Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe
User Reviews
5
Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe
Description
This Black Forest Cake recipe starts with a chocolate cake batter containing butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, and boiling water to enhance moistness. It’s baked in two 8-inch round pans for around 30 minutes until a toothpick tests clean.
The ermine frosting is prepared on the stovetop by cooking a mixture of flour, salt, and milk until thickened and cooled. Butter and sugar are then beaten in along with vanilla extract to create a fluffy yet stable frosting. The cake is assembled by layering the cooled cake rounds with canned cherry pie filling in between and generously coating the exterior with the ermine frosting.
This combination offers a traditional Black Forest flavor profile while using readily available ingredients. The cherry filling adds fruity brightness that cuts through the chocolate richness, and the ermine frosting provides a creamy, smooth layer that holds up well.
Using store-bought cherry pie filling simplifies preparation, but homemade filling can be substituted. Cooling the cake fully before frosting ensures the frosting does not melt or slide.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup butter softened (227g, salted
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 2 egg large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (375g)
- 6 Tablespoons cocoa powder (45g)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (240ml)
- 1 cup water 236ml, boiling
Ermine Frosting
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (31g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk 240ml, whole
- 1 cup butter softened (227g, salted
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
Assembly
- 2 (21-ounce) cans cherry pie filling
Instructions
Cake preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8"-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together and add alternately with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Add the boiling water and mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from pans and cool completely on baking racks.
Frosting preparation
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the flour, salt and milk over medium-high heat and cook until it thickens to form a roux or thick sort of pudding almost, then remove from heat and allow to cool completely, stirring while it cools.
- Once the roux is completely cool, cream the butter and sugar together in a separate bowl for 2-4 minutes, until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla. Then, while beating, add in the cooled flour/milk mixture and beat well until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Assembly
- To assemble the Black Forest cake, first level off any dome so that each layer of the cake is nice and flat, then slice each cake horizontally into two layers so that there are four evenly sized cake rounds.
- Set the first cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand, then cover with 1/3 of the cherry pie filling. Gently lay the next cake round on top of the cherries and spread with about 1/2 of the ermine buttercream to create a nice layer of frosting (I don't always use the entire batch of frosting so it might be a little less than half).
- Add the third layer of cake on top of the buttercream and top it with 1/3 of the remaining cherries. Add the fourth cake layer and cover it with the remaining frosting, then top with remaining cherry pie filling in the center without going all the way to the edges of the cake. Do not frost sides of cake.
- Let the cake sit for 8-12 hours or more for the chocolate cake layers to absorb some of the cherry filling, then slice and serve.
Notes
- You can make your own cherry pie filling if preferred; this recipe requires about 4½ cups for layering.
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting to ensure the frosting sets properly without melting.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 14servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 639 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 639kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 92g | 31% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 29g | 45% |
| Saturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 97mg | 32% |
| Sodium | 606mg | 25% |
| Potassium | 218mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 45g | 90% |
| Vitamin A | 1075IU | 22% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 68mg | 7% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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