Black Forest Cake (Gluten and dairy free)

My Black Forest Cake combines 2 layers of tasty chocolate cake, with a whipped coconut cream and cherry filling, topped with fresh cherries and grated chocolate. A delicious dessert option which everyone will love! If you do make this recipe I’d love to see, don’t forget to tag me in your photos over on social media.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Which dairy free butter do you use in the cake?

I use the Stork ‘perfect for baking’ 250g gold packet butter which is naturally dairy free and available in most major UK supermarkets. Note: This is the only Stork butter that doesn’t contain milk so be careful to pick up the right packet.

Which dark chocolate do you use for the cake?

For this recipe I used the Dr Oekter 72% baking chocolate however any dark chocolate would work.

Which flour do you use for the cake?

For this recipe, and the majority of my bakes, I use the FREEE Gluten Free Plain Flour which works really well in gluten free baking.

Which cocoa powder do you use for the cake? 

For this recipe, and the majority of my chocolate bakes I use the Dr Oekter Fine Dark Cocoa Powder which is naturally gluten and dairy free.

Which plain yoghurt do you use for the cake?

For this recipe, I used the Alpro Plain No Sugars dairy free yoghurt alternative.

Which cherries did you use for the filling?

For this recipe I used a can of black pitted cherries in light syrup.

What is Kirsch and do I need to use it in this recipe?

Kirsch is a type of brandy, made from sour morello cherry juice. It is available to buy online or in some supermarkets. If you can’t get hold of Kirsch you could substitute it for the juice from your can of cherries.

How do you make the whipped coconut cream?

The whipped coconut cream is made using 2 cans of full fat coconut milk (light coconut milk won’t work!). Pop 2 cans in the fridge the night before you make the cake and leave overnight. When it comes to making the whipped cream, scoop out the hard coconut part that will have formed on the top and whip using an electric whisk. Add icing sugar and vanilla extract and whisk again.

How long will the cake last?

This cake will last in the fridge for up to 3 days however is always best served on the day you make it.

Print Recipe

4.67 from 3 votes

Black Forest Cake

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Servings: 10 Slices

Ingredients

For the cake

• 150 g dairy free butter block *See FAQs
• 100 g dairy free dark chocolate *See FAQs
• 275 g gluten free plain flour *See FAQs
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 350 g caster sugar
• 30 g cocoa powder *See FAQs
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 medium eggs
• 175 g dairy free plain yoghurt *See FAQs
• 100 ml boiling water

For the cherry filling

• 1 tin (425g) black pitted cherries in syrup *See FAQs
• 3 tbsp kirsch (Or substitute for the juice from the can of cherries *See FAQs)
• 75 ml water
• 1 tsp cornflour

Coconut Cream

• 2 (400g) tins full fat coconut milk Placed in the fridge overnight beforehand. *See FAQs
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

To Decorate

• Handful of fresh cherries
• 50 g dark chocolate, grated

Instructions

Make the cake

• Pre heat the oven to 180C and grease and line 2 20cm cake tins.
• Add the butter and dairy free chocolate to a saucepan. Heat on low until melted and combined. Set aside.
• In a large bowl mix the flour, xanthan gum, caster sugar, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and dairy free yoghurt. Add the egg mixture and the chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients along with 100ml boiling water. Whisk with an electric whisk until fully combined.
• Divide the mixture between the 2 cake tins and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Make the cherry filling

• Place the can of pitted cherries into a saucepan along with the kirsch (or juice from the cherries) and water. Bring to a simmer on a low to medium heat and simmer gently for around 10-15 minutes, until the cherries start to soften and release some of the juices.
• Take 1 tablespoon of liquid from the saucepan and add it to a small bowl with 1 teaspoon of cornflour, mix until combined and then add the cornflour mixture back into the saucepan with the cherries. Allow to simmer for a few more minutes until the cherry filling has thickened. If thickened too much, add an extra tablespoon of the juice from the cherries. Set aside.

Make the whipped cream

• Remove the 2 cans of coconut milk from the fridge and scoop the hard cream part that has formed at the top of the can out and into a large bowl (discard the coconut water and use for something else).
• Beat the coconut cream with an electric whisk to form stiff peaks. Add the icing sugar and vanilla extract and beat again until thick and creamy.

Assemble the cake

• Sandwich the 2 chocolate sponges together with coconut cream and the cherry filling. Top the cake with another layer of coconut cream, the fresh cherries and grated chocolate.

I absolutely love seeing what you’ve created, so if you do make this recipe (or any other recipe from my website) don’t forget to tag me over on my social media pages @glutenfreealice and use the hashtag #glutenfreealice

*Please note, this post contains an affiliate link. This means that if you purchase any products using my link, I will receive a small % of the money you spend.