Authentic German Black Forest Cake

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This is an Authentic German Black Forest cake recipe, proven and original. This cake is called in German “Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte”. It is a classic cake in Germany and very popular. So popular that you can find the cake in every German bakery. This original German recipe will allow you to bake the cake that you love at home.  We recommend that you have some baking experience before starting to bake this cake.

The Black Forest Cake is the “Queen of all cakes.  It is known all over the world but its origin is in the German Black Forest, a region in the South of Germany, praised by its mountains and the good air but also for the wonderful food and the friendliness of its people.
The city of Freiburg the most charming city of the Black Forest region that I personally know. So what is the Black Forest Cake: It is  a unique combination of cream, cherries, chocolate and Kirsch-Schnaps that is made in the Black Forest (alternatively use Brandy if you cannot get the original Kirsch). If you are looking for an easy way to make this cake check out our Baking Mixes on LoveGermanFood.com – Happy Baking!

Ingredients Authentic German Black Forest Cake

Ingredients Cake Base
• 125 g wheat flour – Find German Wheat flour Here –
• 10 g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder Dr Oetker
• 50 g sugar
• 1 package vanilla sugar, 0.5oz
– How to make Vanilla Sugar –
• 1 egg white
• 50 g butter

Ingredients Biscuit Base

• 3 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp warm water
• 100 g sugar
• 1 package vanilla sugar
• 3 drops bitter-almond or rum baking oil
• 1 dash cinnamon
• 75 g flour (wheat)
• 10 g cocoa powder (unsweetened and raw)
• 25 g wheat starch or potato starch – Ener-G Pure Potato Starch Flour 16 Oz
• 1,5 tsp baking powder Dr. Oetker

Ingredients Filling

Important is to use the correct cherries. You need sour cherries (in German we also call them Schattenmorellen). Don’t use Bing cherries or similar ones.

• 1 jar sour cherries (750 gr)
• 80 g sugar
• 40 g wheat or potato starch
• 2 tbsp Kirsch Schnaps (brandy)
• 2 tsp ground white gelatin
• 3 tbsp cold water
• 500 ml heavy cream
• 1 package vanilla sugar, 0.5 oz 
– How to make Vanilla Sugar –
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 40 g chocolate (grated) to sprinkle (use black chocolate with high cocoa percentage)
• 1 jar maraschino cherries for decoration

BLACK FOREST CAKE BAKING MIX

Baking Instructions Cake Base

– Sieve flour, cocoa and backing powder on a smooth working surface.
– Make a mold and add sugar, vanilla sugar and egg white into the mold, mix it with some of the flour so it gets mushy.
– Cut cold butter into small pieces.
– Add butter pieces, then combine everything by kneading until you have a lump.
– Wrap the ball in foil and keep for 30 minutes in the fridge.
– Grease with butter a 26 cm diameter spring form.
– Pre-Heat oven to 375 F.
– Roll the dough so it will fit into the form.
– Bake for 20 minutes on 375 F (medium heat).

Baking Instructions Biscuit Base

– Mix 4 egg yolks and water until foamy.
– Add bit by bit two third of the sugar, vanilla sugar and spices.
– Beat egg whites until firm, add the remaining sugar.
– Add firm egg white to the egg yolk cream and sprinkle the mix of starch, flour and cocoa over it.
– Mix it carefully, then add into a spring form, laid out with parchment baking paper (same size as for the cake base).
– Bake it right away for 35 minutes on 350 F.

Baking Instructions Filling

– Drain cherries.
– Heat 3/4 of cherry juice, mix 1/4 juice mix with starch.
– When juice starts to boil mix in the starch and let it boil up.
– Add cherries and let it cool down, add sugar and Kirsch Schnaps as desired.
– Mix gelatin powder with water, let sit for 10 minutes.
– Carefully bring to a boil, keep on stirring, let it cool off.
– Beat heavy cream semi-firm, then add the completely cooled off gelatin.
– Beat cream again so it gets completely firm, add vanilla sugar and additional sugar as desired.

Baking Instructions for the Black Forest Cake

– First put half of the cold cherries on the cake base.
– Add 1/3 of the filling on the cake base.
– Cut the biscuit base horizontal in half – put one half on the filling (press it on) and add on top the remaining cherries and the cream.
– The other half of the biscuit base will be added on the top. Apply the rest of the cream on the sides and the top
– Decorate the cake with grated chocolate and cherries.

The cake needs to be in the fridge at least for 4 hours.
If you like to add the traditional Kirsch Schnaps, drip some of the Kirsch Schnaps on the cake base and biscuit base before you are adding the filling.

Tips

– You should have some baking experience when trying this recipe; it is not for beginners.
– Find the sour cherries, vanilla sugar, bitter almond oil on Amazon.