If you love classic German Black Forest Cake, then you'll adore this Black Forest Bundt cake! It's made of rich chocolate cake with an easy cherry filling, and topped with homemade whipped cream. Shaved chocolate and fresh cherries top it all in a delicious masterpiece!
And if you love Black Forest cake as much as me, try simple Black Forest sheet cake, fudgy Black Forest brownies, cute Black Forest cupcakes, chewy Black Forest cookies, and decadent Black Forest cheesecake.
Traditional Black Forest Cake (called Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in German) is made of chocolate cake soaked in a cherry brandy called kirsch. Then a filling made from dark cherries (traditionally from Germany's Black Forest) are layered on the cake with whipped cream.
This Black Forest Bundt cake is a twist on the German classic. To simplify things, all the enticing chocolate and cherry flavors are mixed together and baked in a Bundt pan.
And instead of making the cherry filling from scratch, a can of cherry pie filling does the trick.
Top it all with whipped cream and shaved chocolate, and you have yourself an impressive yet easy dessert!
Growing up in Germany, I'd often pass over slices of Black Forest Cake in the glass cases at confectionary shops, and opt instead for fruit tarts or Apfelstrudel. But over the past few years, this nostalgic cake has grown on me.
I hope you love it as much as I do!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake and Cherry Filling
- Milk - Both dairy and non-dairy milk work to add moisture to the batter and create a soft cake. I usually use oat milk or almond milk.
- All purpose flour - Provides the base structure for this super soft and moist cake.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens the cake, and helps create a softer texture by weakening the gluten-forming proteins in the flour.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder - Adds the essential rich, chocolate flavor and dark color.
- Salt - I recommend using non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt for the best flavor.
- Baking soda and baking powder - Help the cake rise as it bakes. The combination of the two help create a lighter, tender cake texture.
- Eggs - Bind the cake batter ingredients together, and help the cake rise as it bakes.
- Vanilla extract - Enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients.
- Vegetable oil - Adds moisture and keeps the cake's texture soft, by coating the flour proteins to prevent too much gluten formation.
- Cherry pie filling - Adds the fruity flavor of cherries that are quintessential to Black Forest cake, and adds a bright pop of red in the cake that can't always be replicated with fresh cherries.
Whipped Cream and Toppings
- Heavy whipping cream - Also called heavy cream. Whips in a few minutes to an airy texture to dollop or pipe on the cake.
- Vanilla extract - Enhances the flavors of the cream and sugar.
- Powdered sugar - Also called confectioners' sugar. Sweetens the whipped cream while keeping the texture light and airy. Cornstarch in powdered sugar also helps stabilize homemade whipped cream.
- Chocolate - Optional for shaving on top for the classic Black Forest cake appearance. I recommend using a block of chocolate and a vegetable peeler to get the perfect chocolate shavings.
- Fresh cherries - Optional topping, if you can find fresh cherries at the store, for an elegant look.
How to Make this Recipe
Mix and Bake the Chocolate Cherry Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray or oil and cocoa powder.
3. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil and milk.
5. Fold in the cherry pie filling.
7. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
6. Pour the batter in the Bundt pan.
8. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer the cake to a cooling rack.
Make the Whipped Cream & Decorate
9. For the best results, start with the heavy cream and your mixing bowl cold in the fridge.
11. Add the sifted powdered sugar and continue whisking the mixture until it thickens.
10. With an electric hand whisk or in a stand mixer, whip the heavy cream and vanilla until it forms soft peaks.
12. Top the cooled Bundt cake with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and fresh cherries. Enjoy!!
Recipe Tips
- The cake batter will be thick at first, but will become thinner once you fold in the cherry pie filling. The pie filling has syrup which adds liquid to loosen the batter.
- Before baking, bang the pan on a towel laid out on your counter about 10 times, to help any air bubbles in the batter rise to the surface. This will prevent holes in your cake when you take it out of the Bundt pan.
- If your Bundt pan’s design won’t allow it to sit flat on the rack of your oven, place it on a baking sheet, otherwise your cake will bake lopsided.
- To get curls of shaved chocolate, use a block of chocolate and a vegetable peeler.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before adding the whipped cream. If the cake is still warm, the whipped cream will melt and slide right off.
Recipe Variations
- You can also top your Black Forest Bundt cake with chocolate ganache or a glaze, which looks really pretty when it runs down the sides of cakes.
