Miss Confection

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🇩🇪 Germany

Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)

Kirsch-soaked chocolate sponge, sour cherries and clouds of cream

Prep
1 hr
Cook
35 min
Total
4 hr 35 min
Yield
One 9-inch layer cake (12 slices)
Level
Intermediate
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The story

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is named after the Black Forest region of southwestern Germany, but probably not for the reasons you might think. The key ingredient is Kirschwasser, a clear, potent cherry brandy distilled in the region from sour cherries. Some say the cake's colors echo the traditional costume of Black Forest women, with dark dresses, white blouses and hats topped with red pom-poms. That is a lovely story, but there is no evidence for it.

The cake's inventor is disputed. Pastry chef Josef Keller often claimed he created it in 1915 at Café Agner in Bad Godesberg, near Bonn, far from the Black Forest. It is also often linked to Tübingen, where pastry chef Erwin Hildenbrand is credited with spreading it. Written recipes appear in the 1930s, and the cake soon became one of Germany's most famous desserts and a favourite in cafés around the world.

A true Kirschtorte is not overly sweet. A light chocolate sponge is moistened with kirsch, filled with sour cherries and lightly sweetened cream, and finished with chocolate shavings. Under German food guidelines, a cake sold under this name must taste distinctly of kirsch, so don't skip it if you want the authentic version.

Tips for success

  • To stabilize the cream for a warm day, sprinkle 2 tsp powdered gelatin over 2 tbsp cold water, melt gently, then whisk it into the cream once it reaches soft peaks.
  • For a kid-friendly version, replace the kirsch with cherry juice, though it will no longer be a true Kirschtorte.
  • The sponge can be baked a day ahead, wrapped and kept at room temperature, and it slices more cleanly once it has rested.
  • Keep the finished cake in the fridge and eat it within 2 days.

Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)

An authentic Black Forest cake recipe (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte): light chocolate sponge, kirsch-spiked sour cherries and whipped cream, finished with chocolate curls.

Prep
1 hr
Cook
35 min
Total
4 hr 35 min
Yield
One 9-inch layer cake (12 slices)
Calories
~430/serving

Ingredients

For the chocolate sponge

For the cherry filling

For the kirsch syrup

For the cream

To decorate

Instructions

Bake the sponge

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the base of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with parchment and leave the sides ungreased.
  2. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until tripled in volume, pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail.
  3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, cocoa and salt together twice. Sift them over the eggs in three additions, folding gently each time.
  4. Fold a scoop of the batter into the melted butter, then fold that mixture back into the batter. Pour into the pan.
  5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed and a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan, then run a knife around the edge and unmold.

Make the cherry filling

  1. Drain the cherries, keeping the juice. Measure 240 ml (1 cup) of juice and set aside another 60 ml (1/4 cup) for the syrup.
  2. Whisk the 240 ml (1 cup) of juice with the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until thick and glossy, about 1 minute.
  3. Stir in the drained cherries and kirsch and cool completely.

Make the syrup and cream

  1. Stir the reserved 60 ml (1/4 cup) cherry juice and the kirsch together.
  2. Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to firm, pipeable peaks. Don't overwhip it.

Assemble

  1. Trim the top of the sponge if domed and cut it horizontally into three even layers.
  2. Put the bottom layer on a cake plate and brush it with a third of the kirsch syrup. Pipe a ring of cream around the edge, fill the middle with half the cherries, and cover with a thin layer of cream.
  3. Add the second layer, brush with syrup and repeat with the rest of the cherries and more cream.
  4. Top with the last layer, brush with the remaining syrup and cover the top and sides with cream.

Decorate and chill

  1. Shave the chocolate with a vegetable peeler and press the curls onto the sides of the cake, then scatter more on top.
  2. Pipe 12 rosettes of cream around the top and set a cherry on each. Chill for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Tools we use

Recipe from Miss Confection · https://missconfection.com/recipe/black-forest-cake-schwarzwalder-kirschtorte

Questions, answered

What is Black Forest cake made of?

A light chocolate sponge soaked with kirsch, layered with sour cherries and whipped cream, and decorated with chocolate shavings and cherries.

Can you make Black Forest cake without alcohol?

Yes. Use cherry juice instead of kirsch in the syrup and filling. It is still delicious, though Germans would say it is not a true Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.

Why is it called Black Forest cake?

It is named after the Black Forest region of Germany and its famous cherry brandy, Kirschwasser, which flavours the cake.

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