This deliciously moist Vegan Black Forest Cake is one of the tastiest bakes you’ll ever try. With three rich and chocolaty sponges, filled with vanilla buttercream, cherry jam and cherries, topped with edible chocolate trees and more cherries, you’ll love it! Vegan, No-Egg and No-Dairy.
This incredible recipe has been made in collaboration with Good Good Brand. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. (For more information along with affiliated links, check out my disclosure policy.)
Vegan Black Forest Cake
Hello friends, I am SO excited to share this cake with you all. This is one of my all time favourite recipes for vegan black forest cake for SO many reasons. The chocolate sponges are super rich and moist, the combination of tangy cherries with the chocolate and vanilla buttercream is absolutely divine. This is an easy black forest cake recipe that everyone will thoroughly love! Keep reading to learn how to make it, along with some helpful tips and tricks.
Looking for more celebration cakes, check out my Vegan Caramel Apple Cake, Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, Vegan Pistachio Cake, Vegan Peach Cobbler Cake, Vegan Banoffee Cake and many more here.
What is black forest?
Black Forest cake is a classic German dessert known for it’s rich layers of chocolate sponges, filled with whipped cream and cherries, traditionally soaked in cherry brandy called Kirschwasser. It’s typically garnished with shavings of dark chocolate and whole cherries. My recipe for a vegan black forest cake showcases the classic flavour combination of the iconic dessert all without the use of any animal derived ingredients.
Why you’ll love this cake:
Here are some key points to highlight why people will love my vegan black forest cake:
- Super rich and moist – Packed with deep chocolate flavours, made with plant-based ingredients that are just simply indulgent.
- Juicy cherry filling – A sweet and tangy cherry jam is paired with juicy cherries which complement the sweetness of the chocolate, adding freshness.
- A delicious buttercream – The buttercream is perfectly flavoured with vanilla, complimenting all the flavours of the cake.
- Fully vegan recipe – This recipe doesn’t include any animal derived ingredients, making it vegan and plant-based. Always make sure to check your ingredients are vegan before using.
- Decadent presentation – Hand piped chocolate trees create this visually stunning dessert decoration that will impress any crowd. Super easy to make and apple to the cake also.
- Allergen-friendly – This cake is free from dairy and eggs, making it suitable for those with food allergies or sensitivities.
- Perfect for any occasion – Ideal for birthdays, gatherings, celebrations, or just treating yourself to something ultra delicious.
Layers of a this cake
This cake may look technical, but trust me when I say it’s super easy and effective. From the stacking of the cakes to the design / decoration, great for anyone of any level to make. I’ve listed the layers in a little more detail below:
- Chocolate sponges : This cake features three classic rich, chocolatey and unbelievably moreish chocolate sponge cakes which are easy to make, made using self raising flour and raising agents to make it ultra fluffy and light, along with sugar for sweetness and a dark cocoa powder.
- Cherry filling : The filling of the cakes features freshly chopped cherries, glaće cherries and the most delicious cherry jam from Good Good Brand. This cherry jam is vegan friendly, keto friendly low carb and also contains no added sugar. It’s filled with fresh cherries in a chewy jam.
- Vanilla buttercream : The cake is stacked, coated and decorated with a simple, sweet, creamy and whipped vanilla buttercream. The buttercream contains dairy-free butter, icing icing sugar and vanilla. It pairs beautifully with the rich flavours of the sponge .
- Decorations : A simple design of melting chocolate, piping it into trees, chilling then adding to the sides of the cake. It makes the cake look like an actual forest, going with the ‘black forest’ theme. Plus, the added chocolate decorations taste delicious.
Tips for this black forest cake
- Sift all the dry ingredients to prevent any lumps in the batter.
- Use a set of kitchen scales for an accurate bake. Using grams instead of cups is a more exact way of measuring out ingredients. I’ve linked the scales I use here.
- Use a high quality cocoa powder for optional flavour. A fine dark or rich black will give you the best rich, chocolate flavour.
- Use loose base cake tins for easy removal. I use two 8inch loose base cake tins which I picked up from Amazon, linked here.
