High Altitude Black Forest Cake

A decadent high altitude Black Forest cake made with moist dark chocolate cake, homemade cherry pie filling and fresh whipped cream. You can use this recipe to make a stunning layer cake, or layer everything into a beautiful trifle dish for a show stopper of a dessert.

You might also love this Lambeth style chocolate cherry cake, no bake chocolate cherry cheesecake, Linzer cookies with bourbon cherry jam, and flaky homemade cherry pop tarts.

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What’s a Black Forest Cake?

A Black Forest gâteau or cake consists of layers of chocolate cake, cherry filling and whipped cream, and is usually decorated with cherries and chocolate shavings. It’s based on the German dessert, Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, which translates to Black Forest cherry torte.

So where does the name Black Forest come from? The name is derived from a specialty German liquor, kirschwasser, a clear sour cherry liqueur that’s typically added to the cake. My version of Black Forest cake is non-alcoholic, but I imagine the cake would be fantastic if you brushed some cherry liqueur or even some tart cherry juice onto the cake before assembling the layers, for added moisture and more cherry flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Rich, Decadent and Moist. There’s nothing not to love about this cake with its contrasting flavors and textures of soft dark chocolate cake, cherries, creamy whipped cream and bits of shaved chocolate.

Versatile. Whether you add alcohol or not, make a layered cake or a layered trifle, or even use canned cherry pie filling or cherry jam for a shortcut, you can customize this recipe into a delicious dessert your family will love.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• All-Purpose Flour. Adds structure to the cake.
• Cocoa Powder. Gives chocolate cake its chocolate flavor and rich color.
• Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture.
• Espresso Powder. A small amount of espresso powder enhances the flavor of the cocoa powder, without making the cake taste like coffee.
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda. Leavens the cake so it rises.
• Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Eggs. Add structure.
• Whole Milk + Sour Cream. Moisture, fat, flavor and acidity.
• Vegetable Oil. Moisture.
• Vanilla Extract. Complements the flavor of the chocolate.

TIP: For more details about my best high altitude chocolate cake, including how to choose a good cocoa powder for your cake, see my original chocolate cake recipe.

Cherry Filling

• Cherries. You can use sweet or sour, fresh or frozen cherries. I usually opt for frozen pitted cherries, just to make life easier. I’d prefer sour cherries, but tend to only find sweet dark cherries at my grocery store.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar sweetens the filling and adds moisture.
• Corn Starch. Thickens the filling so that it doesn’t just run off the cake.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Lemon Juice + Tart Cherry Juice (or cherry liqueur). Adds acidity and more cherry flavor.
• Vanilla Extract + Butter. Flavor and richness.

Whipped Cream

• Heavy Whipping Cream. Make sure to use heavy whipping cream, not table cream or half and half, or your cream will not whip up into fluffy peaks.
• Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and stabilizes the whipped cream.
• Vanilla. Flavor.
• Chocolate Shavings + Fresh Cherries. For garnish.

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and spray the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Separately, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and whisk until combined, about 15 seconds.

• Divide the batter between the pans. Bake on the center oven rack for about 25-30 minutes, until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Set the pans on a cooling rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely.

Tip: The smaller you cut the fruit, the more “jammy” the filling will be. I left my cherries whole, but they were pretty big, and I probably would have preferred them to be cut smaller.

Cherry Filling

• Pit the cherries, if they’re not already pitted. You can leave the cherries whole, or cut them into halves or quarters, whatever you prefer.
• In a stock pot, combine the cherries with the sugar, corn starch, salt, cherry juice/liqueur and lemon juice.
• Over medium heat, bring the cherries to a simmer, stirring frequently. Once the fruit begins to bubble and thicken, cook for two more minutes, stirring constantly, until very thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and the butter.
• Let the cherries cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until well chilled, preferably overnight. Before assembling your cake, use a spoon to loosen up the filling a little.

Whipped Cream

• When you’re ready to assemble your cake, use an electric mixer to whip the cold cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and whip until stiff peaks form that hold their shape.
• Use a vegetable peeler to shave the side of a chocolate bar, and reserve the chocolate shavings for sprinkling on top of the cake.

Important: I suggest waiting to assemble the cake until you’re ready to serve it. The layers can get a bit slippery with the cherry filling and whipped cream, and you don’t want your cake sliding apart if you assemble it too far in advance.

Assembly

• Place one of the cake layers on a cake board or serving pedestal. If the cakes are domed, use a sharp knife to slice a thin layer off the top to level the cake.
• Top the cake with half the cherries.
• Dollop half the whipped cream on top of the cherries (or use a piping bag to pipe it on – I piped on the whipped cream with Tip #8B).

• Repeat with another layer of cake, cherries and whipped cream. Sprinkle the shaved chocolate on top of the cake, and decorate with fresh cherries.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this make a really big cake?

Yes, it’s pretty big once it’s assembled. In the photographed cake, I baked my chocolate cake in two 8-inch pans, and they were very thick layers of cake, making this cake very tall once assembled with the thick layers of cherries and whipped cream. This is why I’ve written the recipe to use two 9-inch pans, which will make the layers slightly thinner and more manageable for stacking, as well as more stable.

If you prefer a greater ratio of filling and whipped cream to cake, then I’d suggest cutting the chocolate cake recipe in half for even thinner layers of cake.

If I want to add cherry liqueur to the cake, should I add it to the cherry filling or to the chocolate cake?

You could stir a tablespoon or two of cherry liqueur into the filling, or you could brush it over the baked cake before you assemble everything.

Can I use canned cherry pie filling or cherry jam instead?

For a shortcut, you can certainly use your favorite cherry pie filling or jam, if you don’t want to cook the pie filling.

How do I make this recipe into a trifle?

• First, you’ll need a large footed glass trifle dish for a pretty presentation.
• For the chocolate cake, let it cool completely, then crumble it up. Drizzle the crumbled cake with 2-4 tablespoons tart cherry juice or cherry liqueur.
• For the cherry sauce, you don’t need to thicken it as much as you do for a layer cake, so you can cut the cornstarch in half for a looser sauce.
• Make the whipped cream as instructed.
• To assemble your Black Forest trifle, start by layering chocolate cake crumbs in the dish, followed by cherry filling and whipped cream. Continue layering everything until you reach the top of the dish, ending with whipped cream. Decorate the top with fresh cherries and shaved chocolate.

Does this cake need to be refrigerated?

Yes, you need to refrigerate the leftover cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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