These Black Forest brownies are rich, fudgy brownies swirled with cherry sauce and topped with whipped cream for a super decadent treat that is surprisingly easy to make!
If you've never had it before, Black Forest cake is a German dessert comprised of chocolate cake, cherry filling with kirsch, and whipped cream and I swear it's even better in brownie form!
If you love cherry season as much as I do, you might also like these Black Forest cupcakes or this cherry almond crisp!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few ingredients to make these fudgy Black Forest brownies!
- Cocoa powder - My absolute favorite cocoa powder to use in my baking is the King Arthur Flour Triple Cocoa Blend! It's a blend of natural, Dutch, and black cocoa and is perfect for any baking. But this recipe will work great with whatever cocoa you have on hand! You can use either natural cocoa or Dutch processed cocoa!
- Butter - I like using melted butter for flavor, but you can also sub a neutral vegetable oil if you prefer.
- Sugar - I use a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar, but you can easily swap and use just one or the other.
- Kirsch - In order to be a true black forest cake flavor, you have to use Kirsch! Kirsch (or kirschwasser) is a Germany cherry brandy that adds awesome flavor to the brownies and cherry sauce. If you can't find Kirsch you can substitute other cherry liquor or brandy, or just leave it out.
- Whipped cream - You can't have black forest brownies without homemade whipped cream! All you need is heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar.
- Chocolate chunks - This is optional, but I love mixing chunks of chocolate into the brownie batter. Just chop up one of our favorite dark chocolate bars! Chocolate chips work well too!
- Cherries - I love using fresh cherries for the sauce, but frozen will work well too! If using fresh cherries I highly recommend using a cherry pitter to remove the pits.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Cherry Sauce
Add the cherries, kirsch, and sugar to a large pot.
Heat over medium heat until the cherries begin to break down and get syrupy.
Dissolve the cornstarch in water, then add to the cherries and stir until the filling thickens.
Remove from the heat and let cool completely to room temperature before swirling into the brownies. [You can also make the cherry sauce the night before and let chill in the fridge overnight!]
Set aside some of the syrup from the cherries to drizzle on the brownies later.
How to Make Brownies
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
Add in the eggs one at a time and whisk each one until fully incorporated and the batter starts to get lighter in color. To get crinkly brownie tops, be sure to whisk the sugar and eggs for at least 4-5 minutes (a hand mixer is very helpful for this).
Then add in the kirsch and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Fold in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt and mix until the batter is just combined. Then gently fold in the chocolate chunks.
Cut a parchment paper sling slightly smaller than the width of the cake pan and make sure it fits flatly in the bottom. Then lightly spray the bottom and sides of the pan with a vegetable oil based spray (I love Bakers Joy or Everbake). Place you parchment paper sling in the bottom of the pan and smooth it out so that it sticks to the pan spray (you can use metal binder clips to secure it to the pan). After baking you’ll be able to just slide the brownies right out of the pan!
I love all of my USA Pan cake pans because they are extremely sturdy and truly nonstick. However, I still like to prepare my pans to ensure the Black Forest brownies come out easily.
Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan.
Drop small spoonful's of the cooled cherry sauce on top of the brownie batter and gently swirl.
Bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out mostly clean.
Remove from the oven and let fully cool in the pan. Then use the edges of the parchment paper to slide the brownies out of the pan.
Top with homemade whipped cream, chocolate shavings, a drizzle of cherry syrup, and fresh cherries!
You can top the full tray of brownies with whipped cream if desired, but I recommend slicing the brownies and topping each individually right before serving!
These Black Forest brownies would also be delicious with vanilla ice cream instead of whipped cream!
Tips for the Best Brownies!
(and blondies too!)
Use room temperature ingredients! Always make sure ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, etc. are at room temperature before baking (unless the recipe indicates otherwise)! This ensures they'll incorporate into the batter more easily and leads to overall better texture. Remove all ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before baking for best results.
Measure your flour correctly! It's most accurate to use a kitchen scale, but if you're measuring by volume you want to spoon and level! Fluff up the flour a bit with a spoon, and then spoon flour into the measuring cup. Once it's overflowing, use the back of a knife to level it off. Don't ever pack flour into the measuring cup or you'll end up with way too much! Improperly measured flour can lead to dry, dense baked goods. Same goes for cocoa powder!
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If you oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all baked goods from cakes to macarons! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Use a metal baking pan! Not all materials are created equal when it comes to baking. Metal cake pans conduct heat much better than other materials like glass or ceramic, so your baked goods will cook faster and more evenly!
It's better to undercook the brownies slightly, than overcook them! Brownies will dry out quick, so it's best to err on the side of caution when baking brownies! Bake just until an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean but still a tad gooey. If you aren't sure, just go ahead and take them out because they'll continue to firm up as they cool. Note: the larger the pan, the less time the brownies will take to cook.