- If you want to make the cherry filling from scratch, use the same filling as traditional Black Forest Cake.
- For extra chocolate flavor and crunchy texture, fold chocolate chips into the cake batter.
- You can add whole or chopped fresh cherries on top of the cake, or leave them off completely if fresh cherries aren't in season.
How to Grease a Bundt Pan
Nothing is more heartbreaking in cake baking than turning over your baked Bundt cake to see half of it still stuck in the pan! It's important to properly grease your Bundt pan to avoid it sticking. I usually use a combination of vegetable oil and flour or cocoa powder.
Coat with Oil or Butter
Apply cooking spray, vegetable oil, or room temperature butter to the inside of the Bundt pan. Use a pastry brush or paper towel to make sure it gets in every nook and corner evenly.
Make sure there's no oil pooling anywhere, which can cause uneven baking.
Coat with Flour or Cocoa Powder
Then add a light dusting of flour or cocoa powder. Shake the pan around to get an even coating, then dump out any excess into the sink.
I recommend using cocoa powder for dark cakes, like this chocolate cake. Sometimes the dry flour or cocoa powder is still visible after baking, and cocoa powder will be much less noticeable.
Let it Cool
Once your cake comes out of the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it upside down on a cooling rack.
You may need to bang on the top of the Bundt pan, or bang the whole Bundt pan on the cooling rack a few times to get it to release.
How to Cover Holes
If all else fails and some cake does get stuck in the pan, don't worry, it happens to me too sometimes! Use the whipped cream to cover any holes on top, and no one will ever know. 😉
Storing
Cake: To store your leftover Black Forest Bundt cake, wrap the sides loosely in plastic cling wrap or store under a cake dome in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Whipped Cream: You can store extra whipped cream in the fridge in an airtight container. I don't recommend storing your homemade whipped cream for more than a day, since it can start to lose its structure. If it does become soft, whip it again with a hand mixer.
More German Cake Recipes
Black Forest Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake + Cherry Filling
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus more for dusting the Bundt pan
- 1 teaspoon table salt or fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk (dairy or non dairy milk both work)
- 1 can cherry pie filling (21 ounces)
Whipped Cream + Toppings
- 1½ cups heavy cream (also called heavy whipping cream)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (also called confectioners' sugar)
- chocolate, for shaving on top (either a large block or bar of chocolate)
- fresh cherries (optional topping)
Instructions
Make and Bake the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray, room temperature butter, or vegetable oil. Then sift a little cocoa powder into the Bundt pan, and shake the pan around to get it evenly coated. Tap the Bundt pan upside down into the sink to get rid of any excess cocoa powder.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
- In separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix it with a spatula or large spoon until there is no dry flour visible.Gently fold the cherry pie filling into the batter.
- Pour the batter in the prepared Bundt pan. Bang the pan on a towel laid out on your counter about 10 times, to help any air bubbles in the batter rise to the surface.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan by turning it upside down onto a cooling rack. You may need to tap the top, or bang the cake pan onto the counter a couple times to release the cake from the pan. Let the cake cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
Make the Whipped Cream
- While the cake cools, prepare the whipped cream. In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand whisk or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the heavy cream and vanilla extract until it forms soft peaks.
- Sift in the powdered sugar. Continue whisking the mixture on low, gradually increasing the speed until it thickens. If you want to dollop the whipped cream on top, stop once it thickens and still forms soft peaks. If you want to pipe the whipped cream, continue whisking until it forms stiff peaks. Store the whipped cream in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
Decorate the Cake
- Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, dollop or pipe the whipped cream on top. Then decorate the cake with shaved chocolate, and optional fresh cherries. Enjoy!!
Notes
- The cake batter will be thick at first, but will become thinner once you fold in the cherry pie filling. The pie filling has syrup which adds liquid to loosen the batter.
- Before baking, bang the pan on a towel laid out on your counter about 10 times, to help any air bubbles in the batter rise to the surface. This will prevent holes in your cake when you take it out of the Bundt pan.
- If your Bundt pan’s design won’t allow it to sit flat on the rack of your oven, place it on a baking sheet, otherwise your cake will bake lopsided.
- To get curls of shaved chocolate, use a block of chocolate and a vegetable peeler.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before adding the whipped cream. If the cake is still warm, the whipped cream will melt and slide right off.
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Tried this, it’s very rich!
Carissa Erzen
Awesome! I'm so glad you liked it!
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