Description
This Perfect Chocolatey Black Forest Cake Recipe combines a light and fluffy chocolate Genoise sponge cake with luscious cherries, smooth Chantilly whipped cream, and rich chocolate ganache. Layered and drizzled for stunning presentation and decadent flavor, this cake is ideal for special occasions or whenever you're craving a classic dessert with a chocolaty twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Genoise Cake
- 8 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
- 1 cup all purpose flour (130 g)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (50 g)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
Cherries and Syrup
- 2 cans (14 oz each) pitted cherries in syrup (dark sweet cherries and maraschino cherries)
Chantilly Whipped Cream
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled (720 g)
- ¼ cup sugar (50 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Ganache
- 240 g semi-sweet chocolate (or mix of dark and milk chocolate)
- 1 cup heavy cream (240 g)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chocolate Genoise Cake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (conventional, no fan). Line the bottoms of four 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper without adding oil or butter. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 7 minutes until pale, thick, and nearly tripled in volume. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, then gently fold into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula until no streaks remain, taking care not to deflate the batter. Divide the batter evenly among the pans and bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Cherries and Syrup: Drain the canned cherries, reserving all syrup into a saucepan. Set aside a handful of perfect cherries for decorating and roughly chop the rest. Warm the cherry syrup gently for 3 to 5 minutes to reduce slightly, then allow it to cool completely.
- Make Chantilly Whipped Cream: In a chilled bowl, combine the cold heavy cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, meaning the cream holds shape but remains soft and not grainy.
- Prepare Ganache: Place chopped chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each, until smooth and fully melted. Let ganache cool for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Assemble and Decorate: Place one cake layer upside down on your serving stand. Brush generously with cherry syrup, spread a thick layer of whipped cream, then gently press in a third of the chopped cherries. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of ganache over the cream. Repeat this process with the next two cake layers. Top with the final cake layer, brush with syrup, and frost the entire cake with remaining whipped cream. Chill for 15 minutes. Warm ganache until pourable but not hot, then pour on top for a drip effect and spread with an offset spatula. Optionally, pipe remaining whipped cream around the edges, topping each dollop with a reserved cherry and sprinkling with chocolate shavings.
- Serve and Enjoy: Chill the cake slightly if desired and serve fresh for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- If using fresh cherries instead of canned, pit 2 cups of cherries then cook them with 4 tablespoons water and 4 tablespoons sugar over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until a syrup forms. Reserve syrup for soaking the cake and use the cooked cherries for the filling.
- Genoise sponge cakes can dry out quickly, so decorate and serve the cake fresh or within 1 day. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reserving some cherries whole for decoration adds a beautiful finishing touch to the cake.
- Make sure to whisk the eggs and sugar thoroughly to incorporate air and create a fluffy texture in the cake layers.
- Be gentle when folding flour mixture into eggs to maintain airiness in the batter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
