Authentic German Black Forest Cake, Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte is a delicious cake famous in Germany. Layers of chocolate cake, black cherries and kirsch. Perfect for a party!

Authentic German Black Forest Cake or Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte is a wonderful cake!
I spent many years living in the Netherlands, along the border of Germany and we would do our shopping across the German border, groceries, dining, in various nearby towns and cities.
Often, we would call in at a cafe and enjoy a slice of German Black Forest Cake, or as it was described on the menu, Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte with a lovely cup of freshly brewed coffee.
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This cake is so very popular in Germany, it's found in most bakeries, restaurants and coffee shops. The supermarkets often sell them whole in the fresh cake counter, and they're huge! I suspect the locals would often buy such a cake for a celebration, like a birthday or an anniversary.
It's certainly a cake that would be fit for any celebration!

Whilst living in Holland, I made friends with a lady who was originally from Germany, but settled in Holland.
Inga was a fine baker and would often make cakes and various desserts (usually all with apples!) so I asked her if she would make a real, as in AUTHENTIC German Black Forest Cake for me and if I could watch her making it in her kitchen.
Check out our handy Oven Temperature Conversion Guide!
So now we have a wonderful authentic Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte recipe to share with you, and oh my goodness!
It really does taste exactly like the slices I had eaten so many times in the coffee shops in Germany.

What is inside a German Black Forest Cake?
The texture of the cake is extremely light and packed with the famous cherry liqueur, Kirsch.
The filling is loaded with juicy kirsch infused cherries and freshly whipped cream, so in every bite, you get a lovely burst of deliciousness!
Whilst Inga was showing me her recipe, she stressed you must use the jar or canned cherries which are in their own juice.
Fresh cherries just don't work well, unless you soak them for the longest time to soften them and get them juicy enough. I stuck to Inga's rule and simply bought a few fresh cherries for the decoration on top.

This recipe for German Black Forest Cake does take a little time because you need to make the cherry syrup, sponge, and filling, but oh my goodness! It is worth all the effort.
As you will see, I kept the decoration of the frosting very simple and rustic looking. Inga had done hers like that and wasn't overly fancy. Of course, if you want to, you can put your piping skills to the limit and make elaborate piping patterns and so on.
For the chocolate on the top, I simply grated some over. You could be more elaborate and make chocolate shavings or shards and have them standing upright on the top of the cake.
It's entirely up to you how simple or elaborate you want to decorate.

What liqueur is used?
The kirsch liqueur is what defines this cake like no other, so I would not recommend you leave that out of the recipe.
You do need to taste the alcohol, so yes, it is an adult cake!
Without the Kirsch, it simply wouldn't be an authentic German Black Forest Cake.
So a huge thank you to Inga for allowing me to watch her make this beautiful cake and for sharing her family recipe with me.
We've also got a fantastic recipe for a Black Forest Swiss Roll Cake, it's super easy to make and a real show stopper! Be sure to check it out!
Let's get straight to the recipe and please do enjoy as much as I have!
Prep time
2 Hours
Baking time
40 minutes
Serving size
12 Slices
Ingredients
Cake
1 cup or 125 g All Purpose Flour
3⁄4 cup or 95 g Cornstarch
1⁄4 cup or 30 g Dutch Cocoa Powder
1 tsp. Salt
5 tbsp. unsalted Butter, melted
1 cup or 200 g Sugar
6 eggs
Cherry Syrup
14 oz. (2 cups, 400 g ) jarred or canned Sour Cherries
1⁄2 cup or 120 ml Cherry juice from 14oz Jar
1⁄2 cup or 120 ml Kirsch (cherry brandy)
1⁄2 cup or 100 g Sugar
Frosting
2 tbsp. unflavored powdered gelatin
2 cups, or 470 ml plus 6 tbsp. milk
1⁄2 cup or 65 g Cornstarch
6 tbsp. sugar
4 cups or 950 ml Heavy Cream, or Double Cream
4 tbsp. kirsch (cherry brandy)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 oz. or 110 g bittersweet chocolate
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F, 180 C.
2. Grease and flour a deep 9 inch round baking pan.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and eggs,

beat at medium speed until tripled in volume, see photos. This will take around 7-8 minutes.


4. In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, salt, cornstarch and cocoa powder.

Then add to the egg batter.
Add the melted butter and using a spatula or large spoon, gently fold the mixture until combined. *** Do not over mix!

5. Transfer to your greased and floured cake pan and place in the oven for about 40 minutes.

Test the center with a skewer to make sure the cake is done.

