Food Desserts & Baking Cakes & Cupcakes Black Forest Cake This simplified version of the German classic gets its fruit flavor from cherry jam and cherry juice. Beating heavy cream with cream cheese creates a beautifully light frosting that is lighter than cream cheese frosting but more stable than whipped cream. (We're kind of obsessed with it.) By Leah Eskin Leah Eskin Leah Eskin writes and bakes in Chicago, where she lives with her husband and her chocolate Lab, Milo. She's at work on a book about Jewish-Italian cookbook author Edda Servi Machlin. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 2, 2023 Print Share Photo: Carson Downing Hands On Time: 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 1 (3-layer) 8-inch round cake Ingredients Cake ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pans 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups sugar 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature ½ cup 100 percent tart cherry juice, at room temperature 2 large eggs, at room temperature ½ teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon almond extract 6 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips ¾ cup cherry preserves, large pieces snipped Frosting 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened ¾ cup sugar 2 cups heavy cream Good-quality jarred cherries with stems, patted dry (such as Bada Bing) Chocolate shavings or curls Directions Preheat oven to 325°. Butter three 8-inch cake pans; dust sides with cocoa, tapping out excess. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper. Sift flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa, the baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/2 cup butter; let cool slightly, then whisk in buttermilk, juice, eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Add to flour mixture. Stir to combine. (Don't fret over lumps or curdling.) Divide batter among pans, spreading evenly. Scatter 2 tablespoons chips over each pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks. Turn layers right side up. Spread preserves evenly over two warm layers. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar on medium until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Continue beating on medium-high, slowly adding cream. Beat until thick and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Center one jam-topped layer on a cake plate. Spread one-third of the frosting over top. Top with the other jam-topped layer and spread on one-third of the frosting. Top with remaining layer and remaining frosting. Cover and chill cake at least 1 hour before serving. Decorate top with cherries and chocolate shavings. (Refrigerate any leftovers.) Nutrition Facts (per serving): 608 cal, 33 g fat, 116 mg chol, 76g carbo, 339 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 54 g sugar, 7 g pro Print