White Forest Cake

Black Forest VS. White Forest

Traditional black forest cake gets its famous name from the addition of Kirsch, cherry liquor made in the black forest region in Germany. The difference is as simple as a cherry pie: black forest cake is made by layering chocolate cake, and white forest cake is made by layering the white chocolate cake. Check out my post about What Is White Chocolate?

Both are filled with cherry filling made with cherry liquor, and both are frosted with whipped cream. To make Black Forest Cake, make this Chocolate Sponge Cake, and layer it like this Chocolate Drip Cake.

A Cake For Every Occasion

I love this cake: it’s the ultimate baked from-scratch cake for an afternoon snack, dinner, dessert, an easter cake, and even as a birthday cake. You can bake it as a layer cake, a sheet cake, or a cupcake. See below for more details.

This cake is inspired by two other recipes: White Chocolate Raspberry cake and Black Forest Cupcakes (and these Black Forest Brownies).

Don’t let the simple processes fool you into thinking this is a simple cake to snack on in the afternoon; this cake will impress the most demanding crowds and even your mother-in-law.

Equipment

• Electric mixer; stand mixer or hand mixer. To make this cake, we start by creaming the butter with the sugar, which takes quite a force.
• Medium saucepan. To make the cherry filling.
• Kitchen scale. When it comes to baking, measuring the ingredients correctly is about 75% of the job, so if you can invest in a kitchen scale. If you do not have one, use baking cups and measuring spoons.

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients, including a print option for this white forest cake recipe, are below on the recipe card.

For The Vanilla Cake

• Unbleached all-purpose flour is my go-to flour, the most common and easy to find at all markets. If you use bleached flour, increase the heave cream amount by two tablespoons (30ml).
• Baking powder
• Unsalted butter and vegetable oil. I like to use both types of oil when baking layer cakes. The butter will provide fantastic flavor, and the oil will increase the cake’s moistness, prolonging its shelf life.
• Granulates sugar.
• Heavy cream
• Sour cream, full fat.
• Vanilla extract.
• Large eggs.
• White chocolate. Please make sure you are using real chocolate; check the ingredients list. If it contains cocoa butter, then it’s real.

Cherry Filling

• Cherries. You can use fresh cherries, frozen or canned, as I did in this Black Forest Cupcakes.
• Granulated sugar. Will sweeten the filling and help it thicken.
• Lemon. It will balance the sweetness and allow the cherries to keep their structure.
• Cornstarch. To slightly thicken the filling.
• Kirsch (cherry syrup). Because, after all, this is a Balck Forest Cupcakes recipe.

For The Stabilized Whipping Cream

• Heavy cream
• Powdered Sugar
• Dry milk powder or cream of tartar. Check out my post about Stabilized Whipped Cream for more information.

To upgrade the whipped cream, flavor, consider adding 1 tablespoon of Brown Milk Powder, for the deep brown butter flavors.

Substitutions

• Replace the heavy cream with full-fat sour cream. Remove the vinegar.
• Use store-bought cherry pie filling instead of making the cherry filling.
• Frost the cake with White Chocolate Ganache instead of whipped cream.

Variations

• Bake a white forest sheet cake: pour the batter into a 9×13-inch pan and bake until the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs (about 30-35 minutes). Top the cake with the cherry filling and then with whipped cream.
• Bake white forest cupcakes: fill cupcakes liners 1/2-2/3 full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cupcakes. Fill the cupcakes with cherry filling, then frost with whipped cream.
• To make gluten-free white forest cake, replace the flour with 1:1 gluten-free flour.

How To Make White Forest Cake?

Planning and preparation are essential to making this cake; like most layer cakes, we will start by making the filling and allowing it to cool and the whipped cream last.

Baking The Cake

Start by preheating the oven to 340F, grease the bottom of three 6-inch or two seven or 8-inch round pans with butter, and line with parchment paper.

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, and use a fork to blend well. Mix the milk and dry milk powder in a large measuring cup, then mix the vinegar and vanilla extract.
2. Beat the butter and sugar for about 3-4 minutes, scrap the bottom and sides of the bowl, then drizzle in the oil.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting for each egg to incorporate before adding the next.
4. Reduce speed to low, and add the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the milk mixture, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients.
5. Once you have added the last portion of the flour, turn the mixer off and use a rubber spatula to mix in the flour and chop the white chocolate thoroughly.
6. Divide the cake batter between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs from the center of the cake.

Cherry Filling

1. Mix the sugar and cornstarch to ensure the cornstarch will not clump together.
2. Place the in a medium-sized pan; add the lemon juice and sugar mixture. If using frozen cherries, thaw them and discard them; if using canned, strain the liquids.
3. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the Kirch.

Fresh whipped cream

Make the whipped cream as close to assembling time as possible and make sure to refrigerate within two hours. (or as soon as it is ready if you are not assembling the cake right away)

1. Place the heavy cream in a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle over the dry milk powder and powdered sugar.
2. Start to whip on low speed and gradually increase to high speed. The cream will start to thicken after about 1-2 minutes. Turn the mixer off once you notice stiff peaks, and use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Assembling and Decorating The Cake

Allow the cake and cherries to be at room temperature and the cream as cold as possible.

