Black Forest Loaf Cake

Chocolate, cherries, and whip cream? Where do I sign up!? This loaf cake version of the classic German cake features a fudgy, divinely chocolatey loaf cake that is moist and decadent. Cherry jam is folded through the chocolate cake batter to reveal little streaks of cherries jam speckled throughout the loaf. And finally the cake is topped with a heavy dosing of fresh, homemade whip cream – providing a fresh, creamy element to balance all the rich chocolate decadence.

What is Black Forest Cake?

Black Forest Cake is a German cake that is made from chocolate cake that has layers of cherries and whipped cream sandwiched between the layers. Black Forest Cake also typically makes use of a type of  cherry brandy called Kirsch. The cake, which is called ‘Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte’ in German, gets its name from said liquor! The cherries used to make this cherry brandy come from the Schwarzwäld, or Black Forest, Mountain Range in Germany. Kirsch, while not mandatory in Canada or the US, is mandatory in Germany. For a bakery or store to label the cake as a true ‘Black Forest Cake’ the addition of Kirsch is an absolute, and legal, must.

Making the Black Forest Loaf Cake

While Black Forest Cake, as mentioned above, typically consists of chocolate cake layers that are sandwiched together with layers of cherries and whipped cream, a loaf style cake cannot achieve this layered effect. Therefore in making this cake, cherry jam is added directly to the cake batter. This way the cherry flavor is achieved without the need for a layer cake!

To make the Black Forest Loaf Cake Start by beating the butter and sugars together until they become light and fluffy looking – about 5ish minutes. Next, the eggs and egg yolks go in – but make sure to add them in one by one, fully incorporating after each addition. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients  and whisk them together – the flour, baking powder, salt, and sifted cocoa. It is important to sift the cocoa into the dry ingredients as cocoa has a tendency to clump up – and we don’t want any unmixed clumps of cocoa powder in the cake! Now add the dry ingredients into the stand mixer and beat until just smooth. Next, the sour cream, vanilla, and hot espresso are added and beaten in. Finally, remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the cherry jam lightly. When folding in the jam, you still want to see streaks of the jam through the batter. Lastly, place the Black Forest Cake batter into the prepared loaf pan!

What Type of Cocoa?

For this Black Forest Loaf Cake recipe, I like to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder as I find it is far superior to regular cocoa powder in flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa is created by alkalizing cocoa powder, leading to a richer deeper color and a flavor that is less astringent. The less astringent taste allows that flavor of the chocolate to come through more, therefore it tastes, well, more chocolatey! If you do not want to spring for Dutch-processed cocoa powder, regular cocoa powder can be used in this recipe as well, however I strongly recommend trying Dutch-processed out! 

Decorating the Black Forest Loaf Cake

Now for the fun part – Decorating! After the Black Forest Loaf Cake has cooled completely and is ready to be eaten, the decorating starts with the addition of whipped cream. Start by slathering a nice, thick layer of fresh, homemade whipped cream that has been lightly sweetened with confectioners sugar and vanilla. And finally, the cherry on top – quite literally, take fresh black cherries are place them on top of the whipped cream! Enjoy the cake immediately or keep refrigerated until it is ready to be enjoyed!

Get the Recipe: Black Forest Loaf Cake

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Black Forest meets loaf cake! This casual version of Black Forest Cake features a rich, decadent chocolate loaf cake that has been swirled with cherry jam, and topped with fresh homemade whipped cream.

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 1 loaf

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Ingredients

 

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Black Forest Loaf Cake

• 1 1/3 cups All-Purpose Flour,, measured correctly †
• 1/2 cup Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder,, sifted
• 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 2 Large Egg Yolks
• 1/3 cup Full Fat Sour Cream
• 1 tbsp Hot Espresso
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup Cherry Jam,, such as Bonne Maman

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup Heavy Cream,, chilled
• 1/4 cup Confectioners Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Equipment

• Stand mixer

Instructions

 

Black Forest Loaf Cake

• Preheat oven to 325°F, and prepare a 9×5” loaf pan with oil and parchment. In a medium to large sized mixing bowl, add the flour, sifted cocoa, baking powder, and salt, then whisk together to combine.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy looking, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl.
• On low, add the dry mixture to the stand mixer, mixing until just combined. Add in the sour cream, vanilla and hot coffee, and mix only until the batter becomes smooth. Add cherry jam, and very lightly fold into batter, ensuring it is not fully combined and streaks are visible.
• Add the batter to the loaf pan, then bake in the oven for around 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, then remove from pan onto cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before topping with whipped cream.
• When cooled, top with whipped cream, then top with fresh cherries.

Whipped Cream

• Add all ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip on high until stiff peaks have formed.

Notes

† to measure flour correctly, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then level off with a straight edge. Do not pack the flour into the cup, or scoop with the measuring cup straight from the bag/container. Alternatively, weigh the flour (1 cup = 120g or 4oz)

Cuisine: German

Course: Baking

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