White Forest Cake

Helene

(5)

The White Forest Cake is the white version of the classic German cake. It features a 3-layer vanilla cake, a homemade cherry chilling, and a whipped cream frosting. This showstopping cake is a beautiful way to celebrate any special occasion!

white forest cake, cut for a slice

The White Forest Cake recipe is a tasty dessert that is sure to please. The fluffy vanilla cake will melt in your mouth, and the juicy cherry filling will make you crave more! This white forest cake is so delicious that you won’t believe it until you try it.

Full of flavor, this cherry cake recipe is new everyone’s favorite dessert. The white cake’s sweetness pairs well with the cherry pie filling, and the whipped cream frosting adds lightness, making this cake a perfect balance.

Why you’ll love this White Forest Cake

  • Fluffy white cake recipe made with oil, so the cakes won’t dry and keep their moisture.
  • A homemade cherry filling for the best flavor
  • A festive dessert, so perfect if you’re looking for a celebration cake.
  • Each step is approachable. 
white forest cake top view

Ingredients

This cherry vanilla cake is made with simple ingredients.

The vanilla cakes are made with all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, caster sugar (or granulated sugar), salt, large eggs, milk, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla extract.

The cherry filling is made with cherries (fresh or frozen), sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Optional: Kirsch (cherry liquor for a boozy filling)

The whipped cream is made with heavy cream (full fat), mascarpone cheese (full fat), powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Note: the mascarpone cheese brings stability.

White chocolate curls and fresh cherries for decoration.

How to make this White Forest Cake

Easy Vanilla Cakes: you need one large mixing bowl. The process is easy as you prepare the dry ingredients in the bowl, then add the wet ingredients. Mix both. Divide the batter into three 6-inch cake tins and bake.

A Cherry Filling ready in 15 minutes. In a nutshell: Heat cherries with sugar until it begins to break down. Add a mixture of lemon juice and cornstarch and cook until it thickens. Let it cool.

Whipped Cream: Add all the ingredients to your bowl. With an electric mixer, beat at low speed until everything is combined. Then, increase the speed slightly and whip until stiff peaks form. 

Full instructions are at the bottom of the page. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

white forest cake on a marble cake board

Tips

Read the entire white forest cake recipe before starting.

Vanilla cake:

  • Ingredients at room temperature.
  • Do not overmix the batter.
  • Weight your batter to divide it evenly into the three cake tins. For me, it was about 300g into each tin.
  • Use wet cake strips around the cake tins. It helps the cakes bake more evenly and keeps the edges of your cakes soft.

Cherry filling: 

  • Cook on medium heat. Don’t try to speed up the process with high heat.
  • Ensure the cornstarch is fully dissolved with the lemon juice before adding it, and ensure the cherry compote is hot when ready to add it. If it’s not hot enough, you may have lumps.
  • When ready to use, give a stir with a spoon/spatula to smooth a little bit. If you make it in advance, after a couple of days, it may look like jello, don’t worry, just stir, and the texture will back.

Whipped Cream Frosting:

  • Ensure the heavy cream is chilled.
  • Use a spoon to soften the mascarpone cheese.
  • Sift the powdered sugar.
  • Start to whip at low speed until everything is combined, then increase the speed slightly.
  • When the heavy cream is whipped, if need it: With a spatula, gently fold the frosting to remove any air bubbles. Be Gentle to avoid the frosting deflating.

FAQs 

How do I store the White Forest Cake?

Store the cake in the fridge, under a cake dome, for up to 2 days.

Can I make it ahead?

You can prepare the cakes one day ahead of time. Once baked, let them cool, and then wrap the cakes (without any frosting or filling) tightly in cling film and place them in the fridge or on your countertop if it’s not too hot. Otherwise, you can freeze the cakes for up to 1 month.

The cherry filling can be made a few days in advance. Cover touching the surface and place in the fridge for up to 1 week. When ready to use, give it a stir to give its texture back.

slice of white forest cake

Try these cakes, next:

If you tried this White Forest Cake or any recipe on the blog, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below.

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White Forest Cake

  • Prep time: 45 minutes
  • Cook time: 40 minutes
  • Total time: 2 hours
  • Serves: 8

The White Forest Cake is the white version of the classic German cake. It features a 3-layer vanilla cake, a homemade cherry chilling, and a whipped cream frosting.