6. Transfer the cake IN the pan on to a cooling rack and let rest for 15 minutes then carefully turn out from the pan, upside down on to a cooling rack and leave until completely cooled.


7. Using a serrated (like a bread knife), slice the cake into 3 equal layers as the photo. and set aside.

Make the cherry syrup.
8. Add the drained cherries to a bowl and pour the kirsch all over the cherries and let steep for about 30 minutes. (I cut my cherries in half)

9. Place the ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup reserved cherry juice in a medium-size saucepan and under medium heat, stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
10. Add the liquid used for soaking the cherries in the cherry syrup.

Place the cherries on a plate and sort through them to pick a dozen or so nice ones for decorating the top of the cake if you're not using fresh cherries for the decoration, and divide into 2 equal portions.

Make the frosting:
11. Use a small bowl and add the gelatin and 6 Tbsp milk. Stir. and let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will get thick.

12. In a medium saucepan, add the cornstarch and sugar with the 2 cups of milk and whisk over medium heat.

Keep stirring to avoid lumps. Once the mixture resembles pudding mixture in thickness, add the gelatin mixture and whisk to combine and the mixture is nice and smooth. (You may need to pop the gelatin mixture in the microwave for 15 seconds to loosen if it has set too soon.)


13. Transfer the gelatin mix to a large bowl and set aside.

14. Using a mixer, add the fresh cream, kirsch and vanilla extract.
Using the whisk attachment, whisk until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over whisk as your cream will become too stiff and resemble butter!

15. Add half of the whipped cream to the gelatin mixture; stir until smooth using a spatula or hand whisk.

Add remaining whipped cream, and gently fold until the mixture is combined.

To assemble the cake:
16. Start by placing the first layer of your cake on a plate.

Brush generously with the cherry syrup.
Brush all over the surface and right up to the edges.

17. Arrange the first half of the cherries all over the first cake layer. (I cut my cherries in half but you can leave yours whole if you wish).

Then take a spatula and spread ¼ of your frosting mixture all over the cherries.

18. Carefully place the next cake layer on top of the frosting and repeat by brushing cherry syrup all over the surface, adding the second half of your soaked cherries and another ¼ of your frosting mixture. Finish off by adding the third cake layer.
19. Brush more cherry syrup on the top cake layer, again, be generous, and make sure you reach the edges too with the syrup!
Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

20. Remove from the fridge and spread the remaining frosting all over the cake.
Feel free to spread with a palette knife, use a piping nozzle or simply spread the frosting 'roughly'.
Finish off by decorating the top with the reserved cherries and a grating of chocolate.

Place in the fridge for minimum 2 hours, then cut into 12 slices and enjoy!


We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our Authentic German Black Forest Cake recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Recipe Card

