This cherry chocolate cake is perfect for Valentine’s Day (or any other time, really). The Black Forest cake is moist and delicious, and the cherries add sweetness and elegance.
This is a very tossed-together Black Forest Cake, or, as I like to say, when I am too lazy to bring out the piping bag and tips, it’s RUSTIC. All of the components of the classic German torte without the fuss.
This cherry chocolate cake has layers of dark chocolate cake, fresh whipped cream and sweet cherries spiked with Kirschwasser (“cherry water,” or clear sour cherry brandy). These flavors are among the most celebrated combinations in the history of pastry making and yet this cake is often cloyingly sweet, overly fussy and conjures images from my 1970s childhood.
I made this cake as part of my monthly Zoë’s Baking Academy. Learn more and join the fun on my Substack!
Honestly, the version I remember was probably made with Cool Whip, Maraschino cherries and a cake from a box. Don’t get me wrong, that was just fine with me when I was 13. But, now my taste buds always cringe a bit at the thought of those Day-Glo-red cherries, a frozen whipped topping, that tastes like anything but cream, and the cake from a box just can’t compete with my Devil’s food recipe. The swoon worthy homemade version is super fast and easy to put together.
Watch me make the cherry topping and assemble the cake below, and you’ll find the full recipe at the bottom of this post. You can use any two layers of your favorite chocolate cake recipe. I also love it with my Hot Chocolate Cake recipe, which you’ll find in my cookbook Zoë Bakes Cakes.
Video: Black Forest Cake (Cherry Chocolate Cake)
How to Make Cherry Topping
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the cherries, water, and kirschwasser. Cover and cook until the cherries are tender, about 10 minutes (for frozen cherries), or 15 minutes (for fresh cherries).
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Strain the cherries through a fine-mesh sieve and return the juice to the pan; reserve the fruit.
Add the sugar mixture to the juice, turn the heat to medium, and cook until it comes to a boil and the liquid thickens and is transparent, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved fruit back to the pan and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Transfer the filling to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to Assemble Cherry Chocolate Cake
Place one layer of the cake on a serving platter.
Spread half of the whipped cream over the top.
Distribute half the cherries over the cream.
Repeat with the next layers of cake, cream and cherries. Add chocolate shavings to the top, if desired.
Serve cherry chocolate cake immediately or place it in the refrigerator.
Video
Ingredients
Devil’s Food Cake
- 2 1/3 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (50g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted if lumpy
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) hot strong coffee you can substitute with flat cola or stout beer
- 2 Tbsp rum or brandy you can substitute with flat cola or stout beer
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) mild-flavored oil such as vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cherry Filling and Topping
- 4 cups fresh or frozen sweet dark cherries pitted
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water
- 2 tbsp kirschwasser or brandy
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
Perfect Whipped Cream
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175℃. Generously grease two 8-inch / 20cm round cake pans then line with greased parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. In a small bowl, stir together the coffee and rum.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Add the egg mixture and half the coffee-rum to the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until smooth. Slowly add the remaining coffee-rum and whisk until totally blended and smooth. The batter will be quite thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Gently tap the pans on the counter several times to release excess air bubbles.
- Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely before removing from the pan and inverting onto a serving plate.
For the Cherry Filling and Topping
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the cherries, water, and kirschwasser. Cover and cook until the cherries are tender, about 10 minutes (for frozen cherries), or 15 minutes (for fresh cherries).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch.
- Strain the cherries through a fine-mesh sieve and return the juice to the pan; reserve the fruit.
- Add the sugar mixture to the juice, turn the heat to medium, and cook until it comes to a boil and the liquid thickens and is transparent, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved fruit back to the pan and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the filling to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Perfect Whipped Cream
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium speed (you read that right) until just thick—it will start to leave marks from the whisk in the cream.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using the whisk attachment, continue whipping by hand for several seconds until the cream reaches the desired consistency. This ensures the stand won't over-mix.