- Make sure the cakes are 100% cool before stacking, as any heat from the sponges will cause the butter in the buttercream to melt and the cake wont stack correctly.
- Use a piping bag alongside a piping tip to create swirls. I use this one, linked here.
- Always line you baking trays before adding in the batter. Coat the trays with vegan butter, then stick the grease proof paper.
- Chill the cake once the final coat of buttercream has been applied. Use any excess buttercream to help stick the chocolate trees to the sides of the cake.
- Chill the chocolate trees before placing on the cake, as heat from your hands could melt the chocolate.
- If the cakes have baked with a slight dome, level off the tops of the cakes with a large serrated knife. This will make the layers super even and flat for stacking.
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram , TikTok and Facebook! And if you want to pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
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Vegan Black Forest Cake
- Total Time: Overnight
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The BEST Vegan Black Forest Cake- Rich chocolate sponges, vanilla buttercream, cherry jam, fresh cherries with chocolate trees. Easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
ingredients for the sponge
- 480ml of dairy-free milk (soya milk works best)
- 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
- 420g of self raising flour
- 50g of cocoa powder
- 300g of caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 120ml of sunflower oil
Ingredients for the buttercream
- 350g of dairy-free butter (block + softened)
- 400g of powdered / icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- Dairy-free milk (if needed)
Ingredients for the filling and decorations
- 1 jar of Good Good Brand Cherry Jam
- 1 punnet of fresh cherries / glaće cherries
- 200g of dairy-free dark chocolate
Instructions
Method (cakes)
- Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line three 8 inch loose base / push up cake tins with greaseproof paper. If you don’t have 3 cake tins you will have to bake the cakes separately. Just cover the unused batter with a damp tea towel until you’re ready to use it.
- In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine.
- Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
- Pour equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins. Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles. Optional, sprinkle some more chocolate chips to the tops of the cake batter.
- Pop the cakes into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know they are done when you put a knife or skewer in to the centre of the cake and it comes out clean and they are springy to the touch.
- Place the cakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before removing them from the tins. Leave the cakes to cool fully on the cooling rack. Once cool, pop them into a sealed container to keep them fresh before stacking.
Method (buttercream)
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
- Sift in the icing sugar and add in the vanilla. Whip on high speed for around 5-8 minutes to incorporate it. Add a splash of dairy-free milk if needed. If the buttercream is too thick, add some more chunks of cold butter. if it’s too soft, add more icing sugar. You want it smooth, creamy and airy.
- Place one of the cakes on a serving plate or cake stand. Dollop or pipe some of the buttercream on top and spread out until even using an off-set spatula or pallet knife.
- Spread over a heaped tablespoon of cherry jam, then top with some freshly chopped cherries / glaće cherries then place the second cake layer on top. Press it down gently so it sticks, repeat for the third cake. Coat the whole cake with a thin layer of vanilla buttercream, using a cake scraper to get the edges neat. This would usually create a crumb coat, but as this is a semi-naked cake, we are going to leave the cake like this.
- Place the cake into the fridge to set for 15-20 minutes.
- Transfer any left over buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip nozzle. Pipe some bulbs / swirls around the top edge of the cake, and press on some fresh cherries.
- Pour some cherry jam into the middle of the center of the cake, spread out to fill in any gaps.
Method (chocolate trees)
- Melt the chocolate either in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring until it’s smooth or using a bain-marie method (on the hob).
- Line a baking tray with grease proof paper. Spoon the melted chocolate into a small piping bag, and snip off the tip.
- Pipe a tree shape onto the paper. Place in the fridge to set.
- Once the chocolate has hardened, carefully remove chocolate trees from paper and use to decorate the sides of the cake. TIP: Allow the cake to come to room temperature slightly so the buttercream can soften allowing the trees to stick.
- Cut the cake, tuck in and enjoy!
Notes
To store: Store this cake in a sealed container in the fridge. Best eaten within 3 days of making.
Remove from the fridge and leave at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Un-iced cakes can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 2 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Cakes and layer cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
This buttercream is the best frosting I’ve ever made!