Authentic German Black Forest Cake, Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte
Authentic German Black Forest Cake, Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte is a delicious cake famous in Germany. Layers of chocolate cake, black cherries and kirsch. Perfect for a party!
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 cup or 125 g All Purpose Flour
- 3 ⁄4 cup or 95 g Cornstarch
- 1 ⁄4 cup or 30 g Dutch Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 5 tbsp. unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 cup or 200 g Sugar
- 6 eggs
Cherry Syrup
- 14 oz. 2 cups, 400 g jarred or canned sour cherries
- 1 ⁄2 cup or 120 ml Cherry juice from 14oz jar
- 1 ⁄2 cup or 120 ml Kirsch, cherry brandy
- 1 ⁄2 cup or 100 g Sugar
Frosting
- 2 tbsp. unflavored powdered gelatin
- 2 cups, or 470 ml plus 6 tbsp. milk
- 1 ⁄2 cup or 65 g Cornstarch
- 6 tbsp. sugar
- 4 cups or 950 ml Heavy Cream, or Double Cream
- 4 tbsp. kirsch, cherry brandy
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 oz. or 110 g bittersweet chocolate
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Pre heat oven to 350 F, 180 C.
- Grease and flour a deep 9 inch round baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and eggs, beat of a medium speed until tripled in volume, see photo. This will take around 7-8 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, salt, cornstarch and cocoa powder. Then add to the egg batter. Add the melted butter and using a spatula or large spoon, gently fold the mixture until combined. *** Do not over mix!
- Transfer to your greased and floured cake pan and place in oven for about 40 minutes. Test the center with a skewer to make sure the cake is done.
- Transfer the cake IN the pan on to a cooling rack and let rest for 15 minutes then carefully turn out from the pan, upside down on to a cooling rack and leave until completely cooled.
- Using a serrated (like a bread knife), slice the cake into 3 equal layers as the photo. and set aside.
Make the cherry syrup.
- Add the drained cherries to a bowl and pour the kirsch all over the cherries and let steep for about 30 minutes.
- Place the ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup reserved cherry juice in a medium size saucepan and under a medium heat, stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- 10. Add the liquid used for soaking the cherries in the cherry syrup.
- Place the cherries on a plate and sort through them to pick a dozen or so nice ones for decorating the top of the cake if you're not using fresh cherries for the decoration, and divide into 2 equal portions.
Make the frosting:
- 11. Use a small bowl and add the gelatin and 6 Tbsp milk. Stir. and let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will get thick.
- 12. In a medium saucepan, add the cornstarch and sugar with the 2 cups of milk and whisk over a medium heat. Keep stirring to avoid lumps. Once the mixture resembles pudding mixture in thickness, add the gelatin mixture and whisk to combine and the mixture is nice and smooth. (You may need to pop the gelatin mixture in the microwave for 15 seconds to loosen if it has set too soon.)
- 13. Transfer the gelatin mix to a large bowl and set aside.
- 14. Using a mixer, add the fresh cream, kirsch and vanilla extract.
- Using the whisk attachment, whisk until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over whisk as your cream will become too stiff and resemble butter!
- 15. Add half of the whipped cream to the gelatin mixture; stir until smooth using a spatula. Add remaining whipped cream, and gently fold until the mixture is combined.
To assemble the cake:
- 16. Start by placing the first layer of your cake on a plate and brush generously with the cherry syrup. Brush all over the surface and right up to the edges.
- 17. Arrange the first half of the cherries all over the first cake layer. (I cut my cherries in half but you can leave yours whole if you wish). Then take a spatula and spread ¼ of your frosting mixture all over the cherries.
- 18. Carefully place the next cake layer on top of the frosting and repeat by brushing cherry syrup all over the surface, adding the second half of your soaked cherries and another ¼ of your frosting mixture. Finish off by adding the third cake layer.
- 19. Brush more cherry syrup on the top cake layer, again, be generous, and make sure you reach the edges too with the syrup!
- 20. Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Then remove from the fridge and spread the remaining frosting all over the cake.
- Feel free to spread with a palette knife, use a piping nozzle or simply spread the frosting 'roughly'. Finish off by decorating the top with the reserved cherries and a grating of chocolate. Place in the fridge for minimum 2 hours, then cut into 12 slices and enjoy!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Natural Kirsch Essence 50ml Super Strength
-
Cocoa Dutch, 100% Cocoa Powder, net weight 200 g (Pack of 1 piece) / 8y KK
-
Dr Oetker Gelatine Sachet Multipack 3 x 12g
-
Trader Joe's Dark Morello Cherries In Light Syrup 24.7 oz
-
MEYKISS Cake Tester, Stainless Steel Cake Tester Probe Skewer Kitchen Baking Tools, Set of 2
-
X-Chef Silicone Basting Pastry Brushes for Cooking BBQ Meat Cakes Pastries Butter Kitchen, Heatproof, Dishwasher Safe Flexible Easy Clean, BPA Free and FDA Approved, Set of 4
-
Rachael Ray 54073 Yum -o! Nonstick Bakeware Baking Pan With Grips / Nonstick Cake Pan With Grips, Round - 9 Inch, Gray
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 698Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 200mgSodium: 286mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 3gSugar: 42gProtein: 10g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
