If you love the nostalgic flavors of German Black Forest cake, then you'll adore this easy Black Forest Bundt cake! Rich chocolate cake from scratch, cherry pie filling, homemade whipped cream, and shaved chocolate combine all these rich, fruity, and creamy flavors in every decadent bite.
Traditional Black Forest Cake with a Bundt Cake Twist
Traditional Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is made of chocolate cake soaked in a cherry brandy called kirsch, but I usually make my German Black Forest layer cake with cherry syrup instead. And while I usually make my filling with dark cherries, I wanted this Bundt cake to be super simple, so we'll pop open a can of easy cherry pie filling!
And to simplify things even further, all those enticing chocolate + cherry flavors are mixed together & baked in a Bundt pan, instead of making them separately and layering them after the cake cools.
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. But over the past few years, this classic cake has grown on me.
And if you love Black Forest cake as much as I do now, try my simple Black Forest sheet cake, fudgy Black Forest brownies, cute Black Forest cupcakes, chewy Black Forest cookies, and decadent Black Forest cheesecake.
Notes on the Ingredients You'll Need
- Milk - Adds moisture to the batter and create a soft cake.
- All purpose flour - Provides the base structure for a 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, not kosher salt.
- 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, and adds a bright pop of red in the cake that can't always be replicated with fresh cherries.
- Heavy whipping cream - Also called heavy cream; whips in a few minutes to an airy texture to dollop or pipe on the cake.
- Powdered 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 a 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 elegant topping, if you can find fresh cherries at the store.
Let's Bake a Black Forest Bundt Cake Together!
Mix and Bake the Chocolate Cherry Cake
1. Grease a Bundt pan and sprinkle with cocoa powder, shaking out any excess.
3. 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.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder & baking soda.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
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. Start with cold heavy cream and a cold mixing bowl.
11. Add the sifted powdered sugar and continue whisking the mixture until it thickens.
10. 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!!
Baking Tips & Variations for Your Chocolate Cherry Bundt Cake
- Level Cake: 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.
- Chocolate Shavings: To get curls of shaved chocolate, use a block of chocolate and a vegetable peeler.
- Glaze: 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.
- Homemade Cherry Filling: If you want to make the cherry filling from scratch, use the same filling as my traditional Black Forest Cake.
- Chocolate Chips: For extra chocolate flavor and crunchy texture, fold chocolate chips into the cake batter.
Pro Tips on Baking with 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! Here are my top tips to creating a perfect Bundt cake on the first try.
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.
Cooling & Removing Your Cake
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.
Easy Black Forest Bundt Cake from Scratch
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake + Cherry Filling
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- 1 (21 ounce) can of cherry pie filling
Whipped Cream + Toppings
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- chocolate bar, for shaving on top
- 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, 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. Set aside.
- 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. Use a vegetable peeler to add chocolate shavings from a chocolate bar on the whipped cream, and top with optional fresh cherries. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Thick Batter: 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.
- Prevent Air Pockets: 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.
- Cool Completely: 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.
- Storing Your Cake: To store leftover cooled cake, wrap the sides loosely in plastic cling wrap or store under a cake dome in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Storing Whipped Cream: You can store extra whipped cream in the fridge in an airtight container, but after a day, it can start to lose its structure.
Kshulen
Tried this, it’s very rich!
Carissa Erzen
Awesome! I'm so glad you liked it!