This heavenly Vegan Black Forest Cake is incredibly delicious and made without any dairy ingredients. The recipe is simple and can also be made sugar-free and gluten-free. It’s perfect for a birthday or as a dessert for a cozy afternoon.
Actually, I wanted to share this recipe earlier on my blog but somehow I couldn’t get around to it yet. Usually, I’ve baked this Vegan Black Forest Cake for a birthday party or another festive occasion without photographing it first. In fact, this cake is always very popular with guests, although it’s even vegan, made of plant-based ingredients and much healthier than regular chocolate cakes with creamy layers.
Vegan Black Forest Cake – The perfect dessert
I don‘t bake rich festive cakes for myself so often. Mostly, I make a simple Carrot Cake, Apple or Cherry Pie or my best healthy Banana Bread. But if it should be a cake, then it has to be a Vegan Black Forest Cake! My family and I love this cake so much and we always serve it as dessert on Christmas. This cake tastes incredibly delicious! The combination of a fluffy chocolate cake, which contains no eggs and no dairy ingredients, plus fruity cherries and a light cream layer is absolutely heavenly.
You only need a few ingredients and it‘s easy to make!
To make this cake, you don‘t need many ingredients and the best thing, it’s relatively easy to make! The batter for the chocolate cake comes together very quickly in one bowl. If you have three round baking tins, you could even bake three layers at the same time. Otherwise, you can bake the whole batter in one baking form and then cut it into three even layers. That’s how I do it.
A fruity filling of juicy cherries with plant-based cream
The filling is made of cherries from the glass (or canned) and whipped plant-based cream, which is also the frosting. You can choose whether you use regular cream or dairy-free cream. I always use this plant-based cream for whipping because it gets perfectly stiff. I don‘t know if this recipe works with coconut cream either because I haven‘t tried it yet.
A noble Vegan Black Forest Cake
I‘ve decorated this cake with round pipes of remaining cream plus cherries on top and sprinkled over some grated chocolate. You don‘t need more decoration, because the cake looks beautiful like so. I think, it even seems majestic and noble. This cake is:
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Without Butter
- Creamy
- Fruity
- A delicious Dessert
- Can be made Gluten-free and Sugar-free.
Bake a small cake or a big cake
This little Vegan Black Forest Cake is perfect for a single household or a small family. The recipe is for a 7-inch round baking tin, but you can simply double the recipe if you want to bake a large 10/11-inch in diameter cake. Have fun trying!
Vegan Black Forest Cake
Author:You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 1 1/3 cup (gluten-free) flour * (175 g)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch (25 g)
- 1/2 cup raw cane sugar or erythritol (100 g)
- 5 tbsp cocoa (30 g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch of salt
- 5 tbsp neutral oil (60 ml)
- 200 ml sparkling water (or plant-based milk)
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
For the cherry compote:
- 12 oz cherries (350 g) canned
- 1/4 cup raw cane sugar or erythritol (50 g)
- 3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (30 g)
- 1 cup juice from the cherries (230 ml)
For the cream:
- 2 cups plant-based cream (500 ml)
- 2 packs of cream stabilizer
- 1/2 tsp ground bourbon vanilla
For the decoration:
- 7 cherries
- 3-4 tbsp grated vegan chocolate
Instructions
Chocolate cake:
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C) and line the bottom of a 7-inch round baking tin with parchment paper.
- Mix the flour, corn starch, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Add oil and sparkling water and mix with a whisk to combine, add the baking soda and apple cider vinegar last. Fill the batter into the baking tin and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, then cut into 3 equal cake layers.
- (Optionally, you can divide the batter in 3 baking tins and bake for about 15 minutes).
Cherry compote:
- Drain cherries and collect the juice.
- Stir 2-3 tbsp of the cherry juice with sugar and starch. Bring the remaining cherry juice to a boil in a pot, stir in the starch mixture using a whisk and bring to a boil again while stirring constantly. Then remove from the heat, let cool a bit and gently fold in the cherries.
Cream:
- Beat cream with an electric hand mixer on high speed for about 1 minute, then add cream stabilizer and continue beating until stiff. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until ready to use.
Assemble the cake:
- Spread half of the cherry compote evenly on the bottom cake layer, then spread over a thin layer of cream. Top with the second cake layer, spread over the remaining compote followed by another cream layer. Top with the third cake layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with remaining cream (save a small portion of the cream for the decoration and fill into a piping bag).
