Black Forest Icebox Cake Recipe

As a child, I thought Black Forest cake was the height of elegance. I was entranced by the garish decoration of whipped cream rosettes, chocolate shavings, and bright red cherries on the versions at Tim Hortons in Canada and Baskin Robbins in the US. At bakeries, I gazed at the dessert locked behind the glass case and envisioned myself digging into the tender chocolate sponge cake. I kept my fingers crossed that my parents would bring one home, but they never did. When I finally got to try it as a 12-year-old at a glamorous aunt’s birthday party, I relished each bite of luscious chocolate cake sandwiched with whipped cream, taking care to scoop up any fallen chocolate curls so none were left behind. That evening at Aunt Eileen’s birthday party, Black Forest cake became one of my favorite desserts.

I am not the only one who’s been charmed by this cake. Earlier this year, New York Times reporter Priya Krishna called Black Forest cake the “world’s favorite dessert,” noting that it has become increasingly popular around the globe in the past decade. “Thanks in part to a recent wave of ‘90s-era nostalgia among younger generations, it’s found new life on social media and in restaurants across the world,” she writes. Home cooks and influencers are recreating the classic cake, often putting their own spin on it. There are Black Forest cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies, cookies, and even ice cream all over social media feeds. 

Like those home cooks, I was inspired to riff on Black Forest cake. Using my experience as a former pastry cook, I created an icebox cake that’s not only delicious and stunning to behold, but also relatively easy to make—with no oven required. Here, I’ve created a no-bake version of the original by layering kirsch-soaked chocolate Maria cookies with whipped cream, chocolate mousse, and a sweet cherry compote. Though you certainly don’t have to top the confection with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and fresh cherries, it’s a special touch that evokes the flavors and textures of the iconic cake. Here’s how to make it.

6 Tips for Making a Delicious Black Forest Icebox Cake

Make your compote with frozen sweet cherries. Fresh cherries are nice—if you feel like destemming and pitting a pound of cherries by hand. Frozen cherries are usually picked, pitted, and frozen at peak ripeness, making them a delicious and convenient option.

Line your loaf pan with plastic wrap. The easiest way to unmold your icebox cake is to line your loaf pan with plastic wrap before you assemble the cake. Make sure the plastic hangs over the edge, which will allow you to hold onto it as you unmold the cake. To unmold your cake, remove the plastic wrap from the top of the cake, then invert it onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove the loaf pan by gently lifting it up, then discard the remaining plastic.

Brush the cookies with kirsch. In my s’mores icebox cake recipe, I brush the graham crackers with coffee to keep them moist. Here, I take a similar approach, but brush the chocolate cookies with the clear cherry liqueur kirsch, which imbues them with the flavor of classic Black Forest cake. If you don’t have kirsch, you can brush the cake with cognac, armagnac, calvados, rum, or bourbon. For a non-alcoholic option, you can use simple syrup instead; see notes below for instructions.

Make your own chocolate mousse. Though there is no chocolate mousse in the original Black Forest cake, I wanted to add another layer of chocolatey flavor to my icebox cake. I toyed with the idea of using chocolate ganache or chocolate ice cream in this cake, but chocolate mousse proved to be the winner in my tests. Ganache sets up too firmly when refrigerated, resulting in an unpleasantly dense icebox cake. Ice cream, on the other hand, proved to be too difficult to work with: It was either too solid or too soft to spread, and became icy when refrozen. 

I ultimately settled on light, airy chocolate mousse. I recommend making your own mousse, which allows you to adjust the sweetness and seasoning as needed, as well as to choose the kind of chocolate you want to use. I prefer dark chocolate between 64 and 70% cacao for a bittersweet mousse, but if you want a sweeter filling, you can go opt for milk chocolate with 35 to 40% cacao, 40 to 55% cacao, or a milkier dark chocolate in the 55 to 64% range. If you don’t feel like whipping up your own mousse, you can substitute store-bought chocolate mousse or pudding, but your cake may be on the sweeter side.

Let it sit. Chilling the icebox cake for at least six hours helps soften the chocolate cookies, which creates a cake-like texture and makes the cake easier to unmold. For easy portioning, invert the cake onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, then freeze the cake for at least one hour.

Gussy it up with garnishes. For a dessert that looks and tastes like Black Forest cake, top your icebox cake with additional whipped cream, cherries, and shaved chocolate. Though it isn’t absolutely necessary, it’s a fun touch that completes the cake.