Light And Chocolatey Black Forest Cake

This is the classic Black Forest Cake made even better. It is a no-fuss cake made with layers of the softest, lightest chocolate sponge cake soaked in a simple cherry syrup, a not-too-sweet Chantilly whipped cream, and lots of cherries. But what makes it special is the addition of chocolate ganache between each layer and on top, which not only makes the cake look like an absolute showstopper, but also adds a richer chocolate flavor to balance the sweetness of the cake perfectly. This is as good as Black Forest gets!

Fun fact: I made a Black Forest Cake Swiss Roll in the first challenge of Next Level Baker with Gordon Ramsay, and it won me the top dish! The judges found it very soft, beautifully balanced and delicious - so you best believe I know what I'm talking about 😉

Video tutorial

First up, here's a quick video tutorial to see this recipe in action:

5 quick and easy components

This cake is made with 5 components, and while that may sound like a lot, trust me, they're very, very simple!

1. Chocolate genoise cake. This is a very light and soft sponge cake made by whipping eggs and sugar until they more than triple in volume. The cake doesn't have any butter or oil, which gives it a sponge like texture, perfect to soak the cherry syrup. It also gives the cake a very delicate mouth feel
2. Cherries. There are many opinions on the right kind of cherries to put in black forest, ranging from dark sweet to sour. My take? It's totally up to you. I usually opt for maraschino, dark sweet, or a mixture. I do recommend using canned / jarred cherries, though, because they they are pre-pitted, taste good, and already have syrup in them
3. Cherry syrup. To keep things simple, this is the same juice from the jarred cherries that we cook for a few minutes. Generously brush each cake layer with the cherry syrup to add moisture and flavor
4. Chantilly whipped cream. You frost the cake with a delicate and light whipped cream that's not too sweet and balances the cherries beautifully
5. Ganache. This is where I like to do things differently! I add ganache in between the layers and on top of the cake as a drip to add more chocolate. HIGHLY recommend not skipping this, although you can if you want to

Lastly, you can decorate the cake with whipped cream dollops, cherries and shaved chocolate for a classic look.

3 tips to perfect the genoise sponge cake

There are 2 common mistakes people make when it comes to genoise sponge cake that can result in a dense, rubbery cake. Here's what you need to know about perfecting it:

Whip a LOT of air into the eggs and sugar

You start by whipping together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. This step is incredibly important, as we want to add as much air into the batter as possible. Whisk for at least 5 minutes until the mixture more than triples in volume. It should be very pale in color, thick and fluffy in texture, and falls off the mixer attachments in ribbons. Under-whipping at this stage will result in a dense cake!

Be VERY gentle when folding in the dry ingredients

Immediately sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Sifting is crucial as it aerates them and makes them easier to mix. Then, use a rubber spatula to very gently and slowly fold them in. This means using a "J" shaped mixing motion, going around and cutting through, going down and coming up. You have to incorporate the dry ingredients without getting rid of the air whipped into the batter. Overmixing or being aggressive in this step will cause the batter to deflate, ruining the cake's texture.

Bake quickly in thin layers

Instead of baking the cake in thick layers and dividing them after baking, I recommend baking in thin layers between 3-4 pans. This keeps the bake quick, locking in the aeration in the batter. Also, NEVER let the cake batter sit around - bake it straight away!