Decoration:
- Pipe 7 rounds of cream on the top of the cake and place a cherry over each one. Sprinkle with grated chocolate and refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour- before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of all purpose white flour, you could make this cake gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour blend 1:1
- I use this plant-based cream for whipping.
- If you like the cake sweeter, you could use a sweetened plant-based cream or add more sugar or erythritol.
- The cake lasts for about 4-5 days in the fridge and is also great for freezing.
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Hi Bianca,
I made this cake last year and it was delicious. My husband is requesting it again for his birthday. I am in Canada and here the canned cherries all come in heavy syrup (not water). So making the compote was very thick in the end. Is the cherry juice from your recipe actually juice from cherries? Or do you mean the syrup that the cherries come in? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, glad your cake turned out great! 🙂 Thank you ♡
The juice is just the water (not syrup).
Greetings, Bianca
Wow this turned out unbelievably good. I made this for my father’s birthday (we have a black forest cake birthday tradition) and my whole family absolutely loved this cake. They all agreed that this is the best black forest cake that they ever had (and that’s saying a lot because we’re in Austria). Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe ! 🙂
Awesome! I’m very glad that it turned out great and everyone loved it! 🙂
Thank you so much for your amazing feedback! 💓
Sorry Bianca, but the key ingredient in a Black Forest Cake is the Kirsch. Without it, it’s just a Chocolate Cake with cherries and whipping cream : )
You can add Kirsch if you like! 🙂
Love this recipe! I used it for my christmas day dessert, and it works perfectly. I decided on a different recipe that i’m more familiar with for the chocolate cake part, and added a little cherry liquor to the compote, but other than that I followed it. The cake was very well received, it’s rich, looks amazing, and the flavours go so well together. I freezed the leftovers as slices after, and it freezes well!
Glad you love this recipe! Thank you so much for your great feedback! 🙂 ❤️
Hab das erste Mal Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte gemacht. Hat super funktioniert. Einfach klasse geworden!!!!!
Fantastisch, das freut mich total! 🙂
Can I use Apple cider vinegar with mother instead of the plain cider vinegar?
I think that shoudn’t be a problem. 🙂
Hi Bianca,
What baking temperature and time would you recommend for this recipe if I intend if doubling it and cooking it in a 10” or 11”pan?
Hi Sarah,
the baking temperature is the same and I would recommend to bake it for the given time and then check for the cake every 5 minutes by using a wooden stick. As long as the stick comes out of the cake with dough on it, it will need more baking time. In case your cake gets too dark, you can put a sheet of baking paper on it.
I made this cake for the second time yesterday and it turned out even better than it did the first time, which I didn’t think was possible. We all think it’s better than any Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte we’ve had in Germany :).
What a great compliment! Thank you very much for your feedback. <3
Hi! Can o use just white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar?
Hi Bianca! You can use white vinegar instead, I’m only using apple cider vinegar due to its sweet flavor but it won’t change the taste of the cake when you use white vinegar. 🙂
Hi Bianca! I made this cake for a friend’s birthday. It turned out great and very delicious. I doubled the recipe to make a 10 inch cake. However, I had an issue while making the cherry compote. I used about 5 tbsp of corn starch for 350 ml of cherry juice. The compote became very slimy, so I added more water to dilute it but not much changed. I used it any way on the cake. I was hoping the cake layers would absorb the compote and make it juicy. Instead the compote served more like a jam holding the cake together. Do you think the amount of cornstarch used was too much?
Hi there,
yes, you need 5 tbsp = 40 grams of cornstarch. Maybe you measured not exactly? I recommend using a kitchen scale next time.
The mixture should be thicker than pudding but thinner than jam. During baking the cherries will give off some of their juices so the compote should not be too watery. Once the done baking, the pie will be perfect – trust me! 😉
Greetings, Bianca
Hi!
Is the cream like “whipped cream” texture or more an icing texture?
I can’t find vegan cream here in Canada that isn’t coconut.
I have found some coconut free whipped cream recipes I could use. Or I could buy dairy free whipped cream (like what you might put on pumpkin pie) is this the texture?
Thank you.
Hi Samantha,
the texture should be like whipped cream you put on a pumpkin pie! 🙂
You can use any dairy-free cream that can be whipped until stiff peaks form.
Best,
Bianca
Hi Bianca,
Thank you for your response. We have a product here that is whipped cream in a container. Brand is “So Delicious” Coco Whip
Should/could I use this? It’s just whipped cream. I worry it would “melt away”?