Ingredients

Vanilla Cakes

  • 310 g (2 cups + 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 200 g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) milk
  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 90 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil, neutral flavor

Cherry Filling

  • 200 g (0.45lbs) pitted cherries
  • 35 g (3 Tbsp) caster sugar
  • 15 ml (1 Tbsp) lemon juice
  • 10 g (1 Tbsp) cornstarch
  • 1/2 tablespoon Kirsch (optional)

Whipped Cream

  • 360 ml (1 cup+ 1/2 cup) heavy cream, 30-36% milk fat
  • 180 g (3/4 cup) mascarpone cheese, full fat, soften
  • 75 g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Decoration

  • white chocolate curls
  • fresh cherries

Method

Vanilla Cakes

  • 1)

    Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), fan off. Line three 6-inch (15cm) round cake tins with baking paper or grease with baking spray.

  • 2)

    In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add in the caster sugar and salt. Whisk until combined.

  • 3)

    Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients: eggs, milk, water, vanilla and oil. Mix until combined but do not over-mix.

  • 4)

    Divide the batter between three 6-inch cake tins (about 300g in each tin) and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Note: I place wet cake strips around the pans. It helps keep the sides moist and limits the dome on the top, but it usually takes 5 extra minutes to bake the cakes. So, start to monitor the cake after 20 minutes of baking.

  • 5)

    Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely.

Cherry Filling

  • 1)

    Add the cherries with sugar into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, frequently stirring, until the cherries start to boil and begin to break down.

  • 2)

    In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and the cornstarch until fully dissolved. Pour the cornstarch juice into your cherry mixture and turn your heat to medium-low. Stir constantly with a whisk for a few additional minutes or until everything thickens, and the cornstarch turns clear. Note: the cherry filling will thicken as it cools.

  • 3)

    Remove from the heat. Optional: add a ½ tablespoon of Kirsch and stir.

    Pour the cherry filling into a bowl to cool. Cover with plastic wrap, touching the surface, and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. When ready to use, stir with a spoon to smooth a little bit.

Whipped Cream

  • 1)

    Add all the ingredients to a large bowl. With an electric mixer, start to whip on medium speed, allowing the mascarpone cheese to turn to a liquid consistency.

  • 2)

    When everything is fully mixed together, increase the speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form.

  • 3)

    With a spatula, gently fold the frosting to remove any air bubbles. Be gentle to avoid the chantilly deflating.

Assembly

  • 1)

    Proceed when the cakes are completely cooled. Using a cake leveler or a long-serrated knife, level the cakes if needed to remove any domes and to have flat cakes.

  • 2)

    Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cake board. You can put some frosting in the middle of the cake board to prevent the cake from moving. Pipe a rim of whipped cream around the edge of the first cake layer. (It will create a dam, and your filling won’t slip.) and spread a layer of whipped cream on the top of the cake.

  • 3)

    Then, spoon the cherry filling in the center over the whipped cream until the edge of the dam. Top with the second cake layer and repeat the process.

  • 4)

    Top with the third layer, making sure the layer cake is upside down to have a perfectly flat surface on the top.

  • 5)

    Using an offset spatula, cover the sides and top of the cake with the whipped cream. Then, smooth the side with a scraper.

  • 6)

    Decorate the side with white chocolate curls, the top with the remaining whipped cream and add fresh cherries.

Notes

– US/UK Baking Spoons:  teaspoon: 5ml / tablespoon: 15ml / cup: 240ml

– I used Aluminum Cake Tins for this recipe.

– Any leftovers? Store the cake in the fridge, under a cake dome, for up to 2 days.

– Scroll back to read tips and frequently asked questions within the blog post that you might find helpful

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5 Comments

  • April

    March 8, 2023 at 8:05 am

    This looks delicious! I’ve never heard of white forest cake only black forest cake but I’m a huge fan of vanilla cakes so I’ll definitely be trying this!

    Reply

  • tianna

    March 8, 2023 at 2:14 pm

    love the idea of a white forest cake, I’ve always had a chocolate version cannot wait to make this white version

    Reply

  • Jess

    March 8, 2023 at 8:17 pm

    Such a delicious and beautiful cake!

    Reply

  • Katie

    March 9, 2023 at 9:12 am

    This white forest cake was amazing! It turned out beautifully, and the flavor was spectacular!

    Reply

  • Nancy

    March 10, 2023 at 11:26 am

    Beautiful and really tasty cake. I’m a fan of Black Forest cake but this vanilla version is amazing

    Reply

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