Black Forest Cupcakes
Chocolate sponge, cherry centre, whipped cream and shaved chocolate.
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Before You Start
The seventies showstopper, portioned: a dark cocoa sponge cored and filled with jammy cherries, capped with barely-sweet whipped cream and chocolate shavings. The cherry filling is just jarred or frozen cherries thickened in a pan, five minutes of work that makes the whole thing taste intentional. Kirsch optional, tradition says yes.
Instructions
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1
Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Line a 12 hole tin. Whisk the flour, cocoa, caster sugar, baking soda and salt.
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2
Whisk the egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla, pour into the dry and whisk just until smooth. Divide and bake 17 to 19 minutes. Cool completely.
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3
Filling: simmer the cherries with the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cornflour slaked in a splash of water, mashing slightly, 4 to 5 minutes until thick and glossy. Stir in the kirsch. Cool.
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4
Core each cupcake with a paring knife or apple corer, about 2 cm deep, and spoon in the cherry filling.
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5
Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar to soft-firm peaks. Pipe or spoon generously over each cupcake.
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6
Shave the chocolate over with a vegetable peeler and crown each with a whole cherry from the filling.
💡 Baker's tips
- Whipped cream cupcakes are a same-day pleasure. Assemble within a few hours of serving, since cream slowly weeps into sponge overnight.
- Soft-firm peaks, not stiff. Overwhipped cream looks grainy in the swirl and turns buttery on the tongue.
🔀 Make it your own
- Stabilise the cream with 2 tablespoons of mascarpone if they must survive a day in the fridge.
- A teaspoon of the cherry syrup brushed on each cored sponge before filling deepens everything.
📦 Storing & freezing
Fridge, eaten within 24 hours, and they do not freeze assembled. Unfilled sponges freeze for 2 months, so the smart move is freezing sponges and assembling to order.
❓ Frequently asked
What is in a black forest cake?
Chocolate sponge, cherries, whipped cream and chocolate shavings, traditionally with kirsch. The cupcake version cores the sponge and hides the cherries inside.
How do you keep whipped cream from melting on cupcakes?
Cold cream whipped to soft-firm peaks, cold cupcakes, and refrigeration until serving. For longer holds, whip 2 tablespoons of mascarpone in as a stabiliser.
Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.
