Black Forest Cherry Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)

A classic German dessert with layers of chocolate sponge, whipped cream, cherries, and Kirschwasser.

Prep Time

45 minutes

Total Time

2 hours (including cooling time)

Calories

847 kcal

Difficulty

Medium

Equipment

5 items

Cost

£2.73/serving

Season:

🌍 Year-round

Meal Type:

Dessert

Cuisine:

British

Ingredients

Servings

2cupsAll-Purpose Flour(Plus more for dusting pans)

£0.30

0.8cupUnsweetened Cocoa Powder(Good quality cocoa powder recommended)

£1.20

1.5teaspoonsBaking Soda

£0.05

1.5teaspoonsBaking Powder

£0.05

1teaspoonSalt

£0.01

2cupsGranulated Sugar

£0.60

2largeEggs

£0.60

1cupVegetable Oil

£0.40

1cupButtermilk

£1.00

2teaspoonsVanilla Extract

£0.30

1cupHot Coffee

£0.10

4cupsHeavy Cream(Cold)

£4.00

0.5cupPowdered Sugar(Or more, to taste)

£0.25

0.3cupKirschwasser (Cherry Liqueur)(Divided)

£3.00

2jars (24 oz each)Cherries(Pitted, in syrup, drained, save syrup)

£8.00

4ozChocolate Shavings(For decoration)

£2.00

Total Cost

£21.86

£2.73 per serving

Instructions

1.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.
2.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3.
In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
4.
Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
5.
Stir in hot coffee until batter is smooth.
6.
Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans.
7.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
8.
Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9.
While cakes are cooling, prepare the cherry filling. In a saucepan, combine the cherry syrup (reserved from the jars of cherries) and 1/8 cup Kirschwasser. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
10.
In a large bowl, beat heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir in remaining 1/8 cup Kirschwasser.
11.
To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Brush with cherry syrup mixture.
12.
Spread a generous layer of whipped cream over the cake layer. Arrange half of the cherries on top of the cream.
13.
Top with the second cake layer, brush with cherry syrup, spread with whipped cream, and arrange remaining cherries.
14.
Place the final cake layer on top and brush with remaining cherry syrup.
15.
Frost the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream. Decorate with chocolate shavings.
16.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

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My Notes

Nutrition Information

Nutrition per serving (191g)

847 kcal / 3543 kJ

Carbs

84g

32% of RDA

Fat

54g

77% of RDA

Protein

18% of RDA

Detailed Breakdown

Fibre

4 g

13% of RDA

Sugar

59 g

66% of RDA

Sodium

462 mg

20% of RDA

Saturated Fat

30 g

150% of RDA

Chef's Tips

For a stronger Kirsch flavor, you can add more Kirschwasser to the cherry syrup and whipped cream.

To easily create chocolate shavings, use a vegetable peeler on a bar of good quality dark chocolate.

Make sure the cakes are completely cool before frosting to prevent the whipped cream from melting.

If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.

You can add a layer of dark chocolate ganache between the layers for extra decadence.

Cooking Equipment

Oven

Mixer

Three 9-inch cake pans

Wire rack

Saucepan

Wine Pairings

No wine pairing suggestions available for this recipe.

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