A quick & easy version of traditional Black Forest Cake! It’s a soft and moist chocolate cake, filled with milk chocolate ganache, topped with homemade cherry compote & mascarpone whipped cream then decorated with swirls of whipped cream, chocolate curls and some more fresh cherries.

You poke holes in this cake after baking. The holes are then filled with creamy chocolate ganache to add more flavour to every bite.

It is super soft, tender and fluffy in texture. Fresh homemade Cherry compote filling and milk chocolate ganache makes it even more incredibly moist and drool-worthy. This loaded dessert can easily serve a crowd. The assembled cake is a complete show-stopper! Perfect for any occasion!

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INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED!

Scroll down to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and their exact quantities.

FOR CHERRY COMPOTE

• Fresh Cherries (pitted): Fresh cherries are the best but you can use frozen cherries instead especially when they are not in season. Don’t thaw, If you are using a frozen one.
• Granulated sugar: It is added to sweeten the sauce. 
• Water
• Lemon juice: It is added to enhance the flavour and offset some sweetness.
• Cornflour/Cornstarch: It is added to make the sauce thick.

FOR MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• Milk chocolate: Always use good quality chocolate. Here I used milk chocolate. But you can also use semisweet chocolate bars or dark chocolate bars or chips or a mixture of them. It depends on your taste.
• Double cream/Heavy cream: Always use double cream or heavy cream to make a rich and silky chocolate ganache. Cream with at least 35% fat content gives a better consistency to the chocolate ganache.

FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE

• Plain Flour/All-purpose flour: Make sure, to measure it correctly. The best way to measure flour is by using a digital scale. If you don’t have then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Unsweetened Cocoa powder: Always use good quality cocoa powder, it makes the difference. Make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder. It gives a deep and rich chocolate flavour.
• Eggs: Eggs should be at room temperature. They give moisture to the cake and help it to rise.
• Unsalted butter and vegetable oil: I always love the buttery taste in the cake but at the same time I need softness in it when cold. Butter gives flavour and oil gives softness when cold. Always use good quality butter. Make sure to buy unsalted butter because you can control the amount of salt according to the recipe requirement. Butter should be at room temperature, which means it should be softened enough so that when you press it with your finger with little pressure, it will leave a dent. I used sunflower cooking oil here but you can use any vegetable oil.
• Salt: It balances the sweetness and enhances the flavour of chocolate.
• Granulated sugar: It adds sweetness. 
• Baking powder + baking soda: Both are used as leavening agents, which means they cause the cake to rise. I used both to give this cake a good rise.
• Instant Coffee: It gives a rich and deep flavour of chocolate but it is totally optional.
• Hot water: Hot water reacts with cocoa powder and brings out the chocolate cocoa flavour. It enhances the chocolatey flavour so you can enjoy a more intense flavour. Water should be hot to enhance the flavour of the chocolate.
• Sour Cream: Sour cream adds moisture, fat and acidity to this cake. If you don’t have sour cream on hand you can use full-fat Greek yogurt instead.
• Milk (Full fat): It gives a creamy texture to the cake and also adds flavour.

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FOR MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

• Whipping cream/Double Cream/Heavy Cream (Chilled): It is best to use whipping cream or 35% cream (double cream) because any cream with less than 35% fat content will not whip or does not work better. Whipping cream gives a smooth and creamy texture to this frosting.
• Mascarpone cheese (cold, straight out of the fridge): It is an Italian cream cheese with approximately 75% butterfat. It has a velvety texture and makes this frosting silky and smooth. It is less tangy and has a slightly sweet flavour.
• Icing sugar/powdered sugar: To sweeten the frosting and also gives a hold to the whipped cream.
• Vanilla extract

FOR DECORATION

• Chocolate Curls (Optional)
• Dark Chocolate 
• Few Fresh Cherries

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED 

• Electric hand mixer
• 9 x 9 inch baking pan.
• Large mixing bowls
• Disposable spoon
• A small saucepan 
• Piping bag & 1M nozzle
• Offset spatula

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LET’S MAKE STEP BY STEP!

FOR CHERRY COMPOTE

• Add pitted fresh or frozen cherries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce heat and let it simmer until cherries are mushy and soft (about 15-20 minutes), stirring occasionally. Break up some of the cherries as you stir. 
• Mix 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp water together until all the cornstarch has dissolved. Add into it and cook for a minute or until almost thick glossy sauce with a few chunks of cherries is ready. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely. Save a tbsp of cherry sauce from it to make swirls on top. Pop it in the fridge to cool completely. 

FOR MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• Roughly chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-safe bowl. Place a bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water (only fill the saucepan with 1 or 2 inches of water). Make sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. 
• When the chocolate melts, take room temperature double cream/heavy cream and add to the melted chocolate. Stir the ganache constantly and gently until it’s smooth. 
• Remove from the heat. Set aside to cool it slightly at room temperature. Stir it again and cover the ganache with a piece of plastic wrap pressed against the surface to prevent the crust from forming. Leave it at room temperature until needed. 
• You can also make the chocolate ganache in the microwave. Place the chopped chocolate and room temperature double cream in a heat-safe bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds then at 25 seconds intervals, stirring in between until the chocolate has melted. The remaining steps are the same as mentioned above.

