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Black Forest Cake in a white baking dish.
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Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe

This Easy Black Forest Cake recipe is a poke cake that's simple to make and has all the classic flavors of chocolate, cherries, and whipped cream. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cool Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10
Calories: 629kcal
Author: Judy Wilson

Ingredients

  • 15.25 ounce box chocolate cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup salted butter, melted
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chocolate fudge sauce (melted and divided)
  • 21 ounce can cherry pie filling
  • 3 Tablespoons shaved chocolate
  • maraschino cherries on top (optional garnish)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  • To a large bowl, add the cake mix, water, butter, and eggs. Mix with a spoon until fully incorporated.
  • Use a pastry brush to transfer leftover butter into your 9x13 baking dish. Coat evenly to prevent the cake from sticking.
  • Transfer the cake to the oven to bake.
  • Bake the cake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Place on a cooling sheet for 60 minutes or until the cake is completely cool.
  • Once the cake is cooled, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Mix with a hand mixer for up to 3-5 minutes or until stiff peaks are formed. When you shake the bowl the whipped cream should not move. Set aside.
  • Use a wooden spoon handle to poke holes in the cake.
  • Pour ½ cup of chocolate fudge sauce over the cake. Spread the fudge sauce to fill in the holes.
  • Evenly spread the cherry pie filling on top of the cake.
  • Add the whipped topping over the cake. Evenly spread over the cake.
  • Drizzle fudge sauce on top of the cake.
  • Shave chocolate on top of the cake.
  • Garnish the top with maraschino cherries. Dry off each cherry with a paper towel or clean dish towel before placing the cherries on top so the juice does not bleed into the whipped topping.

Notes

You can make the Black Forest Cherry Cake ahead of time by baking the cake and preparing the components separately. Once cooled, store the cake, cherry pie filling, and whipped cream in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Assemble the cake just before serving.
Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 578mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 1179IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 3mg