The EASIEST Homemade Black Forest Cake Recipe!

 

I love a good old EASY recipe! Especially black forest cake, which seems to be one of the most popular and sought after cakes that everyone seems to – dread making. This recipe is by far one of the easiest black forest cake recipes that will have you jumping for joy and eating it in no-time. 

Black forest cake is a German cake with several layers of chocolate sponge cake sandwiched between whipped cream and cherries. To make an ORIGINAL German black forest cake the cake must include “Kirsh: cherry liqueur. To be honest, you can use any one of your favorite cherry liqueurs or one that you have sitting in the pantry and you will achieve the same effect. If you have rum in your pantry instead, you can use that too! The Austrian’s use rum in their black forest cakes instead. Whatever it is that you use, this cake will without a doubt turn out delicious! 

*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back. Thanks!  

The Easiest Black Forest Cake

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake Layers:
9 large eggs
½ cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
¼ cup softened unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cherry Syrup
1 lb of pitted and roughly chopped cherries
3 tbsp of cherry brandy of your choice
¼ cup of water

To Decorate:

10 whole cherries
3 oz of dark chocolate

Cherry Liqueur Cake Frosting:

3 ½ cups of heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup of powdered sugar
1 tbp cherry liqueur

Directions:

To Make Chocolate Cake Layers:
1. In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat eggs on high. Slowly add in sugar all while continuously mixing until light and fluffy.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together flour and cocoa powder. Using a spatula, fold into egg mixture until well incorporated.
2. Next, fold in vanilla and softened butter until well incorporated. Divide between two 9” pans and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
3. For best results, once your cake layers are done baking and cooled on a wire rack, place them in the fridge until you are ready to assemble your cake.

To Make Cherry Syrup:

1. Place pitted and chopped up cherries in a mixing bowl with 3 tbsp of cherry brandy. Let cherries sit in brandy for about half hour, and then separate the cherries from the syrup by draining the cherries over a bowl. Set both mixtures aside.
2. Add ¼ cup of water to cherry syrup and set aside.

To Make Cake Frosting:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed using an electric mixer until peaks form. Slowly add in powdered sugar and cherry liqueur and keep mixing until well incorporated. For best results, put cake frosting in fridge and keep cool at all times until you are ready to assemble your cake.

Cake Assembly:

1. Using a long knife, slice cake layers in half in order to make 4 cake layers. Place first layer on a serving plate or cake stand, and cover with ¼ cup of cherry syrup. Then, cover with approximately ¾ cup of frosting and sprinkle on chopped cherries. Repeat with all layers. Using the remaining frosting to frost the sides of the cake.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate in order to make chocolate shavings. Cover the sides and the top with shaved chocolate and decorate top with whole cherries.

Milka Chocolate Nut Cake Recipe

Are you a chocolate and nut lover? Then this incredibly easy-to-make Milka chocolate cake is for you! Loaded with white chocolate, milk chocolate, and frozen berries, this cake is full of flavour and tastes absolutely delicious! Tempting, addicting, and down-right pretty, the Milka chocolate nut cake is topped with walnuts for an even better crunchier taste!

I made this cake for a birthday party, and honestly was rushing to find an easy-to-make cake recipe that could use store-bought layers. I managed to find the perfect chocolate cream recipe and added mixed frozen berries to add some freshness and flavor. I used chocolate and vanilla store-bought layers from Vincinni as seen below.

If you are unable to find this brand in the store, I am sure there is something similar to this available in your local supermarket.They are soft cake layers that are pre-baked and ready to assemble into a cake. Easy, peasy, and what I love the most: a very quick and fail-proof way to make a cake in a rush!

*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back. Thanks!

Milka Chocolate Nut Cake

Ingredients:

Cream:

1 L of milk
2 Packages vanilla pudding powder
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons flower
125 g unsalted butter
100 g white Milka chocolate
100 g regular brown milk Milka chocolate

To Garnish:

-Melted milk chocolate. Melt chocolate in a small pot and add a little bit of oil. Mix until smooth.
-Chopped Walnuts

Directions:

To Make Cream:
1. Separate a few tablespoons of milk into a small boil. Mix in powdered pudding, cornstarch, and flour.
2. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil and then add in the separated milk/pudding mix and boil for 10 minutes on medium heat. Set aside to cool.
3. Once your milk/pudding mixture has cooled, add in your butter and mix until incorporated.
4. Separate into two bowls, in one add melted milk chocolate, in the other add melted white chocolate.

To Assemble:
1. Lay down one chocolate cake layer and apply some of the chocolate cream. Then, top with a vanilla cake layer and add all of the vanilla cream. Sprinkle frozen mixed berries onto this layer.
2. Top with another chocolate layer, then the chocolate cream, and finally another vanilla cake layer.

