Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 12 servings (1 tall 9-inch cake)
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours

Quick Ingredients

8 large eggs, room temp
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (120 g) cake flour
1/2 cup (45 g) Dutch-process cocoa
2 tbsp (15 g) cornstarch + 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted
3 cups (450 g) pitted dark cherries (fresh or canned)
3/4 cup (180 ml) cherry juice/water + 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp lemon juice
3–4 tbsp Kirsch (optional; use juice for alcohol-free)
3 cups (720 ml) heavy cream + 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar + 2 tsp vanilla
Stabilizer: 1 1/2 tsp gelatin + 2 tbsp water or 4 oz (115 g) mascarpone
4 oz (113 g) dark chocolate bar; whole cherries for garnish

Do This

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 9-inch pans with parchment; do not grease sides.
2. Whip 8 eggs + 1 cup sugar to ribbon; fold in sifted flour, cocoa, cornstarch, salt; fold in vanilla and melted butter. Divide and bake 22–26 minutes; cool.
3. Simmer cherries with 3/4 cup juice/water + 1/2 cup sugar; thicken with 2 tbsp cornstarch slurry; finish with lemon and Kirsch; cool.
4. Make syrup: simmer 3/4 cup water + 1/2 cup sugar 2 minutes; cool; stir in 3–4 tbsp Kirsch or cherry juice.
5. Whip cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks; stabilize with bloomed gelatin or mascarpone; beat to medium-stiff peaks.
6. Split cakes into 4 layers; brush with syrup. Stack with a ring of cream, cherries in center, then more cream between each layer.
7. Frost outside with cream; add chocolate shavings and whole cherries. Chill 1 hour; slice and serve.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Classic European flavor: airy chocolate sponge, Kirsch-kissed cherries, and billowy whipped cream.
Flexible: use fresh or canned cherries and choose liqueur or alcohol-free syrup.
Light yet indulgent: not overly sweet, with balanced chocolate and fruit.
Showstopping finish: snowy cream, glossy cherries, and dramatic chocolate shavings.

Grocery List

Produce: Dark sweet cherries (plus a few whole cherries with stems), 1 lemon
Dairy: Heavy cream, unsalted butter, mascarpone (optional)
Pantry: Eggs, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, cake flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, cornstarch, vanilla extract, fine salt, Kirsch (optional), dark chocolate bar (60–70%), parchment paper

Full Ingredients

Chocolate Sponge Cake (two 9-inch layers, to be split)

8 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (120 g) cake flour
1/2 cup (45 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tbsp (15 g) cornstarch
1/4 tsp fine salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Cherry Filling

3 cups (450 g) pitted dark sweet cherries (fresh or canned/drained)
3/4 cup (180 ml) cherry juice, reserved syrup, or water
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (slurry)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2–3 tbsp Kirsch, to taste (optional)
Pinch of fine salt

Soaking Syrup

3/4 cup (180 ml) water
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
3–4 tbsp Kirsch or cherry juice (for alcohol-free)

Whipped Cream Frosting (stabilized)

3 cups (720 ml) heavy cream, very cold
1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Option A (gelatin): 1 1/2 tsp powdered unflavored gelatin + 2 tbsp cold water
Option B (mascarpone): 4 oz (115 g) mascarpone cheese, cold

Garnish

4 oz (113 g) dark chocolate bar (for shavings/curls)
8–12 whole cherries with stems

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the pans and oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment circles. Do not grease the sides; leaving them ungreased helps the sponge climb and stay tall. Melt the butter and let it cool. Warm the eggs (still in their shells) in a bowl of lukewarm water for 5 minutes to encourage better volume.