Celebration Cakes
Here's a great selection of celebration cakes perfect for a party!
Cranberry and Pecan Christmas Cake, loaded with delicious fruits and Spiced Rum. A perfect treat for Christmas.
Coffee Walnut Sandwich Cake.
The best coffee and walnut cake, a classic British afternoon tea cake, layers of soft and fluffy coffee cake with chopped walnuts throughout, adds a great flavor and texture, frosted with coffee cream cheese frosting. A pure delight to eat!
Authentic German Black Forest Swiss Roll, a light sponge cake famous in Germany. Layers of chocolate cake, cherries, kirsch & fresh whipped cream in a cake roll.
Salted Caramel Celebration Cake is perfect for a party. Homemade layers of soft caramel cake and layers of salted caramel frosting then topped with chocolate covered pretzels and salted caramel popcorn.
Walnut Cake is a delicious easy recipe. the cake is so soft and fluffy! Recipe also for a lovely vanilla frosting.
Orange or Clementine Ricotta Cheesecake. A lovely crustless baked dessert. Light and airy cheesecake, topped with zesty sweet homemade orange curd and fresh whipped cream.
Celebration Coconut Cake.
Perfect for a celebration, this coconut cake is made up of layers of soft coconut cake sandwiched between lemon curd then frosted with a light and airy coconut frosting.
Toasted Coconut Cupcakes.
Deliciously light and fluffy coconut cupcakes, with a coconut cream cheese frosting. Simple easy recipe for how to make perfect, moist cupcakes, ideal for parties and celebrations
Honey Bun Cupcakes are lovely and soft with great flavors of cinnamon and brown sugar and topped with a homemade honey buttercream frosting
Cherry Almond Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a lovely soft cake and great tasting. Perfect for parties too!
Coffee Walnut Cake is a deliciously easy soft and fluffy cake recipe. Recipe also for a lovely vanilla coffee frosting. A nice cake for the holidays!
A simple, easy chocolate loaf cake recipe is moist, rich and chocolatey. Perfect for new cooks and is a go to basic recipe
The Famous Hummingbird Cake! A very popular soft and moist cake with pecans, bananas, pineapples, and a delicious frosting too!
Strawberry and Coconut Poke Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream. Easy made from scratch recipe. Yummy!
Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake is a lovely baked dessert and so light and airy. Perfect for Easter, Mother's Day or any time of the year! It's out of this world delicious!
Easy Red Velvet Party Cake recipe with a lovely cream cheese frosting. Soft, fluffy and so delicious! Make as a sheet or round cake, you decide
Chocolate Latte Cake. A soft and moist cake with the flavors of a latte coffee and a hit of chocolate for good measure! Nice and easy recipe too!
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Pineapple and Coconut Poke Cake.
A delicious pineapple combined with creamy coconut cake recipe, topped with fresh whipped cream and more coconut, making a soft and fluffy great tasting tropical cake
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Almond Joy Cake. A delicious chocolate cake with almond and a coconut frosting. Always a hit and so popular!
Nanny's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake is a keeper recipe! Easy to make and perfect for chocolate lover's.This is also freezer friendly if you wanted to make into portions or make ahead for a party!
White Chocolate Salted Caramel Cheesecake is a delicious baked cheesecake, rich and creamy with a white chocolate filling and a salted caramel topping. Easy to make.
Limoncello Tiramisu. A delicious twist on the classic Italian coffee tiramisu dessert using blueberries, lemon, and limoncello, all homemade and perfect for parties.
Strawberry Shortcake Cake, a wonderful refreshing classic sponge cake packed with fresh strawberries and a whipped cream frosting.
If you enjoy flavors of Black forest, try this lovely No Bake Black forest Yum Yum dessert. Delicious!
Eva
says:This recipe is anything but authentic! I’m not sure what you would get mixing the listed ingredients for the cake, but I guess at best you’ll get a brown, round brick. Hint hint, there’s no baking powder included!
The authentic Schwarzwälder Kirsch Torte ist made with a light and fluffy Hazelnut cake. To get it that fluffy you separate the eggs and use a bit of hot water with the yolk and sugar. The egg whites are whisked until you can put the bowl on its side and they don’t move anymore, and then you careful mix the flour, potato starch, flowered nuts, and coco in. The oven can’t be opened for about 30 minutes or the cake will fall back down creating a nice brick.
I’m sure the more experienced bakers here know exactly what kind of a batter the cake is made of, but since I’m German and still learning the English language I really don’t know what it would be called in English.
The cake is only one of the many problems I’ve seen with this recipe. Kirschwasser is a kind of Schnapps, containing 40%vol alcohol. You sprinkle a few drops on the cake layers, but the rest is being put in the cherry filling that you usually bring to a boil before it’s being used in the cake. That way most of the alcohol is gone. Use 1/2 cup of cherry Schnapps and it doesn’t matter anymore what the cake tastes like since the 40% vol will burn all the way down.
The only reason I tried to find a recipe in English is the fact that I can’t get Sahne Steif in the States. It’s what we Germans use to keep heavy cream from turning back into a liquid mess once it has been turned into whipped cream. Sahne Steif also helps you to get actually whipped cream and not butter in case your heavy cream is fighting you to harden up.
