Black Forest Sheet Cake from Scratch without Kirsch
This 9x13 Black Forest sheet cake has all the beloved flavors of traditional Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte - tart & fruity cherries, rich chocolate cake, and a smooth vanilla topping. The only difference is that this version is much easier & faster to make, since there's no need to stack cake layers!
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or substitute white vinegar)
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Cherry Filling
- 14 ounces dark cherries or sour cherries in syrup (one can)
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk (at room temperature)
Toppings
- extra canned or fresh cherries
- semisweet chocolate bar (shaved with a box grater or vegetable peeler)
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper so the paper reaches over all four sides by a few inches. Set aside.
- Combine the milk and lemon juice in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature to curdle.
- 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 another large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil and the milk + lemon juice mixture.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until there is no dry flour visible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
Make the Cherry Filling
- Open the can of cherries and pour 2 tablespoons of the syrup from the can into a bowl.Drizzle or brush the 2 tablespoons of syrup on top of the warm cake once it comes out of the oven. Allow the cake to cool completely (for at least 1 hour). The cake will soak in the syrup as it cools.
- While the cake cools, prepare the cherry filling. Pour 2 tablespoons of the syrup from the can into a small bowl. Add the cornstarch and whisk with a fork until there are no clumps. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, add the canned cherries and any remaining syrup in the can. Tip: If you want to add a few cherries on top of the cake for decoration, set those aside in the fridge now, until the cake is ready to be decorated.
- Bring the cherries and syrup to a boil, then pour in the syrup + cornstarch mixture. Continue stirring the mixture constantly as it boils for one minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and side aside to cool and thicken.
Prepare the Vanilla Frosting
- While the filling and cake continue to cool, prepare the frosting. In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter until it is fluffy and smooth, after a few minutes.Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract and milk to the butter and continue to beat it until it is well-combined and fluffy, after a few minutes.
Assemble the Sheet Cake
- To assemble the cake, first remove the cooled cake from the baking pan by lifting it out with the parchment paper.
- Spread the cooled, thickened cherry filling on top of the cake in an even layer.Dollop the vanilla frosting onto the cherry layer, then use a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon to spread out the frosting in an even layer. Top with grated chocolate and fresh or extra canned cherries. Slice and enjoy!!
Notes
- Chocolate Topping: When grating chocolate, you can use a box grater to create a chocolate dusting, or a vegetable peeler to create chocolate curls.
- Serving Tip: If you plan to remove the cake from the baking pan once it’s cooled, I recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper. This will help you lift out the cake. Or leave it in the baking pan as you decorate it, and just lift out slices as you serve it!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 6gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 406mgPotassium: 264mgFiber: 5gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 757IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 3mg
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