Step 2: Make and bake the chocolate sponge

In a large bowl or stand mixer with the whisk, beat the eggs and granulated sugar on high until tripled in volume and pale, 6–8 minutes, to the thick “ribbon” stage. In a separate bowl, sift together cake flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Sift the dry blend over the egg foam in three additions, folding gently with a wide spatula just until no streaks remain. Stir the vanilla into the cooled melted butter; scoop out a cup of batter, whisk it with the butter to lighten, then fold this back into the bowl. Divide batter evenly between the pans and smooth tops. Bake 22–26 minutes, until the centers spring back and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then run a thin knife around edges, invert onto racks, and cool completely. For easier slicing, wrap and chill 30 minutes.

Step 3: Cook the cherry filling

In a saucepan, combine cherries, 3/4 cup juice/water, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, 3–4 minutes. Stir the cornstarch slurry and drizzle it in while stirring; simmer 1–2 minutes more until glossy and thickened. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and Kirsch (if using). Transfer to a shallow dish and cool completely. The filling should be spoonable but not runny.

Step 4: Make the soaking syrup

In a small saucepan, combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in Kirsch or cherry juice. Set aside.

Step 5: Whip and stabilize the cream

Option A (gelatin): Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tbsp cold water; let bloom 5 minutes, then gently warm until melted and clear (microwave 5–10 seconds or over a warm water bath). Cool to lukewarm. Beat cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks. With mixer running on low, stream in the lukewarm gelatin, then increase to medium-high and beat to medium-stiff peaks.

Option B (mascarpone): Beat cold cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and mascarpone together just to medium-stiff peaks. Do not overbeat. Keep cream chilled.

Step 6: Split, soak, and fill the layers

Using a long serrated knife, split each cake horizontally to make 4 even layers. Place one layer on a serving board. Brush generously with soaking syrup. Pipe or spread a 1-inch ring of whipped cream around the edge to create a barrier; spoon about 1/3 of the cherry filling inside the ring, then add a thin layer of cream over the cherries. Top with the second layer, repeat syrup, cream ring, cherries, and cream. Repeat with the third layer. Brush the cut side of the final layer with syrup and place it on top.

Step 7: Frost and decorate

Apply a thin crumb coat of cream over the top and sides; chill 10 minutes. Add a final smooth coat of cream. Using a vegetable peeler, shave curls from the dark chocolate bar and press them onto the sides and scatter over the top. Pipe rosettes of cream around the edge if you like and crown with whole cherries.

Step 8: Chill, slice, and serve

Chill the assembled cake at least 1 hour to set. For neat slices, dip a serrated knife in hot water and wipe dry between cuts. Serve slightly chilled. The cake is even better after a few hours as the flavors meld.

Pro Tips

Egg volume is everything: beat to a true ribbon stage and fold gently to keep the sponge airy.
Cold helps: briefly chill baked layers before splitting for cleaner cuts and fewer crumbs.
Moisture balance: brush each layer generously with syrup, but avoid saturating to prevent sogginess.
Stabilize the cream: gelatin or mascarpone keeps the frosting sturdy and sliceable.
Use a chocolate bar, not chips: bars shave into delicate curls; chips do not.

Variations

Alcohol-free: replace all Kirsch with cherry juice and add 1/2 tsp almond extract to the syrup for a subtle marzipan note.
Cupcakes: bake chocolate sponge as cupcakes (about 20 minutes). Core, fill with cherries, top with whipped cream, shavings, and a cherry.
Sheet cake: bake in a 9×13-inch pan (28–34 minutes). Poke, soak with syrup, spread cream, spoon cherries, more cream, shavings, and cherries on top.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Refrigerate the finished cake, loosely covered, for up to 3 days. For best texture, enjoy within 24–48 hours. Make ahead: bake cake layers up to 2 days in advance (wrap well and refrigerate) or freeze up to 2 months (thaw, still wrapped, in the fridge). Cherry filling keeps 4 days refrigerated. Whipped cream is best the day of, though the stabilized versions hold 24–48 hours. Avoid freezing the assembled cake, as whipped cream can weep on thawing.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate for 1 of 12 slices: 580 calories; 34 g fat (20 g saturated); 64 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 42 g sugars; 8 g protein; 210 mg sodium.

Black Forest Cake