Hi Samatha,
I haven’t tested that product yet but when I google for it, I can find the information that it’s whippable so I think you can use it! 😉
You can also add a pinch of cream of tartar which helps to stabilize the cream.
Let me know how it turned out!
Best, Bianca
Thank you! I’m having the same issue in the US.
I tried clicking on the link in the recipe above – but the product link doesn’t seem to be there? What is the main ingredient in the vegan cream that you recommend?
I was going to use vegan whipped cream, but it get’s runny quickly at room temperature, so may need to try canned, chilled coconut cream instead?
Thank you!
Hi Jessica, I’m based in Germany and I use this dairy-free whipping cream. You can also use coconut cream if it’s whippable and stable. Greetings, Bianca
Liebe Bianca, wieder ein richtig feines Rezept und immer gelingsicher. Vielen Dank. Meine Familie ist begeistert. 🙂 liebe Grüße Kathrin
Es freut mich riesig, dass du so begeistert bist! 🙂
Vielen Dank für dein super Feedback! <3
Liebe Grüße,
Bianca
Hi Bianca
I want to try this cake again. I’ve never heard of cream stabiliser. I am guessing it’s easier to find in London. But for cream , no sugar is added if any sort? Wouldn’t it be with no taste? Or am I missing something?
Maybe cream stabilizer is only available here in Germany?! You could try cream of tartar instead! 😉
Hi Thanks for sharing! Looks yummy! :)~
If I were to replace the sugar with maple syrup, how much should I use for the chocolate cake?
Thanks in advance! Looking forward! 🙂
cheers
Angelina
Hi Angelina,
you can use the same amount of maple syrup instead but please note that liquid sweeteners will change the texture.
Best, Bianca
I made this cake yesterday, using an 8″ cake pan I used 1.25x the recipe ingredients and baked it 10 mins longer. Also replaced some of the milk with espresso. The batter was a bit dry so I added a few splashes of milk. Also the compote had too much cornstarch for me, I ended up adding more liquid to prevent it from being quite ‘floury’. The flavours were really good and the cake tastes even better the 2nd day, when the compote has soaked into the cake a bit.
So glad you enjoyed this cake! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Tried to make the cake for my birthday and it was a mess. Cake batter was so thick looked like doo doo. After I baked it it was so thin I could only cut it into 2 layers and the inside of the cake was still gooey even though the toothpick came out clean. I COULD NOT get the vegan cream to whip even with the stabilizer. I tried other techniques too like powdered sugar, cornstarch and cream of tartar and still nothing. Luckily I was able to find vegan canned whipped cream at the store. The only saving grace of this recipe was that after all the chaos it still tasted pretty good.
Hi Jessica,
I recommend measuring the ingredients in grams for best results.
Hope it’ll turn our better next time but glad you still enjoyed it!
Kind regards, Bianca 🙂
Hi i’m from England and i’ve stumbled across whipped dairy free cream, is this suitable to use or would i be better buying the single soya cream and adding the cream of tartar. I REALLY want to try this cake. It’s one thing i really miss having to go dairy free now. Thanks Kath.
Hi Kat,
the dairy-free whipping cream I have linked in the recipe notes, is absolutely fail-proof! I always use this one – It’s available in German and England.
But please be careful when making this cake because it’s an egg-less swiss roll that can crack easily. So if you’re baking beginner, I recommend testing another vegan cake recipe first! 🙂
Best, Bianca
Hi, I’m in the US. Replacing the 2 packs of cream stabilizer with cream of tar. How much do I need to use? So excited to make this. Thank you!
You can add 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar instead.
This was the best cake ever! Everyone who tried it was amazed and did not even notice that it was vegan. Perfectly moist and tastes just like the real thing!
I am so glad everyone loved this cake! 🙂
Thank you so much for your great feedback!
Much love, Bianca ❤️
Hi
I’m thinking of trying this recipe over the weekend but I wanted to find out two things:
1. Can I substitute the raw can sugar with brown sugar
2. I can’t find ground bourbon vanilla where I stay. Can I used vanilla essence?
Hi there,
1. You can use any sugar of your choice! The finer, the better! 🙂
2. You can use vanilla extract.
Best,
Bianca
Could I sub the cocoa powder with carob powder? I’m allergic to cocoa 😞
Yes! 😉
This cake is absolutely briliant! I baked it twice both times it was delicious. I baked the layers separately to have an even surface. I also soaked the layers with some espresso and strong alcohol mixture to strenghten the cherry & cocoa taste.
