Black Forest cake is a traditional German dessert that consists of dark chocolate cake soaked with kirsch, layered with cherry sauce and cream, and decorated with piped cream, whole cherries, and chocolate shavings. It’s a lot of work. If you don’t have the time (or the patience) to bake and assemble a full Black Forest cake, you can enjoy the cake’s same delicious flavors with these cupcakes. This Black Forest cupcake recipe uses freshly whipped cream and fresh cherries for a bold and decadent flavor.
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DELICIOUS BLACK FOREST CUPCAKE RECIPE
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BLACK FOREST CUPCAKES
This recipe does require quite a few ingredients, but they are mostly pantry staples. You might have them on hand already, but, even if you don’t, I am sure they will go to good use!
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- sugar
- egg
- sour cream
- cocoa powder
- freshly brewed coffee
- oil
- baking powder
- salt
- vanilla extract
- flour
- heavy cream
- unflavored gelatin
- water
- powdered sugar
- fresh cherries
- lemon juice
- cupcake pan
- piping bag and tips
- cupcake liners
WHAT IS BLACK FOREST CAKE?
Black forest cake, or Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, is a German recipe for a decadent chocolate cake garnished with whipped cream and sour cherries. The cake is often soaked with cherry kirsch, a cherry liqueur.
Historians don’t know the exact origin of the Black Forest cake. Some people say the recipe originated in the Black Forest region of Germany. Some say the cake wasn’t invented there, but it instead gets its name from the fact that the cherries on top of the cake look like a traditional hat of the Black Forest area. Still others say the dark chocolatey flavor of the cake is the only connection to the dark woods of the Black Forest.
What we do know is that the recipe really gained popularity in Europe in the early 1900s. Immigrants brought the delicious recipe with them over to America, where it is still a popular cake flavor.
BLACK FOREST CUPCAKES RECIPE
You will love the rich, fresh flavor of this cupcake recipe. The chocolate cupcakes are topped with stabilized whipped cream and homemade cherry sauce.
DELICIOUS BLACK FOREST CUPCAKE RECIPE
Print PinEquipment
- large mixing bowl
- small bowl
- cupcake pan
- cupcake liners
- piping bags and tips
- whisk or mixer
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup coffee freshly brewed
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups flour
Stabilized Whipping Cream –
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp unflavored gelatin
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Cherry Sauce –
- 2 cup fresh cherries pitted and chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 TBSP sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place liners in teh cavities of a cupcake pan and set aside
To make the chocolate cake
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, sour cream, oil, egg, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add in the cocoa powder, coffee, vanilla, and flour. Mix well — being sure to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Fill the cupcake liners about ⅔ full with batter.
To make the cherry sauce
- Ensure that all seeds and stems have been removed from the cherries.
- Combine the chopped cherries, lemon juice and sugar in a small sauce pan and simmer over low heat for approximately 20 minutes or until the cherries have liquefied. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before decorating the cupcakes.
- Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely.
To make the stabilized whipped cream
- Combine the gelatin and water and microwave for approximately 30 seconds. Stir to ensure the gelatin is melted and allow to cool slightly while making the whipped cream.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high speed with the whisk attachment for about 2-3 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
- Drizzle the water gelatin mixture over the whipped cream and gently fold in by hand until well combined.
- Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
Assembling the black forest cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes have cooled on a wire rack, the cherry sauce has cooled and the whipping cream has been made, you’re ready to decorate. Gently pipe a swirl of whipping cream on each cupcake.
- Using a spoon, scoop out a cherry and gently place on top of the whipping cream. The sauce will drip down the sides of the cupcake. Add more if desired.
- Enjoy!
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BLACK FOREST CUPCAKES
Here are a few tips to make sure your black forest cupcakes turn out well:
- You may substitute store-bought, canned whipped cream for the topping here instead of making your own.
- You may swap out the sour cream with yogurt if desired.
- In addition to (or instead of) placing a cherry on top of each cupcake, use a cupcake corer or apple corer to remove a bit of cake from the center of each cupcake. Place a cherry in the cavity and put the removed cake piece on top of the cherry. Then frost the cupcakes.
- These cupcakes are best enjoyed fresh. They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- DO NOT USE CHERRY PIE FILLING IN PLACE OF THE CHERRY SAUCE. I will die on this hill. If you need to make a canned substitution, search for canned sour cherries in the baking aisle. Standard cherry pie filling will be way too sweet.
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