream. Finish by covering the top and sides with whipped cream.
10 - Garnish with chocolate shavings and extra cherries. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cake stays moist for days because of that hot water trick, so you can actually bake it ahead without stress.
  • Layering becomes almost meditative once you understand the structure, and watching it come together feels like you're creating something genuinely special.
  • Cherry season becomes an occasion for this cake, but jarred cherries work beautifully too, so you're never locked into one time of year.
02 -
  • The boiling water batter looks wrong and feels wrong, but it's the secret to a cake that stays moist for days instead of becoming dry and dense by the next day.
  • Always let the cherry filling cool completely before assembling, or the heat will melt your whipped cream and create a watery, unstable cake.
  • Slice the cake while it's cold straight from the refrigerator; room-temperature slices tend to collapse because the whipped cream softens too quickly.
03 -
  • Brush each cake layer with cherry syrup using a pastry brush or clean kitchen towel—this keeps the cake moist and adds flavor depth that people can taste but can't quite identify.
  • Keep your offset spatula dipped in hot water while frosting; it glides over the whipped cream smoothly and creates that professional finish.
Go Back