Black Forest Fudge Cake!

A three-layer, chocolate and Kirsch sponge, with vanilla buttercream, and all things cherry and chocolate. my delicious Black Forest Fudge Cake!

Black forest bakes

After making my Black Forest Brownies and my No-Bake Black Forest Cheesecake, I’ve fallen head over heels for all things cherry and chocolate. I’ve said before that, for me, I’ve always associated anything black forest with Christmas or winter baking, simply because the flavours feel rich and indulgent. But the truth is, black forest isn’t seasonal at all and it was only a matter of time before a full-on cake version appeared and this one will not disappoint.

Now, I’ll say from the start, this is my take on the classic Black Forest Gateau. It’s not a traditional version, but oh my gosh, it’s so good. The rich chocolate fudge sponge, the hit of kirsch, the creamy vanilla buttercream, and all that cherry goodness… it’s indulgence at its finest all year round.

The chocolate fudge sponge

For the sponge, I used the same base as my Chocolate Fudge Cake because honestly, it’s one of my all-time favourites. It’s incredibly rich, soft, and moist, the sort of cake that just melts in your mouth.

Now, before anyone panics, yes… it includes coffee! But I promise, you cannot taste it. The coffee simply enhances the chocolate flavour and gives it that deep, fudgey richness. The buttermilk and bicarbonate work together to keep it beautifully soft and light, exactly what you want when layering up a showstopper cake.

To make it perfectly Black Forest, I drizzle some of the kirsch liquid from my jar of cherries over each sponge as soon as it comes out of the oven. It soaks right in while the cake is still warm and gives it a subtle boozy cherry warmth. That little extra step makes every bite feel extra special and ties the whole flavour together beautifully.

Buttercream heaven

I decided to use a vanilla buttercream for my cake which immediately strays from the classic, but I didn’t want to have to store my cake in the fridge like you would if you used fresh cream. Buttercream makes it much more practical to store, transport, and serve, especially if you’re making it ahead of time.

I used double cream in the buttercream to smooth it down into the best textured buttercream I’ve eaten in a long time, and it helps give it a creamy, almost whipped flavour. It’s still sturdy enough to hold its shape, but soft and luxurious when you bite into it. You could add kirsch to the buttercream as well if you wanted, but I like that the buttercream is different to the cake and lets the sponge shine.

All things cherry & chocolate

Instead of folding cherries through the sponge like in my No-Bake Black Forest Cheesecake, I spread a layer of cherry conserve or jam between each tier, followed by the buttercream. This keeps the sponge beautifully soft while still giving you that burst of cherry flavour. It also makes assembling the cake much easier and keeps the layers nice and neat.

For decoration, I piped swirls of buttercream around the top and filled the centre with kirsch-soaked cherries. Then I added a few fresh cherries for colour and finished it all off with dark chocolate curls, because what’s a Black Forest bake without even more chocolate? The contrast of colours and textures makes it look so inviting.

The result? A cake that’s as gorgeous to look at as it is to eat; rich, fudgey, fruity, and just the right amount of boozy. Every slice feels indulgent without being overwhelming, and it’s guaranteed to impress anyone you serve it to.

Decoration 

I love decorating mine with a mix of kirsch cherries and fresh cherries, but you can absolutely make it your own. The combination gives you both that boozy depth and a fresh pop of flavour. A drizzle of melted dark or white chocolate also looks amazing, especially if you want a slightly different finish.

If you’re baking this around Christmas time, add a dusting of icing sugar and some festive sprinkles for the ultimate winter showstopper. It honestly looks like something straight out of a bakery window and makes a real centrepiece on the table.

On the top, I created a barrier with the buttercream to pile the kirsch-soaked cherries into the middle and then decorated with some fresh cherries to boot. Dark chocolate curls were a given for me, but that’s an optional extra of course. I hope you like this recipe as much as I do, it’s one I’ll be baking again and again.

Tips and tricks

• This cake lasts up to 3 days in an airtight container.
• If you use fresh cream instead of buttercream, it must be stored in the fridge.
• You can bake it as two layers instead of three; just adjust the baking time to around 35–40 minutes.
• Cherries in kirsch are available in most supermarkets (I use Opies). If you can’t find them, soak your own cherries in kirsch overnight.
• I use a 2D closed star piping tip for those lovely buttercream swirls.
• Serve with an extra spoonful of cherries and a drizzle of kirsch if you’re feeling fancy… pure heaven! 

Black Forest Fudge Cake!

A three-layer, chocolate and Kirschsponge, with vanilla buttercream, and all things cherry and chocolate. mydelicious Black Forest Fudge Cake!

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Category: Cake

Type: Black Forest

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cooling/Decorating: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 14 Slices

Author: Jane's Patisserie

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

• 225 g dark chocolate
• 225 g unsalted butter/baking spread
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 175 g plain flour
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200 g caster sugar
• 200 g light brown sugar
• 4 Medium eggs
• 75 ml buttermilk

Buttercream Ingredients

• 250 g unsalted butter (room temp)
• 500 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-5 tbsp double cream

Decoration Ingredients

• 200 g fresh cherries (soaked in 75ml kirsch)
• dark chocolate curls
• cherry jam
• fresh cherries

Grams - Ounces

Instructions

For the Cake

• Soak some de-stoned and halved cherries in kirsch (this is for decoration)
• Preheat your oven to 160ºc/140ºc fan and grease & line three 8″/20cm cake tins – leave to the side.
• In a heatproof bowl, microwave the dark chocolate and butter until melted and stir until smooth
• Pour the coffee granules into 125ml boiling water and mix – add the coffee to the chocolate/butter mix. Leave to cool for five minutes.
• In a separate large bowl add the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar, and light brown sugar and mix well so the ingredients are all mixed with each other well
• Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and stir together.
• Add the eggs and buttermilk and stir again until smooth. Try to stir as little as possible to not over-mix the mixture.
• Pour the mixture into the three lined tins and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes (can take a little longer in some ovens). 
  
• Once baked, drizzle over a couple of tablespoons of kirsch
• Leave to cool fully in the tins.

For the Decoration

• Beat the butter on it's own until smooth and supply
• Add the icing sugar, and beat again.
• Beat for a couple of minutes so it's extra smooth & creamy. Add in the double cream 1tbsp at a time until you get your desired consistency (in warmer months, this step can be skipped)
• On each layer of the cake, spread some cherry jam. Pipe some buttercream round the edges using a 2D Closed Star Piping Tip and spread some in the middle. 
• Add a couple of cherries soaked in kirsch.
• On the top layer of the cake, pipe the buttercream round the edge, and spread a little in the middle.
• On top of the buttercream swirls, add a fresh cherry, and sprinkle on some dark chocolate curls. Enjoy!
  

Notes

• I soak my cherries in kirsch overnight for best results, but this is optional. You can also buy a jar ready to go 
• You can use fresh cream filling in the cake instead if you liked, but the cake needs to be stored in the fridge if you do. I used Buttercream so it lasts much better
• You can also bake this into two layers rather than three layers by using two 20cm tins – they will take 35-40 minutes in the oven
• This cake will last for 3 days in an airtight container
• I use a 2D Closed Star Piping Tip to decorate

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