White Forest Cake is a fluffy white cake layered with whipped cream and cherries cooked with kirsch for a little kick.

The traditional Black Forest Cake is very popular and certainly delicious, but it might be a bit played out. This White Forest Cake is a simple twist that still keeps the heart of the original. Plus, it is crazy beautiful without being too intricate.

Ingredients for White Forest Cake:

INGREDIENTS FOR FLUFFY VANILLA CAKE:

• Granulated Sugar. This will add flavor and sweetness to the cake.
• Eggs. It will be easier to incorporate the eggs into the batter if they are at room temperature.
• Vanilla. Vanilla is a must in baked goods just like salt. Real vanilla adds a better flavor than imitation vanilla.
• Buttermilk. This will help make the cake fluffy and moist.
• Unsalted Butter. I always make sure to use unsalted butter when baking because there is no “standard” for the amount of salt they can add to butter. So if you add salt to a recipe and then use salted butter you could end up with a very salty end product.
• All-Purpose Flour. Measuring the flour correctly is very important. I suggest weighing your flour out (I use this scale). If you want to use a measuring cup, make sure you spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a knife. Don’t use the cup to scoop directly from the flour.
• Baking Soda. This will help the cake to rise.
• Baking Powder. This will also help the cake to rise.
• Salt. Salt is a must in baked goods. It will help to balance out the sweetness and improve the overall flavor.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHERRY COMPOTE:

• Cherries. You can use frozen or fresh. I used frozen cherries.
• Kirsch. This is traditional to black forest cake so we are keeping it in the white forest cake. You can replace it with water if desired.
• Cornstarch. This will thicken up the compote.
• Sugar. This will sweeten the compote.

INGREDIENTS FOR WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:

• Heavy Cream. This will be beaten to stiff peaks.
• Powdered Sugar. This will add sweetness to the whipped cream.
• Vanilla. See above note.

How To Make White Forest Cake

FLUFFY WHITE CAKE

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and lay 2 strips of parchment paper in a cross shape across the bottom. Set aside.

STEP 2: In a large bowl mix the sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and melted butter until combined.

STEP 3: In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps.

STEP 4: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.

STEP 5: Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

CHERRY COMPOTE

STEP 1: In a saucepan combine the cherries, cornstarch, kirsch, and sugar. Place over medium heat.

STEP 2: Bring the mixture to a boil.

STEP 3: Reduce the heat to low and allow the compote to simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Stirring occasionally.

STEP 4: Allow the cherry compote to cool completely in the fridge.

WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

STEP 1: In a medium bowl combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat to stiff peaks. Be sure not to overbeat.

White Forest Cake Assembly

STEP 1: Remove the cakes from the pans. Place the first cake on a flat platter or serving dish.

STEP 2: Add half of the whipped cream on top of the cake. Spread it all the way to the edges.

STEP 3: Add half of the cherry compote on top of the whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining cake, whipped cream, and cherry compote. Decorate the edges with fresh cherries, if desired.

Tips For Making The Best Cake:

• Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens run either hot or cold. Using an oven thermometer ensures that you are baking your cake at the perfect temperature.
• Don’t use cold ingredients. Ensure that all of your cold ingredients are at room temperature before making your cake batter. The ingredients will combine much easier and you won’t have chunks of cold butter in your batter.
• Weigh your ingredients. One of the most common baking mistakes that I see is measuring incorrectly, especially with flour. The best way to get accurate measurements every time is to weigh them with a kitchen scale.
• Don’t overmix. You need to mix your batter until all of the ingredients are JUST combined, otherwise, you will make too much gluten and your cake will be tough instead of fluffy.

Your Questions Answered

HOW LONG WILL THIS CAKE LAST?

If stored correctly in an airtight container this White Forest Cake will last up to 3 days in the fridge.

More Cake Recipes From Kitchen 335:

• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake– a light and fluffy cake flavored with lemon juice, lemon zest, and poppy seeds and topped with a whipped cream cheese frosting.
• S’mores Sheet Cake– a moist chocolate sheet cake slathered with toasted marshmallow icing and topped with buttered graham cracker crumbles.
• Maple Coffee Cake– a fluffy and moist coffee cake swirled with a cinnamon streusel and topped with a sweet maple glaze. 
• Molten Lava Cake– soft chocolate cakes with a warm chocolate center.

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