- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
- Calories
- 1820 kcal
Quick summary
“The Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte) is a monumental jewel of classic German confectionery, combining dense chocolate sponge cake, rich whipped cream made with fresh heavy cream, and the balanced acidity of drained cherries in syrup. The preparation highlights the cut into uniform, moistened layers. The structured batter with melted semi-sweet chocolate and whipped eggs to a fluffy peak supports the airy filling without compacting the whipped cream. Covered with generous shavings of semi-sweet chocolate and whole cherries on top, the cake delivers a masterful balance between bitter cocoa, milky softness, and fruits.”
What you need to know
- Beat the eggs with the sugar for 8 minutes until quadrupled in volume forming a fluffy ribbon to ensure aeration of the sponge cake.
- Incorporate the melted chocolate and sifted flour with enveloping movements from bottom to top so as not to lose the air.
- Whip the cold heavy cream to firm peaks without overbeating so it doesn't turn into butter.
Ingredients
Main
- Dough: 300g of semi-sweet chocolate, 6 eggs, 200g of sugar, 200g of wheat flour, 100g of melted butter, 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- Filling: 400ml of fresh heavy cream, 200g of sugar, 1 cup of cherries in syrup (drained and chopped).
- Topping: 200ml of fresh heavy cream and cherries to decorate.
Instructions
Principal
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and set aside to cool.
- Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer until you get a light and fluffy mixture.
- Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture, mixing well.
- Incorporate the sifted wheat flour and baking powder gently.
- Add the melted butter and mix until homogeneous.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before unmolding.
- Whip the heavy cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form.
- To assemble, cut the cake in half, fill with part of the whipped cream and the chopped cherries.
- Place the other half of the cake on top and cover with the remaining whipped cream and the cherries to decorate.
Chef's tips
- Brush the cherry syrup mixed with a touch of brandy or cherry liqueur (kirsch) over the cake discs to keep them moist.
- Chill the mixer bowl and whisk attachments in the freezer for 15 minutes before whipping fresh cream.
- Use a vegetable peeler to make wide, curved shavings on the semi-sweet chocolate bar for the outer topping.
Variations
- Black Forest in a glass: assemble layers of crumbled sponge cake, whipped cream, and cherries in individual dessert bowls.
- White Forest: replace the bittersweet chocolate with white chocolate in the dough and in the final decoration shavings.
- Black Forest with strawberries: use fresh chopped strawberries in the intermediate filling instead of traditional cherries.
Substitutions
- Fresh heavy cream can be replaced by pasteurized bottled cream with a fat content above 35%.
- Maraschino cherries can be replaced with fresh pitted cherries cooked briefly with sugar.
- The melted butter in the dough can be replaced by sunflower oil for a sponge cake with greater moisture retention when chilled.
How to store
Keep the cake under refrigeration in a closed cake keeper for up to 4 days. The fresh cream whipped cream needs constant cold; remove from the fridge only when serving.
Can it be frozen?
Only the baked chocolate dough can be frozen wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 60 days at 18°C below zero. Do not freeze the cake assembled with whipped cream and cherries, as the cream curdles and falls apart.
What to serve with
Pair with medium-roast coffee, Kirschwasser cherry liqueur, aromatic black tea, or a glass of aged Port wine.
Frequently asked questions
How to prevent fresh whipped cream from breaking and turning into butter?
Keep fresh heavy cream below 5°C and beat at medium speed in the mixer. As soon as firm waves form that do not fall from the whisk, stop beating immediately.
Can I use industrialized spray whipped cream?
It is not recommended for the traditional Black Forest. Vegetable whipped topping has an artificial flavor and collapses under the weight of the sponge cake layers. Use fresh heavy cream or nata.
Why should the cake batter cool completely before cutting and filling?
Cutting the warm cake crumbles the slices and the residual heat instantly melts the fresh heavy cream whipped cream, causing the pie to collapse during assembly.
What is Kirschwasser and what is its role in the traditional recipe?
Kirsch is a clear brandy distilled from black cherries typical of the German Black Forest region. It is traditionally used to moisten the cake and flavor the cherries.
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