White Forest Cake is a fluffy white cake layered with whipped cream and cherries cooked with kirsch for a little kick. It is a non-chocolate version of the classic black forest cake.
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, light, and delicious.
If you're looking for a sheet cake rather than a layer cake, they are a bit simpler to make and just as delicious, I highly recommend the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake or S'mores Sheet Cake!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The white cake layers are light and fluffy
- It is a delicious and indulgent dessert that is perfect for your sweet tooth.
- The combination of whipped cream frosting and cherries provides a sweet and tangy flavor profile.
- The layering of the cake, whipped cream, and cherries, is so beautiful, while still being simple to do.
Ingredients
FLUFFY VANILLA CAKE
- Granulated sugar will add flavor and sweetness to the cake.
- It will be easier to incorporate the eggs into the batter if they are at room temperature.
- Vanilla is a must in baked goods, just like salt. Real vanilla adds a better flavor than imitation vanilla.
- Buttermilk will help make the cake fluffy and moist.
- 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.
- Measuring the all-purpose 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 will help the cake to rise.
- Baking Powder will also help the cake to rise.
- Salt is a must in baked goods. It will help to balance out the sweetness and improve the overall flavor.
CHERRY COMPOTE
- You can use frozen or fresh cherries. I used frozen cherries.
- Kirsch is traditional in black forest cake so we are keeping it in the white forest cake. You can replace it with water if desired.
- Cornstarch will thicken up the compote.
- Sugar will sweeten the compote.
WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
- Heavy Cream will be beaten to stiff peaks.
- Powdered Sugar will add sweetness to the whipped cream.
- Vanilla. See the above note.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use the same amount of water instead of kirsch if you cannot find it or do not want to use alcohol.
- A different fruit can be used in place of the cherries, but it would technically no longer be a white forest cake.
- Cherry pie filling can be used in place of cherry compote if you are in a rush or don't want to make it.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: In a large bowl mix the sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and melted butter until combined.
STEP 2: In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps.
STEP 3: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees (F) for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
STEP 4: In a medium bowl combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat to stiff peaks. Be sure not to overbeat.
STEP 5: In a saucepan combine the cherries, cornstarch, kirsch, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Stirring occasionally.
STEP 6: Spread half of the whipped cream on the first layer of cake. Add half of the cherry compote. Repeat with remaining cake, whipped cream, and, compote to complete the white forest cake.
Expert Baking Tips
- 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.
- Fully dissolve the cornstarch. Fully mix and dissolve the cornstarch in the kirsch or water or there will be white chunks in your compote.
Recipe FAQ's
You can! You can bake this in a 6 or 8-inch round pan, this will make the layers thicker and you may need to do more than two layers. You can also make this in a 9x10 or 9x13-inch rectangular pan. Using any of these pans will change the baking time of the cake.
Black forest cake is a chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherry compote. White forest cake is vanilla cake with whipped cream and cherry compote. It is not a huge difference, but it does change the flavor profile.
Yes, you can. You can make this into 12 cupcakes. The baking time will be different with cupcakes.
I wouldn't add white chocolate to the actual cake, as it will change the texture, baking time, etc. But you can add white chocolate shavings on top or sprinkle them between the cake layers.
The cake and cherry compote can be made ahead of time and held in the fridge or freezer in air-tight containers. The whipped cream should be made as close to decorating as possible. The cake can be put together a couple of hours before serving.
Storage Tips
Room Temperature
The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day. Whipped cream does not hold well at room temperature, so it should be refrigerated.
Refrigerator
If stored correctly in an airtight container this White Forest Cake will last up to 3 days in the fridge.
Freezer
I wouldn't recommend storing the finished cake in the freezer, as whipped cream doesn't typically freeze and thaw very well.
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Recipe
White Forest Cake
Ingredients
For Fluffy White Cake:
- 2 cups (396 grams) granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (226 grams) buttermilk
- 2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 3 ½ cups (420 grams) all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Cherry Compote:
- 2 cups (226 grams) cherries fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon kirsch or water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar
For Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups (340 grams) heavy cream
- ½ cup (56 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For Fluffy White Cake:
- In a large bowl mix the sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and melted butter until combined.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- 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.
For Cherry Compote:
- In a saucepan combine the cherries, cornstarch, kirsch, and sugar. Place over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and allow the compote to simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Stirring occasionally.
- Allow the cherry compote to cool completely in the fridge.
For Whipped Cream Frosting:
- In a medium bowl combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat to stiff peaks. Be sure not to overbeat.
For White Forest Cake Assembly:
- Remove the cakes from the pans. Place the first cake on a flat platter or serving dish.
- Add half of the whipped cream on top of the cake. Spread it all the way to the edges.
- 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.
Notes
-
- Cherry pie filling can be used in place of cherry compote if you are in a rush or don't want to make it.
- The provided nutrition information is an estimate for the entire cake, the calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
- The cake can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for 1 day and in the fridge for 3 days. I do not recommend freezing the finished cake.
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