Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cake | “Black Forest” Cake

This vegan chocolate cherry cake is my dairy-free, egg-free take on the classic Black Forest cake: three tender chocolate sponge layers stacked with a homemade sour cherry jello, a whipped chocolate coconut cream, and cherries in syrup. It bakes up rich and deeply chocolatey, and the sharp, slightly sour cherries cut through all that sweetness so every bite stays balanced. Make it when you want a showstopper dessert that happens to be completely plant-based.

I made this to celebrate the end of a wonderful year. So many things happened that year and I’m thankful for all of them, because they made me who I am today. To mark the occasion I decided to put my baking skills to a test and try a more complicated cake. As you probably noticed, I am not exactly a baking enthusiast. Desserts are definitely not my forte, but I do my best, and I always try to simplify even the most complicated recipes. That’s exactly what I did here with this Black Forest-inspired cake.

If you’re like me, not a big fan of baking but still wanting to impress your dear ones with a homemade dessert, this is the recipe you’re looking for. It takes a bit of patience because it chills overnight, but none of the individual steps are difficult.

The three parts that make up this cake

Before you start, it helps to know this cake is built from three separate components, and each one is simple on its own:

• The chocolate sponge crust — a one-bowl eggless cake made with flour, cocoa, brown sugar, olive oil, and soy milk, leavened by the reaction between baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Once cooled, it gets sliced horizontally into three layers.
• The sour cherry jello — pitted sour cherries blended smooth with a little sugar and tapioca flour, then cooked down on the stove until it reaches a thick, jam-like consistency.
• The whipped chocolate coconut cream — full-fat solid coconut milk whipped with sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and a spoon of rum until it holds like a frosting.

Ingredient notes worth reading before you bake

A few ingredients here really decide whether the cake turns out, so it’s worth getting them right:

• Coconut milk for the cream. This is the one that trips people up. You need the full-fat, solid type of coconut milk, not the thin drinking kind in a carton. It should have the consistency of high-fat sour cream, and it must sit in the fridge for at least an hour before you whip it so the fat firms up. Thin coconut milk will not whip.
• Good cocoa. I used a very good brand of cocoa and I love the rich chocolate taste it gives to desserts. Since chocolate is the whole point of this cake, high-quality cocoa in both the sponge and the cream makes a real difference.
• The flour. I used gluten-free flour, Mix It Universal by Schar, which keeps this cake naturally gluten-free. Farina from Schar or Mix Patisserie work too. If you don’t need it gluten-free, regular all-purpose flour is fine. Curious why some people avoid gluten? Here’s what gluten is and why you might want to skip it.
• The sugar. I usually use Green Sugar, which is combined with xylitol, so it has a more sugar-like taste. Brown sugar works well in the sponge. If you’d rather go refined-sugar-free, take a look at these vegan sugar-free dessert ideas for swap inspiration.
• Sour cherries. Frozen pitted sour cherries work perfectly for the jello — no need for fresh. You’ll also want a jar of sour cherries in syrup for the filling and the syrup that soaks each layer.

Why this eggless sponge works

There’s no egg in this cake, so the rise comes entirely from a chemical reaction: the baking soda (a base) meets the apple cider vinegar (an acid) and releases carbon dioxide, which lifts the batter. That’s why you add the vinegar last and get it into the oven without dawdling — the bubbles start working right away. The olive oil keeps the crumb moist and tender rather than dry, which matters even more once each layer gets brushed with cherry syrup. For a plain version of this same eggless approach, my basic vegan chocolate cake uses the same soda-and-vinegar trick.

Tips for getting it right

• Cool the sponge completely before slicing. A warm cake tears and crumbles when you cut it into three horizontal layers. Patience here saves you a broken cake.
• Cook the cherry jello until it’s truly jam-like. Stir it continuously over medium heat. It starts to thicken after about 5 minutes, but keep stirring for around 10 more until it holds its shape. If it’s too runny, it will seep out between the layers.
• Whip the coconut cream long enough. The recipe processes it for about 15 minutes using the whisk or egg-white-whipping attachment rather than the blades. That long whip is what gives you a stable, spreadable frosting.
• Don’t skip the syrup soak. Brushing each layer with 5 to 6 tablespoons of cherry syrup is what keeps the cake moist and carries that sour cherry flavor all the way through.
• Less chocolatey cream? If you want the cream closer to a classic white Black Forest filling, simply leave the cocoa out of the coconut cream. I wanted a more chocolatey taste, so I added cocoa in.

