Black Forest Cheesecake Cake has a layer of smooth, creamy cheesecake swirled with tart pie cherries, sandwiched between layers of rich, moist chocolate cake. It’s covered in a luscious cream cheese frosting and crowned with more cherries and grated chocolate. A triple layer black forest cheesecake cake that is part black forest cake and part cheesecake.
My husband dreamed up this cake recipe for this birthday. Two years ago for my grandson’s first birthday I made a Chocolate Cheesecake Cake, which everyone loved, especially my husband.
My son’s birthday is three days after my husband’s and he always picks a black forest cake. So my husband thought it would be fun to combine the two cakes.
How to Make Black Forest Cheesecake Cake
The middle layer is a swirled cheesecake layer. I’ve made swirled cheesecakes many times in the past. In fact, my brother’s mother-in-law always looks forward to my Lemon and Berry Swirl Mini Cheesecakes.
It’s a fun, easy way to serve cheesecake because the topping is already swirled on top.
Why is it called a black forest cake?
Many people think that black forest cake is named after the Black Forest, but actually, the cake is named after a tart-cherry alcoholic liquor called ‘Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser’, also known as Black Forest Kirsch.
If you don’t want to use the liquor, you can omit it from the recipe, which is what I did with the black forest cheesecake cake.
When you’re a food blogger’s husband your wife always wants you to pick something new that she can blog about instead of your favorite cake every year. So I’m grateful when my family helps me out with great new ideas for wonderful, decadent desserts for special occasions to share with my readers.
I hope you enjoy this cheesecake cake as much as we did.
Yield: 12-16 servings
Black Forest Cheesecake Cake
Black Forest Cheesecake Cake is a triple layer cake that is part black forest cake and part cheesecake. This is a rich and decadent cheesecake cake recipe!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour20 minutes
Additional Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours50 minutes
Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cherry pie filling
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cherry pie filling
grated chocolate, optional
Instructions
Cheesecake layer
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Put a kettle of water on the stove to boil. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
In a stand or electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add in eggs one at a time, beating at low speed until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and sour cream. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Put dollops of cherry pie filling scattered across the top of the cheesecake batter. Use a butter knife to hide the cherries and swirl the pie filling in to the batter.
Set a metal broiler tray on the bottom oven rack. Carefully pour the hot water from your kettle into the broiler tray. Place the springform pan in the oven on the rack above the boiler tray.
Bake the cheesecake for 45 - 55 minutes. It should be set to the touch and not jiggly. Remove the cheesecake and let it cool on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes, run a butter knife or spatula around the edge to help prevent cracking.
Cool for at least an hour, then place the pan into the freezer and let the cheesecake freeze completely for several hours, or overnight.
Cake layers
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; With a mixer, beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Carefully, stir in boiling water. The batter will be very thin. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
Frosting
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until blended. Add powder sugar and beat until smooth.
Assemble the cake
Place one cake layer in the center of a cake plate or platter.
Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan, layer the cheesecake layer on top of the bottom cake layer. (I had to let my springform pan warm up a bit before it would open.)
If your cheesecake layer is not the same size as your cake layer, you may need to trim it before adding it. Peel off the parchment. Place the 2nd cake layer on top of the cheesecake.
Frost the cake
Apply a thin layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake to create a crumb coat. Put the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, apply a second layer of frosting to the sides.
Pipe a decorate edge on top of the cake. Add the remaining cherry pie filling to the top of the cake and carefully spread it up to the decorated edge. Sprinkle grated chocolate on decorated edge and sides of the cake. Keep cake refrigerated until ready to serve.
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Hi Jodi – I’m afraid a mousse layer in the middle would make the cake difficult to cut since the cheesecake is dense. If you want a mousse layer, you’d probably want to add it on top. Here’s a strawberry mousse that you could switch up to cherry https://www.barbarabakes.com/strawberry-cheesecake-entremet/
I have just made this for the first time and will try it tomorrow on my birthday. Of course mine doesn’t look as nice as yours, but my decorating skills are not the best.
I think that I will give some away to friends and family too, but would like to know if the rest of it can be cut up and frozen for a later date, or do I need to eat it all fairly quickly?
Hi Bridget – you don’t have to use a water bath and won’t need to change the temperature. You can also put a pan of water on the rack underneath the springform pan if you don’t want to put the springform pan in the water.
thank you so much! lol I actually used a cookie sheet, worked great! baking it right now! boyfriend comes home tomorrow cant wait to surprise him with this it looks delicious!
Hi, this looks amazing. Question – the directions say to freeze the cheesecake layer for several hours or overnight. When it’s time to assemble the cake, does the cheesecake layer need to be defrosted first, or put out for a few hours to come to room temperature before assembling?
Hi Gloria – cheesecake thaws pretty quick so no defrosting needed. Cheesecake is served cold, so assemble it and store it in the fridge for a few hours.
This was the most amazing Black Forest Cake ever!!! Made it for my departments Christmas lunch today and everyone was raving how amazing it was and that it was to die for, even the people who don’t really like Black Forest Cake loved it. I will never make a Black Forest Cake any other way except this way. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Baking made easy! Sharing fabulous recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, breads and more. I also post my adventures in the kitchen, as well as great family meals. Thanks for stopping by!
Hello,
I was considering adding a layer in between the cakes and cheesecake. Like a cherry mouse? Wondering if you might have a suggestion? Thanks 🙂
Hi Jodi – I’m afraid a mousse layer in the middle would make the cake difficult to cut since the cheesecake is dense. If you want a mousse layer, you’d probably want to add it on top. Here’s a strawberry mousse that you could switch up to cherry https://www.barbarabakes.com/strawberry-cheesecake-entremet/
what cherry pie filling do you use?
Hi Jackie – the Wilderness brand is easiest to find in my area https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wilderness-Original-Country-Cherry-Pie-Filling-Topping-21-oz/10308041?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227010619046&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40890257192&wl4=pla-57783615106&wl5=9028046&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=10308041&wl13=&veh=sem
I have just made this for the first time and will try it tomorrow on my birthday. Of course mine doesn’t look as nice as yours, but my decorating skills are not the best.
I think that I will give some away to friends and family too, but would like to know if the rest of it can be cut up and frozen for a later date, or do I need to eat it all fairly quickly?
Hi Geoff – I haven’t tried it, but it should freeze very well. Happy birthday!
Do you have to do the water bath? Or can I skip that step and change the temperature?
Hi Bridget – you don’t have to use a water bath and won’t need to change the temperature. You can also put a pan of water on the rack underneath the springform pan if you don’t want to put the springform pan in the water.
thank you so much! lol I actually used a cookie sheet, worked great! baking it right now! boyfriend comes home tomorrow cant wait to surprise him with this it looks delicious!
What a great surprise. Enjoy!
Hi, this looks amazing. Question – the directions say to freeze the cheesecake layer for several hours or overnight. When it’s time to assemble the cake, does the cheesecake layer need to be defrosted first, or put out for a few hours to come to room temperature before assembling?
Hi Gloria – cheesecake thaws pretty quick so no defrosting needed. Cheesecake is served cold, so assemble it and store it in the fridge for a few hours.
This was the most amazing Black Forest Cake ever!!! Made it for my departments Christmas lunch today and everyone was raving how amazing it was and that it was to die for, even the people who don’t really like Black Forest Cake loved it. I will never make a Black Forest Cake any other way except this way. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thanks so much Claudia! So nice to hear it was a big hit. Your comment really brightened my snowy day 🙂 Merry Christmas!