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FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE

• Grease a 9x9 inch square pan with butter, and line it with baking paper leaving it to overhang on all sides. It’s important because it is easy to remove the cake safely from the pan. Preheat the Fan oven to 155C/311F (for conventional oven 175C/347F).
• In a medium bowl sift plain flour/all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk together and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar by using an electric beater on medium until light in colour and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add oil + vanilla extract and beat again to mix it well. Make sure to scrape the bowl down. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition (about 20 seconds after each egg addition).
• Add in the milk and sour cream, and whisk again until well incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Add in the dry ingredients in two batches, and beat on low speed after each addition until just combined (avoid over mixing). Make sure to scrape down the bowl.
• Add one tsp instant coffee into the hot water and mix well until completely dissolved. Add in the hot water + coffee mixture very slowly little by little and gently mix after each addition until combined. Avoid adding the hot water at once otherwise, you will end up with scrambled eggs.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the pan on the counter to remove the air bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and Let it rest for 30-40 minutes before removing it from the pan. Then remove from the pan using overhang baking paper and place on the wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting (for about 1-2 hours) or pop in the fridge to cool it quickly.

FOR MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

• Chill the mixing bowl. Pour chilled whipping cream into the chilled bowl, then add icing sugar and whip on medium until soft peaks form. 
• Take out the cold Mascarpone cheese straight from the fridge. Give it a good mix in a bowl with vanilla extract before adding to the whipped cream. Now add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form (A stiff peak means if you turn your bowl upside down, it will not fall out). It will happen quickly, so keep an eye on it. It is ready to use. Use it right away. You can pipe it as well to make flowers with any nozzle of your choice. I used 1 M nozzle here but it’s totally optional.

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CURLS (Optional)

• Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (at low heat), and make sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir gently and frequently while melting until it is free-flowing and smooth. It is ready to use. 
• Take a small container (square or oval), and place the parchment paper to cover all sides and the bottom of the container. Pour melted (tempered) chocolate in it and pop it in the freezer for 30-40 minutes or until it sets but not too hard.
• For bigger curls, use a veggie peeler. For smaller curls, use a grater.

*You can also make chocolate shavings with a chocolate bar using a grater.

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ASSEMBLY

• Once the cake has cooled completely, use the baking paper overhangs to place it over a serving board.
• poke holes on the top of the cake using the back of a disposable plastic spoon. Fill a piping bag with chocolate ganache and pipe it into the holes of the cake. You can slightly warm the ganache in the microwave for a few seconds if it has cooled too much. Spread the remaining ganache over the top and smooth it out with a spatula.
• Spread cherry compote evenly over the chocolate ganache. Pop in the fridge for 30 minutes to settle.
• Frost the top of the cake with 2/3 of mascarpone whipped cream frosting, using an offset spatula. Drop dollops of cooled cherry sauce a few inches apart on the top of the frosting and make swirls, using the back of a spoon. Fill the remaining whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a 1M nozzle & make swirls. Decorate the top with chocolate curls and fresh cherries. Pop in the fridge to set.
• Make 9 or 16 slices, using a sharp knife. It is best served when cold, so pop it in the fridge before serving.

RECIPE TIPS

• Always use room temperature ingredients, like sour cream, milk and eggs to keep an even consistency of the batter. 
• Measure your flour accurately to get the best results. The best way to measure the flour is by using a digital scale but if you don’t have a digital scale, spoon and level your flour carefully. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Sift your dry ingredients before adding them into the wet mixture that helps to combine everything evenly.
• Don’t over-mix the batter. Once the dry ingredients are just combined with the wet ingredients, stop mixing too much otherwise it results in a dense cake.
• Add hot water to the batter at the end to enhance the chocolate flavour because hot water reacts with cocoa powder and brings out the chocolate cocoa flavour.
• To get silky smooth frosting, sift the icing sugar before use. It should be added in batches.
• Always whip the chilled whipping cream.
• Mascarpone cheese should be cold. Before adding mascarpone to the whipped cream, give it a good mix with a spoon so it can easily mix in the whipped cream. Don’t overwhip the frosting as it will become grainy. Stop beating when just stiff peaks form.
• If you feel that the frosting is a little bit grainy, add one tbsp of whipping cream and give it a good mix with a spatula. It will become fluffy again.
• For perfect homemade chocolate curls, chocolate shouldn’t be too hard. If the chocolate is hard, you will not get the curls so leave it at room temperature for some time. If it seems too soft, it will not roll into curls so pop it back in the freezer for a few minutes.

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FAQ

Can I Make This Cake In Advance?

Yes, you can bake it one day in advance but keep it covered and pop it in the fridge. It will stay fresh and moist. It’s better to make a day ahead of serving because it is easy to assemble the cake when it is cold. You can even make cherry compote one day before assembling the cake.

Can I Make This Frosting In Advance?

To get the best results, use it right away after whipping but it can stay stable in the fridge for 2 days if you keep it in an airtight container. Before assembling the cake, if the frosting looks grainy or separated, give it a short whip and it will be fluffy again.

How To Store This Cake?

You can store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. 

I hope that you'll try this recipe and you'll love them as much as my family and I do! If you make this recipe then be sure to tag @kaotickrunch on Instagram. We'd love to see your creations!

Happy baking and eating! 😊