Make-ahead and storage

This cake is actually a make-ahead by design. After assembling, it needs to rest in the fridge until the next day so the creams set firm and the flavors meld — only then do you unmould it and frost the outside with the reserved chocolate cream. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and it holds well for about 3 to 4 days; the coconut cream stays stable because it’s chilled. It’s best served cold, straight from the fridge. If you loved the sour cherry angle, you might also enjoy my gluten-free sour cherry cake, and for more chocolate ideas there’s this roundup of the most decadent chocolate desserts.

I hope you’ll give this recipe a try. If you do make this vegan chocolate cherry cake, please come back and rate it, and leave a comment telling me how your layers turned out or whether you kept the cream chocolatey or went for the paler Black Forest style. I’d love to hear how it went.

Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cake

This vegan chocolate cherry cake pairs rich, moist chocolate layers with a tangy sour cherry filling and a silky coconut chocolate cream. It’s a plant-based take on the classic Black Forest cake, and best made a day ahead so the creams have time to set.

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Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Choose Serving Size 12

Ingredients 

Crust:

• 300 g flour I used gluten-free flour (Mix It Universal by Schar)
• 200 g brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 Tbsps cocoa high-quality
• 130 ml olive oil
• 250 ml soy milk or any other vegan milk

Sour Cherry Jello:

• 500 g sour cherries pitted (I used frozen)
• 50 g sugar
• 5 Tbsps tapioca flour

Chocolate Cream:

• 500 ml coconut milk IMPORTANT! Not the liquid type. Use the full-fat, solid type of coconut milk. It has the consistency of high-fat sour cream. Keep it in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.
• 4 Tbsps cocoa powder If you want it less chocolatey and more like the Black Forest cake cream, skip this
• 100 g sugar
• 2 tsps vanilla paste or extract
• 1 Tbsp rum

Syrup:

• 1 jar sour cherries pitted, in syrup

Toppings:

• sour cherries for decorating, plus cocoa and ground dark chocolate

Instructions

• Crust:
• Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Grease a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with detachable walls.
• Mix the flour with the brown sugar, cocoa, and baking soda.
• In a separate bowl, mix the soy milk with the oil.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones slowly, while mixing with a hand mixer.
• Once incorporated, add the vinegar. Mix a little more.
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 25 minutes.
• Let it cool. Once cool, slice the cake horizontally into three equal layers.
• Sour Cherry Jello:
• Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a large pan over medium heat. Stir continuously. After about 5 minutes it will start to thicken. Keep stirring for about 10 more minutes, until it reaches a jam-like consistency.
• Once ready, turn off the heat and let it cool.
• Chocolate Cream:
• Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Use the egg-whites whipping attachment, not the blades. You can also use the “egg-whites whipping function” if your machine has one. Alternatively, add them to a bowl and use a hand mixer. Process for 15 minutes.
• Assembly:
• Slice the cake crust into three equal layers.
• Assemble the cake in the springform pan with the detachable walls.
• Place the top cake layer at the bottom of the pan.
• Pour 5-6 Tbsps of syrup from the cherry jar over it. Spread it evenly.
• Pour on the sour cherry jello and spread it.
• Add the second, middle cake layer.
• Pour 5-6 Tbsps of syrup evenly over it.
• Add half of the chocolate cream and top with the cherries from the jar.
• Top everything with the final cake layer.
• Pour syrup over this one too.
• Place the cake in the fridge until the next day.
• Decoration:
• Take the cake out of the pan. The creams should be quite stiff by now.
• Use the remaining chocolate cream to frost the cake. Spread it all over the sides and the top.
• Dust it with cocoa powder and ground dark chocolate, and decorate with some sour cherries.

Notes

Best made a day ahead: the cake must chill overnight for the creams to set. Use full-fat, solid coconut milk (not the drinkable kind) for the cream, and refrigerate the cans for at least 1 hour before whipping. Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.

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