To Garnish:
Pour melted chocolate over the whole cake and decorate with chopped walnuts.

 

Neapolitan Chocolate Birthday Cake

1-chocolate-neopolitan-cake-icing-layers-birthday-strawberry-decor-recipe-better-baking-bible-blog-2chocolate neopolitan cake icing layers birthday strawberry decor recipe better baking bible blog 3chocolate neopolitan cake icing layers birthday strawberry decor recipe better baking bible blog 4chocolate neopolitan cake icing layers birthday strawberry decor recipe better baking bible blog 2

This weekend I have a very special birthday coming up, and they are definitely a chocolate lover! The inspiration for this cake cake was inspired by my love of neapolitan ice cream – I remember spending summers at my grandpas eating Chapman’s Neapolitan ice cream just about every day (who didn’t back in the 90’s!). 

Chocolate and vanilla layers stacked and sandwiched between generous layers of chocolate and pink buttercream frosting makes this cake the perfect birthday cake. The outside is smothered all over with chocolate frosting and makes this cake almost like a surprise when you slice it – the pink frosting inside really pops! 

I haven’t revealed the inside of the cake just yet since it’s sitting in the freezer waiting for this weekend’s birthday party. When it’s sliced I will be sure to put up a picture, so stay tuned for the inside reveal!

*If you would like to share my recipe and photos please provide proper credit and a link back to this original post. Thanks! 

Neapolitan Chocolate Birthday Cake

Chocolate and vanilla layer cake sandwiched between chocolate and pink buttercream frosting.

Ingredients:
 
For Chocolate Cake Layers
 
  1. 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  2. 2 cups sugar
  3. 1 ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa ¬powder
  4. 2 tsp baking soda
  5. 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  6. 1 tbsp rum
  7. pinch of salt
  8. 2 eggs
  9. 1 cup buttermilk
  10. 1 cup strong black coffee
  11. ½ cup vegetable oil
  12. 2 tsp vanilla extract
To Decorate
 
  1. Strawberries
  2. Homemade chocolate glaze (baking chocolate and oil mixture)
  3. Shaved white chocolate
For Vanilla Cake Layer
 
  1. ½ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  2. 2 cups all-purpose flour
  3. 1 tbsp baking powder
  4. Pinch of salt
  5. ½ cup granulated sugar
  6. 3 large eggs, room temperature
  7. 1 cup whole milk
  8. 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Buttercream Frosting
 
  1. 4 cups unsalted butter, softened
  2. 8 tbsp milk
  3. 6 tsp vanilla extract
  4. 8 cups confectioners sugar
  5. food coloring
  6. cocoa powder
Directions:
 
To Make Chocolate Cake Layers
 
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8” round baking pans.
  2. 2. In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined.
  3. 3. Add eggs, buttermilk, rum, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium for 2 mins and then pour evenly into prepared pans.
  4. 4. Bake for 30-35 mins or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins, remove to wire rack and transfer to the freezer to cool completely.
To Make Vanilla Cake Layers
 
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour one 8” round baking pan.
  2. 2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium until combined. Mix in eggs, and then slowly add in flour mixture and beat on low. Add milk and vanilla and keep beating until combined.
  3. 3. Pour cake batter into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn out onto rack and allow it to cool completely, or transfer to the freezer to chill.
To Make Buttercream Frosting
 
  1. 1. Using an electric mixer, cream all of the ingredients together until a buttercream frosting forms. Make sure the mixture is spreadable, and no clumps of butter are visible.
  2. 2. Separate ¼ of the frosting and place it in a separate bowl. Add a few drops of red food coloring and mix with an electric mixer to form a pink frosting.
  3. 3. In the rest of the white frosting add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder and mix with an electric mixer. If the frosting isn’t dark enough, add more cocoa and mix again.
To Assemble Cake
 
  1. 1. Add a tablespoon of frosting in the center of a plate to hold the first layer in place. Place the first chocolate layer on top.
  2. 2. Spread a generous amount of chocolate frosting over the first layer. Next, place the thick vanilla layer on top. Spread all of the pink frosting over this layer.
  3. 3. Add the last chocolate layer on top of the pink frosting and then frost the whole cake with the remaining chocolate frosting. Arrange strawberries on top of the cake.
  4. 4. In a double boiler, melt chunks of cooking chocolate and a little bit of oil to make a spreadable chocolate glaze. Pour over the top of the cake and strawberries. Sprinkle shaved white chocolate near the bottom of the cake and then place in the freezer to chill and set.