Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cake)
A showstopping German chocolate cake layered with cherries, whipped cream, and kirsch liqueur. Rich, elegant, and worth the effort for a special occasion.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 8g
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 5 whole eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 can (15 oz) canned cherries in syrup (or fresh pitted), drained
- 3 tbsp kirsch liqueur (or cherry juice)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
- 2
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until combined.
- 3
Beat eggs and sugar until thick, pale, and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes with an electric mixer.
- 4
Fold butter and milk into the egg mixture in two additions, then gently fold in dry ingredients.
- 5
Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 25–30 minutes.
- 6
Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks and cool completely, at least 1 hour.
- 7
Whip cream with 2 tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in 2 tbsp kirsch or cherry juice.
- 8
Place first cake layer on a plate. Brush lightly with remaining kirsch or juice.
- 9
Spread 1 cup kirsch cream over the layer, then scatter half the cherries evenly on top.
- 10
Set second cake layer on top. Brush with kirsch, then frost top and sides with remaining cream.
- 11
Crown the cake with remaining cherries and dark chocolate shavings (optional). Refrigerate 30 min before serving.
Tools you’ll need
- two 8-inch round cake pans
- parchment paper
- electric mixer
- two mixing bowls
- whisk
- spatula
- wire racks
- bench scraper or offset spatula
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