Because in Germany whipped cream actually stays whipped we use only whipped cream on the authentic Schwarzwälder Kirsch Torte. The idea of mixing milk up and smearing that around on such a delicious cake is just not right! I’m not sure what this recipe should be called, but for sure not “authentic”, and not Schwarzwälder Kirsch Torte. Yuck!
Nick
says:It’s a nice cake, but authentic it is not.
Frosting? Really?
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Nick, glad you like the cake!
I lived on the border of Holland and Germany for over 10 years and I can safely say it is authentic to have a fresh cream frosting / coating on the cake! This recipe is as authentic as they come! Please enjoy!
Eva
says:Nick is right, this is not authentic!
You might have lived near the German/Dutch border, but we all know what Holland is famous for…Gouda cheese and not cakes!
You really should have traveled a bit farther south since there we make not just the best cakes in the world, but also the best Käse-Spätzle! ?
And no we don’t use Gouda for those either, we use Swiss cheeses ?
(BTW, I was born and raised in Germany, right in-between the Black Forest and the Swiss Alps.)
Dace
says:The sponge didn’t rise and the cream is still quite liquid. should’ve read the comments
Carol
says:How cool should the gelatin-milk mixture be before mixing it with the whipped cream It seems like it should be room temperature or cooler Also, if the gelatin thickens too much, is it possible to loosen it with with some of the warm milk rather than using the microwave? I am making a double recipe for a 60th birthday so I really need to do it right.
Thanks!
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Carol, the gelatine shouldn’t be too hot, but you just have to make sure it isn’t so cool it starts to set. I haven’t tried loosening it using some of the warm milk, but I should imagine it will be ok so long as the gelatine hasn’t completely set as it goes very rubbery and becomes difficult to loosen and smooth out lumps. You can always gently heat on the stovetop if you don’t want to use the microwave to loosen the mixture. Hope that helps! And enjoy the birthday!
Nancy
says:I’m making this for a Dutch/German friend’s birthday this weekend! So glad I found your recipe; I looked at about 4 others but this one looks the most promising! Thanks!
Agathi
says:Most delicious cake ever! Everyone loved it! I loved that it isn’t too sweet & you can actually taste the cherries & liquor! Thanks for sharing!
Lovefoodies
says:Hey Agathi! I was wondering how you got on making the cake. So glad you enjoyed it!!
Thanks so much for your feedback!
Sayantan
says:Is the cake portion missing a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda. My cake never rose. I followed the instructions very precisely.
Rachel
says:I found this too, maybe use self-rising flour rather than plain?
Lovefoodies
says:Hi, this recipe uses the eggs as the raising agent, you must beat the eggs and sugar until there is a lot of air and once the volume has increased, you need to very carefully fold in the flour so you don’t knock all the air out. That way, the sponge will be very light and should rise in the oven.
Hope that helps!
Siobhan
says:My cake never comes out tall enough to cut into three layers. I think I’m following the instructions to the letter. Can you explain the step where you add the dry ingredients and the butter? Do you stir the dry in first? Do you put the dry in and the butter and mix it all at the same time?
Bea
says:Hello, I’m absolutely fascinated by the frosting! Adding gelatin to milk and then adding all that to whipped cream I’m thinking that’s like a stabilized whipped cream? Not heavy like a butter cream would be. How does it stand up to room temps? Can it be out for a couple if hours without nelring? Thank you so much!!??
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Bea, yes the gelatin is a stabiliser, and firms the whipped cream. Without it, the cream would turn watery after a while so this keeps it set better. It will be fine at room temperature for a couple of hours, and before that, just refrigerate it. The frosting is quite firm and isn’t anything like buttercream, it’s much lighter in taste. Please enjoy!
Linda
says:Wow! What a beautiful and delicious cake!
Lovefoodies
says:Thank you very much Linda! I’m thinking of making this again but in a trifle style for the holidays ?
Agathi Bardi
says:I have found the cherry liqueur but it’s red. It’s written kirsch. I have tried the authentic in Germany as I have also had a Black Forest cake also and it’s so so delicious. I’m not sure If my cake will come out ok with the red kirsch cherry liqueur ? Can’t find the authentic. Planning to do this on my husbands birthday. Thank you.
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Agathi, glad you found the recipe! It really is so delicious!
I think it will be ok with the red liqueur, they will have the colouring in so be aware if you decide to add it to the whipped cream it will make it pink! If you taste it, you’ll know if it’s the same flavor as what you had in Germany, but anyway, use it because it won’t harm the recipe!
Please enjoy!
Agathi Bardi
says:Ok! Thank you! Also would like to ask 9 inch pan depth or width? Sorry doing it today! Very excited!
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Agathi,
So you know for future reference, when a pan size is stated, it is usually referring to the diameter for round pans, and length for rectangular / square pans. So in this case, the size is 9 inch wide round pan. Whenever depth is required, recipes usually say ‘x inch deep pan, so you know it isn’t a regular shallow pan. Hope that helps you for the future!
Have fun baking today!