Thank you so much!
So glad you love this cake! 🙂
Love the idea to soak the layers like tiramisu! 😛
Best, Bianca ♡
I look forward to making this. I did see in the comments someone posted using cream of tartar. How much? I’m not finding what you used here in the USA.
I‘m based in Germany so we use „cream stabilizer“ here. It’s similar to cream of tartar but you could also leave it out if you have a good whipping cream! 😊
Unfortunately for me this cake was tasteless, only the cream was ok and I even bought exactly the same ingredients as stated in the recipe
So sorry to hear that.
Hi! How deep the cake pan needs to be? Thank you!
I use 7-inch cake pans that are 2.5-inch deep (6,5cm).
Hi Bianca,
I followed the recipe but I didn’t get a nice rise in the cake at all, not even an inch of rise, very dense. What did I do wrong? I did enjoy making it though and would love to perfect it.
Thank you!
Hi Gabrielle, it is very important to avoid overmixing the batter. Please stir until just combined, or your cake will be dense and won’t rise very well.
Tolles Rezept und super lecker. Gelingt auch super wenn man keinerlei Erfahrungen beim backen hat. Da können sogar dir Männer mal backen. 😜❤️
Das freut mich natürlich sehr zu hören!
Vielen Dank, liebe Melanie! 😊
I need some advice!:)
I made this cake a month ago, followed the recipe step by step and the biscuit came out just perfect! The cake was delicious.
Today, I wanted to reapet it. Followed the recipe again, really step by step, measurment by measurement. However, by following the same recipe I got completely different results. Biscuit is completely falling apart, it is supercrumbly. No need to mention that I cannot make the cake with it. 🙁
I’ve googled now for an hour cake troubleshootings, but still I don’t have a slightest clue what could go so dramatically wrong.
Help and thanks 🙂
I recommend removing the cake sooner from the oven. The longer you bake it, the crumblier it gets.
Hope it’ll work!
Is it 1 and 1/3 cups of flour or just 1/3 cup? The wording confused me?
Yes, it is 1 and 1/3 cups! 🙂
Can I use self raising gluten free flour?
Yes!
Hi, can I also use spelled flour? ( Dinkelmehl)
Xan u give me the recipe also in g, like 100g flour etc?
Thank you so much.
Yes, you can! You can also visit my German recipe! 😀
This cake is the best vegan cake I have ever made! I didn’t make the cream but the cake was phenomenal. So moist and fluffy without using an egg replacer that has in the past left me with gummy, dense cakes. Love the science in this one. Thank you!!!
So glad you love my vegan black forest cake so much! 🙂 Thank you so much for your amazing feedback, my dear Amanda! <3
Hi!
What’s the size of the baking tin you used? Hoping this turns an amazing birthday cake for my boyfriend!
Do you know if xantham hum/cornstach/agar agar could be used as a substitute for the cream stabilizer?
Thank youuu
I see already it is a 7 inch!
Yes! 😀
Hi Bianca, I used a 7-inch pan as written in the recipe. You can use cream of tartar for the cream stabilizer. Hope you’ll enjoy it! 🙂
Did not have the change to write cause I spent 3 days in a row eating this amazing cake! With the days the taste was even better! Then…I wanted to bake more I was so excited but with all of the COVID situation the stores run out of the Coconut Milk I use for the cream…can you imagine? 🙁 How sad. The day I baked this cake for the first time was March 9th. Today is April 26 and my mom was able to get some cans and drove 167 km just to give them to me (cause we leave in different towns – I love her so much!). This waiting was eternal but for sure it will worth it once again <3
Hi Bianca, yes this weird time is very sad… but so glad you have such an amazing mom! Thanks for your feedback! Stay safe! 🙂
Wonderful recipe, easy to follow. Turned out great will make it again!
So glad you love this recipe! Thank you so much! 🙂
I’m making the chocolate cake and so far its a total disaster. The cake batter is a huge clumpy mess and so I had to add apple sauce and cashew milk to thin it out. Its got clumps of flour and cornstarch and is baking a huge clumpy mess, I did this 2x in two pans and both are the same result. Very nervous as I need this cake tomorrow for a birthday party. So far not impressed. The measurements seem super off.
So sorry to hear that but honestly I have no idea what you did wrong. Hope it’ll turn out better next time.