1. Place the first layer over your serving plate and pipe a one-inch thick whipped cream around the edge of the cake.
2. Fill the center of the cake with the cherry filling and repeat with the rest of the cakes.
3. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the whipped cream and decorate as you wish. Top the cake with fresh cherries, white chocolate shavings, or white chocolate curls.

Expert Tips

• Make sure all of the cakes’ ingredients are at room temperature.
• Before whipping the cream, place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator or freezer.
• If the cake is frozen, you can fill it frozen but allow it to reach room temperature before frosting.
• If you have leftovers cherry filling, you can process it in the food processor and make this fantastic Chocolate cherry cake.
• The whipped cream is light and will probably be squeezed out as you slice it. That’s ok; you can bake the cake as an 8-inch two-layers or a sheet cake.
• You can frost the cake with white chocolate ganache or your choice of buttercream.
• To make ahead, freeze the cake, then defreeze and assemble it when ready to serve.

Storing

Once the cake is assembled, it should be refrigerated within two hours. Storing before assembling:

• Cakes at room temperature should be covered for up to one day. Or wrapped with plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 month.
• Chery filling. In an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

FAQ

Here are some more cherries recipes you might like

Cherry Olive Oil Cake, Cherry Frangipane Galette, Fresh Cherry Pies, Cherry Hand Pies.

DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?

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Also, don’t forget to tag @OneSarcasticBaker on Instagram if you bake this recipe. I would love to see your creations!

Print

White Forest Cake

Tender white chocolate cake filled with cherries and topped with whipped cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine European

Keyword white forest cake

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

Cherry Filling

• 3 Cups Cherries, pitted (350 g / 12.5 oz)
• 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
• 1/3 Cup Granulated sugar (70 g / 2.5 oz)
• 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
• 1 tablepsoon Kirsch

White Chocolate Cake

• 2 Cups Unbleached all-purpose flour (240g / 9 oz)
• 3 teaspoons Baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 Cup heavy cream (180ml)
• 1/3 Cup Full fat sour cream (80ml)
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
• 10 tablespoons Unsalted butter, soft (140 g / 5 oz)
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable oil (60ml)
• 1 1/4 Cup Granulated sugar (250g / 9 oz)
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Large Egg yolk
• 2/3 Cup Chopped white chocolate (120 g / 4 oz)

Whipped Cream

• 3 Cups Heavy whipping cream (720ml)
• 3 tablespoons dry milk powder (0r 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar) (21 g)
• 1/4 Cup Powdered sugar (40 g / 1.5 oz)

Instructions

Cherry Filling

1. Place the cherries in a medium saucepan and toss with the lemon juice.

2. Mix the sugar and cornstarch, then add it to the cherries and mix to distribute.

3. Cook over medium heat until starts to boi,l then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for additional 15-20 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, add the Kirsch, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the white chocolate cake

1. Make sure all of the ingredietns are at room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 340F (160C), grease the bottom of three 6-inch round pans or two 8-inch round pans, and line with parchment paper.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

4. Use a large measuring cup to mix the heavy cream, sour cream, and vanilla extract.

5. In a bowl of a stand mixer, on medium-high speed beat the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes, slowly drizzle in the oil and keep mixing for about three more minutes. Until the mixture is light and fluffy.

6. Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting for each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.

7. Reduce the speed to low, then add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the wet mixture starting and ending with the flour mixture.

8. Once you have added the last portion of the flour mixture, turn the mixer off and use a rubber spatula to blend the flour and white chocolate.

9. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 28-32 minutes if using 6-inch or 22-25 minutes if using 8-inch. Or until a toothpick comes out from the center of the cake with a few moist crumbs.

10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting the cakes.

Whipped Cream

1. Pour the cream into a stand mixer, and add the dry milk powder and powdered sugar.

2. Whip on slow gradually increasing speed to high and whip until the cream is thick and stablize. Use immideately.

Assembling

1. Place a layer of cake over your serving bowl, and pipe whipped cream around the edges of the cake.

2. Fill the center of the cake with cherry filling and repeat with the rest of the cakes.

3. Frost the cake with the remaining cream and decorate with fresh cherries. Serve and refrigerate within two hours.

Recipe Notes

• To use bleached flour, make sure to increase the amount of heavy cream by two tablespoons (30ml)
• Use a 9×13-inch pan to make a sheet cake; bake for  30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out from the center of the cake with a few moist crumbs.
• Fill 12-15 cupcake liners 2/3 and bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out from the center of the cupcakes with a few moist crumbs.
• Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator or freezer about 30 minutes before making the whipped cream.
• If the cake is frozen, you can fill it frozen but allow it to reach room temperature before frosting.
• You can frost and fill the cake with chocolate ganache or buttercream.