Eggless Black Forest Cake Carve Your Craving

This homemade black forest cake fits all special occasions like birthday, anniversary, or Valentine’s day. I made this cake to celebrate 10K followers and growing on my Instagram. Thank you for all your love and support. If you aren’t following me yet, head over to Instagram and do so for everyday food stories ansd hacks!

I love this cake for so many reasons –

Firstly, it has a rich chocolate base. I mean who doesn’t like chocolate! Secondly, it is made with whipped cream. It is my preferred frosting. Whipped cream is so light, airy and not overly sweet as buttercream. Thirdly, it has lots of cherries. I simply love fruit infused cakes. If you are anything like me, then do try this eggless mango cake and eggless strawberry cake. I still remember the first time I ever baked a cake was when I was in my teens. Any guess which one was it? Yes, it was a black forest cake! Growing up this was my favorite cake. Back in the day, we did not have a very fancy variety of cakes in India. Chocolate, pineapple, and black forest pastries were the most popular ones and easily available in every bakery. Whenever cravings struck, I used to tell my dad to get an eggless black forest pastry from the bakeshop.

I can’t let this cherry season pass by without making this classic black forest cake. It is a great way to use those extra cherries from cherry-picking as well!

Let’s talk about the layers in this eggless black forest cake?

The cake base A good black forest cake begins with a rich chocolate cake sponge recipe. For this cake, I am using my go-to maraschino egg-free chocolate cake recipe that I use for many cakes as a base.

Cherry filling or plain cherries

This is totally up to your liking. According to me just throwing in pitted cherries doesn’t do justice to your cake. You can either soak them in Kirsch cherry liqueur and add to the cake or make a quick cherry filling or compote for a striking cherry flavor. When cherries are not in season maraschino cherries work great.

Chantilly Whipped cream

Whipped cream is delicately sweetened and very light on the palette. But it can be very tricky to work with it. You will have to stabilize the cream so that it can pipe well. I am sharing some tried and tested sturdy whipped cream possibilities with you that is without gelatin. Bakeries use non-dairy whipping cream for this cake. So, if you have access to such stabilized whipped cream then it is my first preference. Look for brands like Pastry Pride, Tropolite, or Riche in the frozen section. These are easily available online. However, if these are unavailable then I like to stabilize whipped cream using mascarpone or cream cheese for it to pipe beautifully and stay stable for a longer time in the fridge. Stabilizing whipped cream is a good idea especially on hot summer days. I have two fantastic stable whipped cream recipes for you- Mascarpone whipped cream frosting Sturdy whipped cream cream cheese frosting

Chocolate shavings

A black forest cake is finished off with a lot of grated chocolate all over the cake. It is sprinkled liberally on the top as well as the sides of the cake. Scrapping so the chocolate can be tedious and time-consuming. If you want to stick to using shavings then I suggest you do it days before you make the cake and store it in the airtight container in the fridge. This will save you a lot of time on the day you frost the cake. Another shortcut that I like is just spreading the melted chocolate on the parchment paper, rolling and freezing it. Unroll and get long shards of chocolate as I did for this cake. I guarantee that this method is not a compromise on the use of chocolate or the cake experience, but it will surely save you time and energy!

Moisten the cake

Unless you are using cherry liqueur, this step is totally optional. If your cake is not very moist and feels dry you can brush some sugar water on each layer to make it moist. This step is totally optional.

Decorating ideas for black forest cake

I like to keep it simple and classic. Just use chocolate all over, blob some swirls on the top, and top it with cherries. If you feel very ambitious then lookup for some fancy cake decorating ideas online. Maybe do a chocolate drip and add some fresh flowers on the top.

Step by step instructions to make eggless black forest cake

You can prepare the chocolate shavings and shards up to a few months in advance.

Make chocolate cake batter and bake the cake in a preferred cake tin. I like to use two 6″ cake pans for this recipe. Let it cool down completely before layering and frosting. I like to rest the cake in the fridge overnight and proceed with slicing and frosting the following day.

Lay the cake layer on a cake board or any dish you plan to keep it on. Moisten each layer of cake with sugar water or cherry liqueur if desired. Pipe a circle of frosting on the out edge of each layer. Scoop a generous amount of cherry filling and spread evenly. Spread some frosting on the top with an offset spatula to cover the filling. Repeat this process with the other two layers.

Now that the layers are piled up, crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set. Remove the cake and add one more layer of frosting. It does not have to be perfect as it will be hidden by all the chocolate. Now add the chocolate shavings in the center. Fill an icing bag with a large open star tip and pipe swirls around the top of the cake. Place chocolate shards on the sides of the cake. Top the swirls with fresh or maraschino cherries. Refrigerate all the time covered in a cake box until serving Fill an icing bag with a large open star tip and pipe swirls around the top of the cake. Place chocolate shards on the sides of the cake. Top the swirls with fresh or maraschino cherries. Refrigerate all the time covered in a cake box until serving.

Workflow and time management for making effortless black forest cake

You can bake the chocolate sponge cake up to 6 months in advance and freeze for future use or up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate it. Cherry pie filling can be made up to 6 months in advance and frozen or up to 4 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Grate the chocolate or make shards and store it in the fridge for a few months in advance.

Important tips for making stunning layered black forest cake like a pro

Always cut the top of the cake to level it. Slice the cake gently into layers. I like to use this tool to cut accurate layers each time. For every layer, first, make a border of frosting around ever layer and then fill it with the cherry compote. The frosting ring prevents the filling from oozing out on the sides. Crumb coat is very important. It is the first thin frosting coat over your cake. It makes the second layer of frosting easy. As every oven is different, rely on the toothpick test. If the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with few moist crumbs then it is done. If it comes out with a sticky batter, then, bake it for additional minutes.

How to store eggless black forest cake?

Always keep it in a cool dry place for no more than 2-3 hours, in an air-conditioned room away from the sun. As it has whipped cream, leaving it out for too long can melt it. Store the finished cake in the fridge for 3-4 days. I do not suggest freezing whipped cream frosted cake.

Pan size matters

For taller cakes, I prefer using two 6” cake pans and making four layers as seen in this recipe. I prefer using 1.5 times the recipe and just two layers for 8” round pan. Double this recipe to make it in a 9” round pan. If you are using only one 6” pan then make sure it is at least 3” in height so that the batter doesn’t overflow or else cut the recipe into half. Keep in mind that the baking time will increase considerably if a smaller pan is used. Always rely on the toothpick test. For a layered 9*13 cake pan i.e. is a quarter sheet pan, use 1.5 times the recipe. You may bake this cake in an 8” round pan as well. You will get a shorter cake.

Some frequently asked questions

How much does this cake weigh?

This recipe makes 1 kg of finished black forest cake (cake sponge + frosting)

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

You can make a black forest cake only 2 days ahead of time. After that, the whipping cream may start to loosen up. Refer to my workflow guide mentioned above.

Can I turn this cake recipe into a black forest pastry?

Yes, you can bake this cake in a square or rectangle pan. Slice it thin layers and proceed with the recipe.

Can I half or double this recipe?

Yes, you may use a smaller pan and cut this recipe into half. Likewise, you can double or even triple the recipe. Just use the appropriate pan size for the same.

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