Black Forest Torte
If you've got chocolate wafer crumbs, semisweet chocolate squares and tinned pitted cherries, drained, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 65 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 and pan. 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 (5)
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
- Preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F and line and grease a round cake tin, dusting the base with some of the chocolate wafer crumbs.
- Melt the semisweet chocolate squares with the butter over a pan of barely simmering water, then stir until smooth and let it cool slightly.
- Beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla until thick and pale, then fold in the melted chocolate mixture.
- Sift in the flour and salt and fold gently with the remaining wafer crumbs until just combined, then pour into the tin.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the centre is just set and a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs, then cool completely in the tin before turning out.
- Whip the cream to soft peaks, and toss the drained cherries with the kirsch.
- Split the cooled torte in half, sandwich with whipped cream and half the cherries, then top with the rest of the cream and cherries and chill for at least an hour before slicing.
You'll use: Oven · Pan · Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
Tips & common questions
How long does Black Forest Torte take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 11 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 Torte 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 Torte is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Torte 1a.jpg by Manfred Brückels. (Eisenacher at de.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.