Be patient and let them cool. Warm brownies fresh out of the oven are delish, I know. But it's best to let them fully cool before digging in. The brownies will be less likely to crumble when you cut them and the center is more likely to be fully cooked while still being perfectly fudgy.
Recipe FAQ's
These cherry brownies are best eaten within the first 2-3 days, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Don't top with whipped cream until immediately before serving!
Yes, frozen cherries can be used to make the cherry sauce! If you can't find fresh cherries for the topping you can use maraschino cherries.
Black forest cake is German chocolate and cherry cake that is served with whipped cream. Kirsch is a German cherry liqueur that is added to the cherry filling and is one of the defining ingredients that makes something "Black Forest" flavor.
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the edge of a chocolate bar for narrow curls or the side of a chocolate bar for wider curls. I like to store chocolate curls in a container in the freezer so that they stay fresh and don't melt!
To get crinkly tops on your Black Forest brownies, be sure to beat the eggs and sugar together for at least 4-5 minutes! This incorporates extra air into the batter which is what helps form those crinkly tops!
To get clean slices of these Black Forest brownies, run a super sharp knife under hot water until the blade is warm, then wipe it dry. Then cut a single slice and repeat. It's a bit tedious to clean the knife before every cut, but you get perfect slices every time!
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Recipes You Might Like!
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Recipe Card
Black Forest Brownies
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Cherry Sauce
- 2 cups cherries, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons Kirsch, or other cherry liqueur
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Brownies
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Kirsch, or other cherry liqueur
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup chocolate chunks, optional
Topping
- homemade whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream
- fresh cherries
- chocolate shavings
Instructions
Cherry Sauce
- Add the cherries, kirsch, and sugar to a large pot.
- Heat over medium heat until the cherries begin to break down and get syrupy.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in water, then add to the cherries and stir until the filling thickens.
- Remove from the heat and let cool completely to room temperature before swirling into the brownies. [You can also make the cherry sauce the night before and let chill in the fridge overnight!]
- Set aside some of the syrup from the cherries to drizzle on the brownies later.
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
- Add in the eggs one at a time and whisk each one until fully incorporated and the batter starts to get lighter in color. To get crinkly brownie tops, be sure to whisk the sugar and eggs for at least 4-5 minutes.
- Then add in the kirsch and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Fold in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt and mix until the batter is just combined. Then gently fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Cut a parchment paper sling slightly smaller than the width of the cake pan and make sure it fits flatly in the bottom. Then lightly spray the bottom and sides of the pan with a vegetable oil based spray (I love Bakers Joy or Everbake). Place you parchment paper sling in the bottom of the pan and smooth it out so that it sticks to the pan spray (you can use metal binder clips to secure it to the pan). After baking you’ll be able to just slide the brownies right out of the pan!
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan.
- Drop small spoonful's of the cooled cherry sauce on top of the brownie batter and gently swirl.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out mostly clean.
- Remove from the oven and let fully cool in the pan. Then use the edges of the parchment paper to slide the brownies out of the pan.
- Top with homemade whipped cream, chocolate shavings, a drizzle of cherry syrup, and fresh cherries!
- You can top the full tray of brownies with whipped cream if desired, but I recommend slicing the brownies and topping each individually right before serving!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Candi says
I first made this recipe in Nov. When it came time to pour the batter into my 8x8 pan, I filled that pan up and had almost the same amount left in the bowl. I transferred everything to a 9x13 pan and baked. Brownies were great. I was sure I must have read something wrong, but the recipe stated to use 8x8 or 9x9 pan. I returned to the website to read comments, sure I would find other bakers who experienced the same problem. Nope. I have made this twice since, and always had to use 9x13 pan.
Kyleigh Sage says
I'm curious about the depth of your square pan because I've never had this issue. The pans I use are between 2 1/4 and 2 1/2 inches deep, so if you have a shallower pan that could be the problem? But it's totally my bad for forgetting that pans have different depths and I'll be sure to add that as a note! I'm glad they turned out well in a 9x13 though!!
Elaine Parker says
I've also made your Black Forest cupcakes, so I had to try these. So so good!
Steph says
I made this recipe last night to bring into work today and it is a HUGE hit, everyone loved it! I'm usually the most critical about my bakes and even I think they are absolutely delicious. I even had to use dried tart cherries instead of fresh and I just reconstituted them in a bit of tart cherry juice before adding the kirsh and corn starch to make the syrup. Just phenomenal! (also I added a bit of kirsh to the whipped cream and it helped pair everything beautifully).
Alice says
Hello,
It the size of the pan you are using is unclear from the recipe. The USA pan link (Amazon link) is for a 9" square pan. Is this the right size pan for this recipe? Thank you.
Kyleigh Sage says
You can use either an 8 or 9 inch pan! A 9 inch pan will make just slightly thinner brownies, but the difference is minimal!