White Forest Cake

This white forest layer cake is a fun twist on classic black forest cake but with white chocolate instead! It has fluffy vanilla cake layers, sandwiched with cherry kirsch sauce, and frosted with white chocolate ganache!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, German

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings slices

Calories 340kcal

Author Kyleigh Sage

Equipment

Ingredients

Cherry Sauce

2 cups cherries fresh or frozen
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons kirsch

Cake Layers

1 ½ cups cake flour substitute all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter melted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup plain full-fat yogurt substitute sour cream or whole milk
1 tablespoon kirsch for brushing layers

Whipped White Chocolate Ganache

12 ounces white chocolate
¾ cup heavy cream

Top With

fresh cherries
white chocolate shavings

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cherry Sauce

Add the cherries and sugar to a large pot.
Cook over medium heat until the cherries begin to break down and get syrupy. Then bring to a gentle simmer.
Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water, then add to the cherries and stir until the filling thickens. Then stir in the kirsch.
Remove from the heat and let cool completely to room temperature before layering in the cake. You can also make the cherry sauce the night before and let chill in the fridge overnight!

Cake Layers

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar until combined. Then whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.
Next whisk in the plain yogurt, then gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter will be thick.
Evenly spray each cake pan with an oil based pan spray (I don't recommend butter as the butter solids can cause the cake to stick to the pan).
Pour ½ of the batter into each cake pan (they will only be about half full).
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Place a cooling rack on top of each cake pan and invert. The pan should slide cleanly away.
Optional: pour 1 tablespoon of kirsch into a small bowl and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops of the cake layers with kirsch while still warm.
Let the cakes cool completely to room temperature before trimming.

Whipped White Chocolate Ganache

Finely chop the white chocolate and place into a large bowl.
Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling.
Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
Using a spatula, gently mix until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully combined and smooth.
Let sit at room temperature or in the fridge until is has thickened enough to hold its shape.
Then using a hand mixer, whip the ganache until it's light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Be careful not to overwhip or the ganache will become grainy.

Assembly

Once the cakes are fully cooled. Using a sharp bread knife, trim the cakes until the layers are even.
Place the bottom layer of cake on your cake stand and spread about ⅓ of the whipped white chocolate ganache on top and smooth into an even layer. Then pipe a thick border of ganache around the edge. Spoon some of the cherry sauce evenly over the middle (about ½ cup). Then top with the second layer.
Smooth the rest of the white chocolate ganache frosting over the top and sides of the cake as desired.
Garnish the white forest cake with white chocolate shavings and fresh cherries.
If you don't plan on eating the cake immediately, chill in the fridge so that the ganache stays solid. But remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before eating for the best texture.

Notes

Store the white forest layer cake in the fridge for up to 4 days. However, it will taste best when served at room temperature! I like to let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.

This white forest cake recipe is designed for 2 six inch cake pans. But it will also work well with 1 eight inch cake pan or 12 cupcakes. You can double the recipe to make a 3 layer eight inch cake or 24 cupcakes.

Nutrition