Deconstructed Black Forest Cake

An elegant deconstructed version of the classic Black Forest Cake featuring chocolate cake rounds, chocolate custard pots, wine-soaked cherries, and whipped cream. Each serving is accompanied by a glass of kirsch for an sophisticated dining experience.

10 servings

9 hr 27 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•1 cup unsalted butter
•1½ cups golden brown sugar
•2 whole large eggs
•6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
•1½ teaspoons baking soda
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•¼ teaspoon salt
•1½ cups sifted cake flour
•⅔ cup sour cream
•¾ cup hot coffee
•2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
•2 cups heavy whipping cream
•1 pinch salt
•3 whole large egg yolks
•¼ cup sugar
•4 cups frozen pitted cherries
•⅔ cup sugar
•⅔ cup dry red wine
•2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
•1 cup chilled whipping cream
•10 tablespoons kirsch

Cooking Instructions

1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 14x10x1-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line sheet with parchment; butter paper. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and eggs; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in next 4 ingredients. Beat in flour alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each. Gradually add hot coffee; mix until smooth (batter will be thin).
15 min
2.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. Cover and chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
265 min
3.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Place chocolate in bowl. Bring cream and salt just to boil in medium saucepan. Pour over chocolate; whisk until melted. Whisk yolks and sugar in bowl to blend; whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Transfer mixture to same saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes (do not boil).
15 min
4.
Divide chocolate custard among ten 1/3-cup ramekins (about 1/4 cup in each). Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Add enough water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake until custards are almost set, about 37 minutes. Remove ramekins from pan; cool 15 minutes. Chill uncovered until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
232 min
5.
Stir cherries and 2/3 cup sugar in large saucepan over medium heat 2 minutes. Add wine; simmer until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Drain cherries over medium bowl; return juices to saucepan and reserve cherries in same bowl. Boil juices until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Pour over cherries; cool.
20 min
6.
Using 3-inch-diameter cookie cutter and dipping edges of cutter into cocoa powder, cut 10 rounds from cold cake. Let cakes come to room temperature. Using electric mixer, whip cream and 1 teaspoon sugar in bowl until peaks form. Pour kirsch into 10 small glasses. Place 1 cake, 1 chocolate fudge pot, spoonful of cherries, whipped cream, and glass of kirsch on each of 10 plates and serve.
20 min

Ingredients

•1 cup unsalted butter

•1½ cups golden brown sugar

•2 whole large eggs

•6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

•1½ teaspoons baking soda

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•¼ teaspoon salt

•1½ cups sifted cake flour

•⅔ cup sour cream

•¾ cup hot coffee

•2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

•2 cups heavy whipping cream

•1 pinch salt

•3 whole large egg yolks

•¼ cup sugar

•4 cups frozen pitted cherries

•⅔ cup sugar

•⅔ cup dry red wine

•2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

•1 cup chilled whipping cream

•10 tablespoons kirsch

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 14x10x1-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line sheet with parchment; butter paper. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and eggs; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in next 4 ingredients. Beat in flour alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each. Gradually add hot coffee; mix until smooth (batter will be thin).

15 min

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. Cover and chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

265 min

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place chocolate in bowl. Bring cream and salt just to boil in medium saucepan. Pour over chocolate; whisk until melted. Whisk yolks and sugar in bowl to blend; whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Transfer mixture to same saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes (do not boil).

15 min

Divide chocolate custard among ten 1/3-cup ramekins (about 1/4 cup in each). Place ramekins in large roasting pan. Add enough water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake until custards are almost set, about 37 minutes. Remove ramekins from pan; cool 15 minutes. Chill uncovered until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

232 min

Stir cherries and 2/3 cup sugar in large saucepan over medium heat 2 minutes. Add wine; simmer until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Drain cherries over medium bowl; return juices to saucepan and reserve cherries in same bowl. Boil juices until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Pour over cherries; cool.

20 min

Using 3-inch-diameter cookie cutter and dipping edges of cutter into cocoa powder, cut 10 rounds from cold cake. Let cakes come to room temperature. Using electric mixer, whip cream and 1 teaspoon sugar in bowl until peaks form. Pour kirsch into 10 small glasses. Place 1 cake, 1 chocolate fudge pot, spoonful of cherries, whipped cream, and glass of kirsch on each of 10 plates and serve.

20 min