White Forest Cake

20/07/2018 by thebakingexplorer 36 Comments

This White Forest Cake is a white chocolate version of the well known black forest cake. It's a showstopping three layer cake made up of vanilla and white chocolate sponges. It's filled with whipped cream and a cherry and kirsch jam. On top are fresh cherries and white chocolate curls. The sweet cherries, creamy white chocolate and boozy kirsch go so well together in this delicious cake!

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure your ingredients for the cake sponges (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cake, but you can use unsalted butter too.
For pitting the cherries, I highly recommend a cherry pitter, or you can also use a metal straw.
If you don't want to make the jam yourself, you can buy some cherry jam and stir kirsch into it.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make White Forest Cake

To make the cherry and kirsch jam, heat the cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a pan. Once the sugar is dissolved, let it bubble for 10 minutes. Pour it into a bowl and add the kirsch. Put it in the fridge to cool down.

To make the sponges, mix together the butter and sugar for around 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk them in. Then mix in the self raising flour. Finally fold in the white chocolate chips.

Divide the mixture between the tins. Once they are baked, leave them to cool. To assemble, level off the cakes if needed, then start piling them up with whipped cream and cherry jam between each layer. On top, pipe on more cream, add fresh cherries, the rest of the jam and some white chocolate curls.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Can this cake be made in different size cake tins?

Yes! If you would like to make this cake in different size tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.

Can this cake be made with two layers?

Yes! Please check the notes after the recipe at the bottom of this post for details. It can also be made with one layer.

How should the cake be stored and can it be frozen?

The cake will keep in an airtight container for 2 days in the fridge. It must be refridgerated because of the fresh cream. You can freeze the sponges before decorating them. Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. Once the cake is decorated you can't freeze it due to the fresh cream.

Can you make this cake with plain or all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 5 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this recipe be made gluten free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additonal baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 5 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ¾ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. Please check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can this recipe be made dairy free?

For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free white chocolate chips for the cake. And dairy free cream for the filling and topping. Please check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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