White forest cake is a moist, fluffy vanilla cake filled with cherry sauce and vanilla and chocolate whipped cream. It’s topped with fresh cherries and is the best cake recipe for summer!
This white forest cake is the best way to enjoy cherry season! The base is my fluffy vanilla cake. It’s soaked in cherry syrup, topped with vanilla and chocolate whipped cream and fresh cherries.
This cake is a play off of the classic black forest cake. White forest cake is perfect for birthdays, dinner parties, or anytime you’re craving something special to enjoy!
If you’re looking for more cherry recipes, try my chocolate cherry muffins, cherry pie bars, and Chocolate Cherry Popsicles.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Fluffy cake: The vanilla cake layers are super tender and fluffy.
- Cherry sauce: The cake is filled with a delicious cherry sauce flavored with kirsch liqueur.
- Whipped cream: Homemade vanilla and chocolate whipped cream are perfectly sweet and creamy!
- Best dessert: This cake’s unique flavors and beauty make it a show-stopping dessert!
Ingredients
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Below are some notes about some of the ingredients for this cake.
- Butter- Use unsalted, room temperature butter.
- Eggs- Use 4 large, room temperature eggs.
- Sour cream and milk-Use full fat sour cream and whole or 2% milk. Make sure they are at room temperature.
- Cherries-Use fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries.
- Kirsch (optional)– Kirsch is cherry liquor that’s traditionally added to black forest cake.
- Powdered Sugar- Sift the powdered sugar to prevent lumps in your whipped cream.
See recipe card below for full list of ingredients.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can use full fat plain yogurt or Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Instead of cherry sauce, swap in cherry jam, cherry pie filling, canned cherries, or halved fresh cherries.
- Instead of Kirsh, use brandy, cherry brandy, bourbon, cherry juice or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
Instructions
Step one: (Photo 1 above) Use a mixer to cream the butter, sugar til light and fluffy. Pour in the oil and mix for an additional minute.
Step two: (Photo 2 above). Mix in the eggs one at a time. Turn the mixer to low and mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix in half the dry ingredients alternatively with the milk until just combined.
Step three: (Photo 3 above). Pour batter evenly into the pans. Bake for 22-26 minutes.
Step four: (Photo 4 above).Remove cake layers from pans and allow to cool.
Step five: (Photo 5 above) Combine sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Add cherries and turn heat to medium low. Stir while cooking for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and cinnamon or the Kirsh.
Step six: (Photo 6 above) In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the vanilla and heavy cream. Whip until stiff peaks form. In a second large bowl, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla. Beat on low for 40 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat til stiff peaks.
Step seven (Photo 7 above): Top one layer with half the chocolate whipped cream and half the cherry sauce.
Step eight (Photo 8 above): Place the second cake layer on top. Top with the rest of the chocolate whipped cream, cherry sauce and vanilla whipped cream.
Recipe FAQs
This cake filling is whipped cream and is best to enjoy this cake the day it’s made. It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Cherry brandy can be used as an alcoholic substitute for kirsch. Cherry juice is a good non-alcoholic, kid-friendly substitute.
White forest cake is a fun spin on traditional black forest cake. Black forest cake is chocolate cake, a boozy cherry filling, and whipped cream. White forest cake is a vanilla cake with a cherry filling and chocolate whipped cream.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to dissolve cornstarch in water before adding to the cherry mixture as directed. Otherwise you’ll have chunks in the cherry sauce.
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White Forest Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk room temperature
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- 1 ⅓ cups heavy whipping cream cold
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
Cherry Filling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups fresh cherries pitted and halved
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-3 tablespoons cherry liquor Kirsh, optional*
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM
- 6 ½ ounces heavy cream cold
- 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR DECORATING
- Extra cherries
- Chocolate shavings use any type of chocolate for this, example: white, dark, milk or a combination!
Instructions
Vanilla Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 8″ straight edge cake pans OR 3 6″ straight edge cake pans. Line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer cream the butter, sugar til light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the oil and beat for an additional minute.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer to low and mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
- Mix in half the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer to low and mix in the milk. in the remaining dry ingredients til just combined.
- Pour batter evenly into greased layer pans. Bake for 22-26 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of each cake. Remove from oven and place a cooling rack on top of each cake pan and invert. The cake should fall to the rack on its own.
- Allow cakes to cool at room temperature before trimming tops. Once cooled, use a cake leveler or a sharp bread knife to trim the tops of the cakes to make sure you have even layers.
Cherry Filling
- In a small saucepan, stir to combine the sugar and cornstarch. Add the cherries and turn heat to medium low. Stir continuously for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens. Take off heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and cinnamon or the Kirsh if using.* Set aside to cool completely.
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- For best results, place the bowl of your electric mixer in the fridge or freezer (space permitting) for 15 minutes. When ready to start, remove the bowl and sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together over the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and cold heavy cream to the bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
Whipped Cream
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Beat on low for 40 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat another minute or until you reach stiff peaks.
Assembly
- Place the first layer on the cake stand cut side up. Spread an even layer of chocolate whipped cream overtop. Arrange an even layer of cherry sauce on top. Add the next cake on top and look at it from all sides to make sure it is on evenly. If making a two layer cake, make sure the top layer is cut side down. Repeat the process with the chocolate whipped cream and cherry sauce. Top the cherry sauce with the whipped cream. Pipe more chocolate whipped cream on top, if desired. Decorate with extra cherries and chocolate shavings! Enjoy!
- Tightly wrap leftovers in an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to two days.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Ginger
says in directions to add oil, but in the list of ingredients, it doesn’t say oil..
Natalie
Hi, I’m so sorry about that. I just updated the ingredients and added the oil. Apologies again for that!
Barbara Briggs Ward
The Ultimate Cake
Natalie
That is the ultimate compliment and I have to agree! Such a special cake. Thank you! 🙂