This easy black Forrest cake only takes 5 ingredients but I was really hoping I could make it with 2. I was all set to go and then I realized I needed to add more ingredients to make it killer. The result? Totally divine, not too sweet, and easy enough to throw together at the last minute!
2 ingredients. I was convinced I could make some version of this easy black forrest cake with just 2 ingredients. People make apple spice cakes or pineapple angel cakes with just 2 ingredients so why couldn't I? I bet you've seen those cakes where stir together a can of apple pie filling and a spice cake mix pop it in the oven and you have cake (or something like unto it), right? So my original plan for this cake was to do just that-- 1 box of chocolate cake mix + 1 can of cherry pie filling = cake, or something like unto it. But I wasn't convinced.
You see, I had never actually made one of those "magic" cakes before. And even though I'd seen a handful of videos on Facebook demonstrating how it's done, I didn't know how magical it would turn out and I wanted MAGIC to happen!
And it did, in the form of my (almost) 2 year old.
My 2 year old is kind of good at making messes. In the span of the last few months he's found his way into/onto many a cup boad, "supposedly" closed bathroom doors, fridges, pantries, sinks, and counters. He's smeared not-so-cheap night cream all over my bathroom counter, painted my bathtub with foundation, made a slip-n-slide of tapioca pearls on our kitchen floor, and has simultaneously bathed in a full gallon of milk and bag of brown sugar while standing on my dining room table. That one was sticky. But this same two year old made magic happen when I was about to experiment with this cake.
He opened the fridge, pulled out an egg and while he was preparing this hopeless egg to meet it's maker, I was able to snatch it out of his grasp. It was then that I realized it was eggs! I needed eggs!
Okay, so this might sound dramatic and kind of funny coming from somebody that writes recipes for a living, but the truth is that I was so caught up in making a "magic recipe" that I totally disregarded basic baking principles. So, I decided to throw my hopes for a magic cake out the window and just make it goooood.
It turns out that I was still able to make it with minimal ingredients and keep it simple! The result is a SUPER moist cake using chocolate cake mix, a can of cherry pie filling and 3 eggs. Mix it up, pour it in the pan and bake! For the topping I used some sweetened whipping cream, jarred hot fudge and fresh cherries. It's such an easy cake to make without having it scream out that it's a cake mix. The cherries add a subtle sweet and sour flair and the whipped cream makes it light and creamy! So good, and so worth brining to the next potluck you attend!
📖 Recipe
Easy Black Forrest Cake
Ingredients
- 15 ounces chocolate cake mix
- 21 ounces cherry pie filling 1 can
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 cup whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- hot fudge and cherries for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray.
- Combine cake mix with cherries and eggs. Whisk together until no dry spot remain and most of the lumps (cake mix not cherries) are gone.
- Pour into prepared pan, level, and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or it springs back when you press the middle. Let cake cool completely.
- Pour whipping cream into a bowl or electric mixer and whip until thickened and stiff peaks form.
- Spread whipped cream over cooled cake and garnish with hot fudge sauce, more whipped cream and fresh cherries if desired.
Marta Perkins says
I have frozen whole sour cherries. Can I use it in the cake and how much liquid would I need.
Can this cake be frozen.
Thank you