I made a similar cake yesterday and it was a disaster so I tried this recipe today. I used the actual weighted measurements. I find they are always more accurate when making vegan gluten free cakes. I also found that making a double batch at once made the cake much more moist. Best of luck, it’s a fantastic cake!
Hi Roxana, so glad your cake turned out amazing, too! Thank you so much for your great feedback! 🙂
Hi Bianca,
This cake looks divine and I would like to make it.
However please tell me how many grams of cream stabiliser is used for the cream. Your recipe refers to 2 packs.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Linh, 1 package of cream stabilizer contains 8 grams, so you’ll need 16 grams in total.
What kind of jarred or canned cherries do you use? They look like Luxardo in the pictures.
Hi Sheila, I used regular canned pitted cherries. You can buy them in glasses here in Germany and they’re called “Schattenmorellen” in German 😀 But for the decoration, I used fresh ones 🙂
One of the best cake that I have ever had. Fluffy, soft and with lot of chocolate
Thank you so much! So happy about that ?
Hello Bianca,
vielen Dank für dieses Rezept!
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday.
I was the only vegan at a party, but everyone loved it!
It was so delicious!!! <3
It was also the first time I've used a plant-based cream and I will definetely use it again.
All your food pictures look so stunning that every time I see a new post, I want to try the recipe myself!
Surely I'll be a regular quest here.
Kind regards,
Martyna
Awwww, thank you so much! So glad that you like my pictures and the recipe!
Hope you had a great birthday party!
Lots of love,
Bianca <3
Mein erster Versuch, um eine Torte zu backen. Die Sahne-Creme hat nicht so richtig geklappt, sodass das Endergebnis nicht wirklich wie gewünscht aussah, aber sie hat einfach nur wunderbar gut geschmeckt!
Hallo Janina,
was hat denn bei der Creme nicht geklappt? Welche Schlagsahne hast du verwendet? Sie muss erichtig steif geschlagen werden und kalt sein.
Liebe Grüße,
Bianca
I don’t see the stabilizer you used linked anywhere, could you tell me which one it is?
I linked it in the ingredients. Simply click on the word 🙂
your article is very good. I can’t wait to try it with my family. Thank you for sharing ideas with me. I’m waiting for your next article.
So glad that you like it. Thank you! ?
Now I know how to make sweet life for my family! Thank you so much for what you do! That’s amazing!
P.S. Seems, like baking cakes is my new obsession! So in love with the process! ♥♥♥
So glad to read this! ?
Thank you so much!
Lots of love,
Bianca <3
I made the cake recipe! It was so easy and delicious!! Thanks Bianca for sharing your recipes with us!
Hi Naomi,
So glad that you liked this cake. ?
Thank you for your lovely comment!
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️
Great recipe, that doesn’t require ingredients that are hard to find and not so complicated to make.
The cake turned out just as good as a non vegan one,if not better :). Will totally make again.
Vielen dank Bianka, for such an awesome recipe!
Hi Natalia,
So glad that you like the recipe.
Thank you for your lovely comment ?
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️
Can you use white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar?
You could try using lemon juice instead.
Xoxo,
Bianca ❤️
Dear Bianca,
This cake looks amazing and I would like to surprise my little boy for his birthday next month. I would like to make it with whipped coconut cream instead of soya based whipped cream and cream stabiliser. From your experience do you think it would work please.
Thank you
Maria
Hi Maria,
I‘m sure your little boy will be very happy about this surprise! ?
I’ve never tried using coconut cream, but you can do and let me know, if it worked.
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️
Hi! The cake looks awesome! By any chance, do you have any advice about how to freeze it? Should I freeze the layers and make the cream and cherry compote last minute? I’m afraid about freezing the entire cake, I don’t know how the cream could turn out.
Thank you!
Hi my dear!
You can either freeze the entire cake or in single pieces. I prefer to freeze it in single pieces. You can put a piece of baking paper between each slice so they don’t stick together.
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️
Bianca, those thick layers of cream are awesome. Perfect cake for upcoming holidays! Dee xx
Hi Dee,
So happy that you like the cake! ?
Thank you for your comment ❤️
Lots of love,
Bianca
This black forest cake looks incredible! I wish I could try a piece right now. ?
Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
Much love, Ela ❤️
Hi Ela,
So glad that you like this recipe!
Thank you so much for your comment! ?
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️
Hey, what the cream stabilizer is?
Hi Inna,
I linked the products in the recipe notes and in the text.
Lots of love,
Bianca❤️