White Forest Cake

The best white forest cake - taste the difference between white forest cake vs black forest cake, and how I do my white forest cake design. This 6-inch layer cake is perfect for any celebration! And if you love this white forest cake recipe, you'll love my Vanilla Cake with Strawberries, my Brownie Mix Cookies with White Chocolate, Cherries and Pistachios, and my Cherry Coffee Cake!

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What is white forest cake made of?

This white forest cake is a six-inch layer cake made of white cake layered between cherry filling and a white chocolate whipped cream frosting. Top it with white chocolate shavings and you have the ultimate celebration dessert!

White Forest Cake vs Black Forest Cake

So what is the difference between white forest cake and Black Forest Cake? Well, like its older sister black forest cake (also known as black forest gâteau), this white forest cake features a whipped cream frosting and cherries in a syrup spiked with kirschwasser. Kirschwasser (or just kirsch) is a spirit distilled from sour cherries. It adds a distinct kick to this cherry syrup that is so good!

This cake differs from a traditional black forest cake in one way: no chocolate! We replace the traditional chocolate cake layers with white vanilla cake, and add white chocolate to the whipped cream frosting!

White Forest Cake Ingredients

• cake flour - using cake flour in this white forest cake keeps the layers light and fluffy. If you don't have cake flour on hand, see below for a trick to make your own at home! To make sure your measurement is accurate, your flour should be measured by weight using a kitchen scale, or measured by volume using the spoon-and-level method. 
• granulated sugar - adds the perfect amount of sweetness to our white cake layers!
• baking powder & baking soda - these leavening agents provide a light, fluffy texture.
• salt - balances out the sweetness and brings our the vanilla flavor in our cake layers.
• butter - I often use salted butter in my baking, but for this recipe we'll use unsalted butter. It should be room temperature, so take it out about an hour or two before you plan to make your cake, or check below for a tip to bring it to room temperature quickly!
• vegetable oil - this is a great way to achieve a moist texture in our cake layers!
• buttermilk - make sure your buttermilk is room temperature. Also, if you don't have any buttermilk on hand, check below for a tip to make your own substitute!
• egg whites - using egg whites instead of whole eggs helps to achieve the pure white look of our cake layers. I would suggest separating your eggs while they're still cold, and then be sure to let your egg whites come fully to room temperature before adding them to the batter.
• vanilla extract - be sure to use a high-quality pure vanilla extract. Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just 2 ingredients! You can also use a clear vanilla extract to maintain the whiteness of the cake layers, but I prefer the flavor of pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

Then to make the cherry-kirsch filling, you'll need:

• pitted dark sweet cherries - you can use fresh or frozen. You'll need about one 16-oz bag of frozen cherries.
• granulated sugar - brings out the sweetness of our cherries.
• cornstarch - helps to thicken up our filling a bit.
• fresh lemon juice - adds a bright tartness to this cherry filling.
• kirsch (kirschwasser) - kirsch is a spirit distilled from tart cherries. If you can't get your hands on it, you can use brandy, rum, or cognac. If you prefer not to use alcohol, you can use unsweetened cherry juice, but cut the sugar in the filling to ½ cup.

Then we'll be making a light, fluffy white chocolate whipped cream topping that's SO easy!

• white baking chocolate - I usually use Ghirardelli white baking bars.
• heavy cream - often called "heavy whipping cream" on store shelves.
• white chocolate instant pudding mix - this is optional (I didn't use it for the cake pictured on this page), but instant pudding mix can add a bit of stability to help the whipped cream stand up better to the cake layers.
• white chocolate shavings - also optional, but it adds a nice elegant touch to the finished cake!

Equipment Needed

You'll need an electric mixer for this recipe -- I used a stand mixer for the cake batter and a hand mixer with a whisk attachment for the whipped cream frosting. You'll also need a saucepan to make your cherry filling, and I always recommend a kitchen scale for measuring your flour accurately. Check the recipe card below for more tools you might need!

How to Make White Forest Cake Recipe

1. I recommend making the cherry-kirsch filling first, up to a day ahead of time. It should cool completely before you assemble your cake. Just bring all the filling ingredients to a boil and reduce heat and simmer, about 10 minutes, or until thickened. Let cool and then place in fridge to chill, covered.
2. Then you can start your white chocolate whipped cream frosting, because the first step is to melt your white chocolate in the microwave and whisk it with your heavy cream to combine. Then you can cover that mixture and place it in the fridge to chill as well.
3. Now you can make your cake layers! We're using a reverse creaming method for this cake, similar to my orange rosemary olive oil cake. It helps to produce a deliciously light and moist texture! Just mix together your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then we'll add our butter, followed by vegetable oil, vanilla, and buttermilk. Finally, mix in your egg whites and you're ready to bake!
4. Bake your cake layers in three six-inch cake pans (or double the recipe to bake in three 9-inch cake pans) until a toothpick entered into the center of each layer comes out clean.
5. When your cake layers are cool, whip your chilled white chocolate-heavy cream mixture until it reaches stiff peaks, and you can assemble your cake! Start with a cake layer, then add some cherry filling, then whipped cream frosting, and repeat! End with the final cake layer, more whipped cream, and more cherry filling! You can also add some white chocolate shavings for an elegant touch.

Tips and F.A.Q.

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