Description
This Perfect Chocolatey Black Forest Cake features a light and fluffy chocolate genoise layered with sweet cherries soaked in syrup, rich Chantilly whipped cream, and decadent chocolate ganache. It’s a stunning dessert perfect for special occasions, combining tender cake layers with luscious cherry filling and creamy frosting for an unforgettable treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Genoise Cake
- 8 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
- 1 cup all purpose flour (130 g)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (50 g)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
Cherries and Syrup
- 2 14 oz cans or jars of pitted cherries in syrup (dark sweet cherries in 100% cherry syrup and maraschino cherries)
Chantilly Whipped Cream
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled (720 g)
- ¼ cup sugar (50 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Ganache
- 240 g semi sweet chocolate (or mix of dark and milk chocolate)
- 1 cup heavy cream (240 g)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (conventional, no fan) and line the bottom of four 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Do not grease or butter the pans. If only three pans are available, they can be used but four pans are recommended.
- Whisk Eggs and Sugar: Add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed for 7 minutes until the mixture is very pale, thick, fluffy, and has almost tripled in volume. Taking your time here ensures a light cake texture.
- Sift and Fold Dry Ingredients: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula, folding slowly to retain the air in the batter. Stop as soon as the mixture is uniform and no streaks remain.
- Divide Batter and Bake: Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread it out gently. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking to keep the cake moist.
- Cool Cakes: Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 20 minutes. Carefully remove them and let them cool completely on wire racks while preparing other components.
- Prepare Cherries and Syrup: Drain the canned cherries, reserving all the juice in a saucepan. Set aside a handful of whole cherries for decoration and roughly chop the rest. Slightly reduce the cherry juice by simmering for 3-5 minutes, then allow it to cool completely.
- Make Chantilly Whipped Cream: In a chilled bowl, combine the cold heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk on medium-high speed until the cream reaches medium peaks—it should hold its shape but still be soft and smooth.
- Make Ganache: Place the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate has fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Let ganache cool for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one cake layer upside down on a turntable or serving stand. Brush generously with cherry syrup. Spread a thick layer of whipped cream, then add a third of the chopped cherries, gently pressing them into the cream. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of ganache over the top.
- Repeat Layers: Repeat the soaking, whipped cream, chopped cherries, and ganache layering with the next two cake layers. Top with the final cake layer, brush with syrup, and frost the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.
- Add Ganache Drip and Decoration: Warm the ganache until runny but not hot. Pour it over the top of the chilled cake, spreading quickly with an offset spatula to create drips down the sides. For decoration, pipe whipped cream dollops around the edge and top each with a reserved cherry. Sprinkle chocolate shavings or grated chocolate over the top.
- Serve: Serve the cake chilled and enjoy your delicious homemade Black Forest Cake.
Notes
- Using fresh cherries: Pit 2 cups of fresh cherries and cook with 4 tablespoons each of water and sugar over medium-low heat for 10 minutes to create a syrup. Reserve syrup for soaking and chop cherries for filling.
- Storage: Genoise cakes dry easily; decorate and serve fresh or within 1 day. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- If you don’t have 4 cake pans, using 3 is acceptable but yields thicker layers that may require adjusted baking time.
- Ensure eggs are at room temperature for maximum volume in the genoise batter.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding dry ingredients to keep the cake light and airy.
- For a richer ganache, you may use a mix of dark and milk chocolate according to taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg