Eggless Black Forest Cake

5 from 2 votes

Want to make a fancy cake to celebrate a special occasion without much elbow grease? Then this eggless black forest cake is the answer! This soft, airy, and lightly sweet cake will be a super hit with everyone!

Prep Time45

Cook Time30

Total Time1 15

Method: Baking

Course: Cakes

Servings: 12 People

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

3 cups cake flour
1-¾ cups granulated sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
¾ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

3 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅔ cup sunflower oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups cold water

Filling Ingredients:

2 cans (14-½ ounces each) pitted tart cherries (I used Bing cherries)
1 cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped Cream:

4 cups heavy whipping cream
¾ cup confectioners' sugar

Instructions

Instructions for cake:

Preheat the oven at 350F/180C for 15 minutes. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
Stir together all the dry ingredients and create a well in the center.
To the well add all the wet ingredients one by one. Mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix.
It’s ok to have some lumps.
Using a 1-cup measuring cup scoop out the batter and pour the batter into the prepared pans alternating between the 2 pans so that you get an equal amount of batter in both the pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Mine was done in 24 minutes. You will be able to smell the cocoa and also see that the cakes start pulling off the sides of the pan.
Let the cakes cool on wire racks. If using parchment paper you should be able to take the cakes off the pan pretty quickly by just turning the pan down.
Cool completely on the wire rack before frosting. (Check My Notes)

Instructions for the filling:

To make the filling, drain cherries, reserving ½ cup juice.
In a small saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, and reserved juice; add cherries.
Cook and stir over low heat 10-12 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
Remove from heat; stir in vanilla/almond extract. Cool completely.

Instructions for the frosting:

In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.

How to assemble the cake?

Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
Top with 1-½ cups whipped cream.
Spread ¾ cup filling to within 1 in. of edge.
Do the same process for 2 more layers.
Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of the cake with remaining whipped cream, reserving some to pipe decorations, if desired.
Spoon remaining filling onto the top of the cake. Top the cake with chocolate curls, if using
Refrigerate until serving.

Notes

I think the only change I would probably do the next time is baking the cakes in two 8-inch pans so that it will yield much taller cakes than when baked in 9-inch pans so that slicing each cake won't be tricky. That's just my guess. I would never know until I actually try that and then compare the pros and cons of baking in an 8-inch pan and 9-inch pan.
Before making the frosting to achieve stiff peaks chill the bowl and beaters in the freezer for at least an hour or so.
The original recipe is for 12 servings and if you cut it into 12 slices each slice will be around 700 calories approximately. So go for thinner slices if you want to be calorie-conscious. Also please note that the provided nutrition information for this recipe is an approximation. It’s advisable to recalculate based on the specific ingredients used, especially if you are mindful of your fat, carbs, or sugar intake, or if you are following a specific diet plan. Your dietary needs may vary, so adjust the calculations accordingly for a more accurate representation.

Taste & Texture

The vegan chocolate cake recipe is one of the easiest recipes that I have ever made and yet yields a very light and airy sponge cake which made the perfect choice for this black forest cake.
I did not use simple sugar syrup to keep the cake moist because I assumed that the whipped cream and tart cherry filling would be enough to make it moist and it was!
My friends who tasted the cake were all praises for the taste and texture and how they couldn't believe that it was egg-free! Mission accomplished!

Nutrition