Assembly
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
- Using an offset spatula, spread half of the whipped cream over the top of the cake. Distribute half the cherry filling over the cream. Repeat with the remaining cake, whipped cream, and filling. Finish by topping with chocolate shavings.
- Serve the cake immediately or store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 24 hours.
This looks amazing! I’m going to make it for my mom’s birthday, but can I subsitute something for the kirschwasser or brandy? Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this. I can’t tell how I love this cake and I’ll give it a try as soon as possible. Thanks, thanks…
This was my favorite request for my birthday cake every year as a kid. Lost the recipe after mom passed away, but this is the closest I’ve seen from what I can remember. My daughter and I are excited to try it this valentine’s season!!!
Hi Nancy,
I hope you and your daughter enjoy the cake!
Cheers, Zoë
This recipe is amazing! Black forest cake is my boyfriend’s favourite and it was a hit!
Did you assembly and frost it the same day you served it? I have made it but haven’t made the whipped cream frosting yet and I need this cake for tomorrow. Thanks in advance!
Amazing! For me Black forest cake recipe was so inspiring that I have baked a tall 4 layers cake with rich cherry filling. Cherry and chocolate pastry make a special kind of magic together, it’s true! Btw, coffee seems to be a bit unexpected, but quite matching ingredient for this pastry.
I LOVE rustic cakes. They are beautiful. What can I substitute for coffee and brandy (is there anything?) We hold neither one in the house!
I would LOVE to make this cake.
Black forest cake is one of my favorite cakes. I fell in love with it when I first had the pleasure of tasting it in pastry school. Your version looks so beautiful and delicious.
yum! looks delish!
WoW! Makes me drool.=D
I am in the middle of preparing this and noticed that the instructions for combining the cocoa powder are missing. I assumed it is mixed in with the dry ingredients so that is what I did. I cannot wait to try it! It smells delicious and the raw batter is yummy 🙂
It was a deliciously smashing HIT!! Loved it! Thank you for the great recipe! Wish I could post a pic of the final 🙂
This is our all time favorite cake, just delicious!
I made this for my dad’s birthday last night, and it was wonderful – so simple, yet so pleasing. Thank you!
love the contrasts here – the colours, the flavours. 🙂 thanks for sharing.
This looks superb! chocolate cake and cherries! Yum!
2 of my favorite things, chocolate and cherries. This is a winner!
In my childhood version this was the one time my mom would bust out the real whipped cream, but the cake was boxed, and the cherries were pie filling. I’ve been making cooks illustrated’s version for a while and we all love it. You can never go wrong with chocolate and cherry!
Such a gorgeous cake, I love black forest anything!
Mmm this reminds me of the Black Forest Cherry Cake my great-grandmother used to make for holidays… only hers was perfectly decorated and fussed over and therefore not within my comfort zone. 🙂 This cake, however, is something I’d totally try! Yum!
Works for me! I’m down with a no fuss cherry chocolate cake 🙂
Ah! Cherries!! I can’t wait for them to hit the market here!! Hmmm.. tossed together or not, that’s a cake I want a slice of!
This looks like just the thing to make on a snowy/rainy day in May! I like rustic – I am ALWAYS too lazy to bring out the piping bag and tips. Thanks for giving me a term for the way I bake.
P.S. You look so young for having grown up in the 1070s. 🙂 (I know that was a typo…I’m just saying it in good fun.)
Gorgeous! And sounds SO delicious. I have yet to make a “Black Forest Cake” probably because I conjure up the same images, but this looks truly decadent and delicious. You do create such beautiful cakes with tips and piping bags, but I always love “rustic”…
Wow, this looks absolutely amazing! I need one now!! 🙂
Awesome…Its my fav cake flavor and actually In India, Black Forest Cakes are the most commonly known foreign cakes and a must at every birthday or event!
I am a big fan of black forest cake and a small bakery here sells it – I can easily eat 2-3 slices. your rustic no fuss version looks delicious! I am too afraid to get my hands on fancy cakes