Black Forest Cake
If you've got plain dark chocolate, melted, cocoa powder and strong cold black coffee, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 75 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (8)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 180C and line two 20cm sandwich tins with baking paper. Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Sift in the self-raising flour, cocoa powder and cinnamon, then fold gently to combine before stirring through the melted dark chocolate, sour cream and cold black coffee to a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter between the two tins and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Slice each cooled sponge in half horizontally to give four thin layers. Mix 3 tablespoons of the cherry syrup with the kirsch and brush this generously over all the cut surfaces.
- Whip the double cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks, being careful not to overbeat. Set aside a third of the cream for the top and sides.
- Stack the layers on a plate, spreading cream and scattering drained cherries between each one and reserving a few cherries for decoration.
- Cover the top and sides with the reserved cream, then finish with chocolate shavings and the remaining cherries. Chill for at least an hour before serving so the cake sets and slices cleanly.
You'll use: Oven
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Self-raising Flour
- 1 cup plain flour + 1½ tsp baking powder + ¼ tsp salt
Tips & common questions
How long does Black Forest Cake take to make?
About 75 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 14 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Black Forest Cake vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Black Forest Cake is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Black Forest gateau.jpg by Mikelo, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.