Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte — Black Forest cherry gâteau

i. Origin & history

The cake dates to early 20th-century Bavaria, named for the Black Forest region. The kirsch is non-negotiable — without it, the cake is just a chocolate-and-cream sponge.

ii. Ingredients

Makes 16 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 6 large eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 100 g plain flour
• 60 g cocoa
• 30 g cornstarch
• Pinch salt
• 60 g unsalted butter, melted
• 400 g morello cherries (jarred, drained, juice reserved)
• 60 ml kirsch
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 750 ml double cream
• 60 g icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 100 g dark chocolate, shaved
• 8 whole cherries with stems to decorate

iii. Method

1. Heat oven to 170 °C. Line a 24 cm springform tin.
2. Whip eggs and sugar 5 min to ribboned. Fold in flour, cocoa, cornstarch, salt and melted butter.
3. Bake 30-35 min. Cool fully. Slice horizontally into 3 layers.
4. Cherry filling: simmer cherries with reserved juice, sugar and cornstarch (slaked) until thickened. Cool.
5. Whip cream with icing sugar and vanilla.
6. Brush bottom sponge layer with kirsch; spread half the cherry filling, then a layer of cream. Top with second sponge; brush kirsch; cherries; cream. Top with third sponge; brush kirsch.
7. Cover top and sides with cream. Press chocolate shavings against the sides. Pipe rosettes on top; decorate with whole cherries.

iv. Tips & common mistakes

• Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
• Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
• Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.

v. Variations

Original recipe uses morello cherries and dark chocolate. Modern variants use sour cherries or maraschino. White Black Forest uses white chocolate.

vii. More from Austrian & German

• Donauwelle — Danube wave
• Prinzregententorte — Bavarian seven-layer
• Blackout Cake — Brooklyn blackout cake
• Medovik — Russian honey cake
• Kardinalschnitten — Cardinal's slice
• Bûche de Noël — French log cake