Keto Black Forest Cake
The traditional Black Forest Cake with flour sponge, kirsch, sugar and whipped cream clocks in at around 45 g of carbs per slice. This keto version swaps the sponge for an almond flour and cocoa base, uses unsweetened sour cherries (jarred, no added sugar) and whipped cream sweetened with erythritol. At 6 g of net carbs per slice, it is the highest-carb cake in this collection, thanks to the cherries, but for a classic of this caliber it is still keto-friendly. A Sunday and special-occasion staple.
The key facts at a glance
- Prep time: approx. 40 minutes active, 30 minutes baking plus 3 hours chilling, makes 14 slices.
- Approx. 6 g net carbs and 28 g fat per slice.
- Ingredients: almond flour, cocoa, eggs, butter, erythritol, sour cherries (unsweetened), cream, optional kirsch.
- Great as a celebration cake, keeps for 2 days in the fridge, not suitable for freezing (cream, cherries).
Ingredients
The recipe makes 14 slices from a 26 cm springform pan. A portion for a holiday coffee table is 1 slice (approx. 140 g).
| Amount | Ingredient | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almond flour (blanched) | - | |||
| Cocoa powder (unsweetened) | - | |||
| Eggs (medium, room temperature) | - | |||
| Butter (softened) | - | |||
| Erythritol (powdered) | for the batter | |||
| for the batter | ||||
| Cream (30 percent) | for the batter | |||
| for the batter | ||||
| Vanilla extract | approx. 2 tsp | |||
| approx. 2 tsp | ||||
| Baking powder | - | |||
| Salt | - | |||
| Sour cherries (unsweetened, drained) | organic sour cherries in a jar or frozen | |||
| organic sour cherries in a jar or frozen | ||||
| Cherry juice | from the jar | |||
| from the jar | ||||
| Erythritol | for the cherry juice | |||
| for the cherry juice | ||||
| Xanthan | or guar gum | |||
| or guar gum | ||||
| Kirsch | optional; approx. 2 tbsp | |||
| optional; approx. 2 tbsp | ||||
| Cream (30 percent) | for the filling | |||
| for the filling | ||||
| Erythritol (powdered) | for the cream | |||
| for the cream | ||||
| Whipped cream stabilizer (sugar-free) | packet | |||
| packet | ||||
| Dark chocolate (85 percent) | shaved; for decoration | |||
| shaved; for decoration | ||||
Preparation
Bake a chocolate sponge from almond flour, cocoa, eggs, butter and erythritol, then split it into 3 thin layers. Drain the sour cherries and thicken the cherry juice with erythritol and xanthan gum. Whip the cream with erythritol and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Layer the sponges with cherries, cherry juice and whipped cream. Decorate with cream and chocolate shavings, then chill for 3 hours.
Why this cherry cake is (carefully) keto-friendly
Sour cherries are the carb bottleneck: 100 g of pitted, unsweetened sour cherries contain about 12 g of net carbs. For the classic Black Forest look, 350 g of sour cherries are used for 14 slices, which works out to 25 g per slice, or 3 g of carbs per slice from cherries alone. Important: use unsweetened sour cherries in a jar (organic shop, health food store) or frozen sour cherries. Morello cherries in syrup contain 25 to 30 g of carbs per 100 g, which would push the cake out of keto territory. The chocolate base from almond flour and cocoa adds 1 g of carbs per slice, and whipped cream with erythritol is carb-free. The 6 g of carbs per slice is higher than other cakes in this collection, but for the only authentic keto Black Forest Cake it is a reasonable trade-off. Classic cherry cake: 45 g of carbs, here: 6 g, a reduction of 85 percent.
Source: USDA FoodData Central, Cherries, sour, red, raw , FDDB nutrition database
Finding unsweetened sour cherries
Jarred sour cherries from the regular supermarket are usually packed in sugar syrup, which is off-limits on keto (30 g of carbs per 100 g). Look for: organic sour cherries in a jar (Alnatura, Allos, health food stores), frozen sour cherries without added sugar (often in the organic freezer section), or fresh sour cherries in season (June to August). Check the label: 'sour cherries in juice' or 'in natural fruit juice' is fine; 'in syrup' or 'sweetened' should be avoided. Workaround: drain morello cherries from a jar thoroughly and rinse the syrup off under running water, which reduces the carbs by about 60 percent.
Kirsch for authentic flavor
Kirsch (cherry brandy) is classic in Black Forest Cake and is keto-friendly: 40 percent ABV spirits contain 0 g of carbs. Adding 2 to 3 tbsp of kirsch to the cherry syrup or sprinkling it over the sponges gives the cake its signature flavor. If you want to skip the alcohol: 1 tsp of natural bitter almond extract or vanilla extract works as a substitute, not quite identical but close. With children or during pregnancy: leave the alcohol out entirely.
How do I serve and vary the cake?
The cake needs to rest in the fridge for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight. The cream soaks into the sponges and the cherry juice melds with the chocolate and cream. From my own experience: the texture is perfect the next day; on baking day it is still a touch dry. Classically decorated with chocolate shavings and a few whole cherries on top. Serve with a cup of black coffee or espresso for a Sunday or special-occasion dessert.
Meal prep: storage and tips
Keeps in the fridge in a covered container for a maximum of 2 days; cream and cherries are the limiting factors. Do not freeze: cream turns watery when thawed, cherries release juice and the texture falls apart. Tip: the chocolate sponges can be baked up to 5 days ahead and stored in the fridge; only assemble with cream and cherries on the day of serving. Practical for holidays: prep the day before with all the layers and serve the next day.
Variations: mini cakes, jar version, alcohol-free
Mini cakes: divide the batter between 12 muffin cups, bake for less time (15 min), then layer with cream and cherries, ideal for kids and buffets. Jar version (Black Forest in a glass): crumble the base, layer with cherries and cream in glasses, attractive and easier to portion, +0 g carbs. Alcohol-free: swap the kirsch for 2 tbsp of cherry juice plus 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Double chocolate version: fold 30 g of melted 85 percent chocolate into the cream.
Which tips help with Keto Black Forest Cake?
- Drain the sour cherries in a sieve for 30 minutes, otherwise the juice will run during layering and make the cream watery.
- Thicken the cherry juice with 1/4 tsp of xanthan or guar gum, this creates a binding sauce instead of a watery liquid.
- Cut the chocolate sponges into 3 layers with a long bread knife; if the sponge is too warm, chill it briefly.
- Do not overwhip the cream, stop at stiff peaks, otherwise it turns grainy and buttery.
- When layering, pipe the cream in a ring around the cherries using a piping bag, this stops the cherries from soaking through the cream.
Nutrition values
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per slice (approx. 140 g) | Keto context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | approx. 280 kcal | approx. 395 kcal | High due to cream, chocolate sponge and almond flour; a filling celebration cake. |
| High due to cream, chocolate sponge and almond flour; a filling celebration cake. | |||
| Fat | approx. 20 g | approx. 28 g | Mainly from cream, butter and almond flour, a typical keto profile. |
| Mainly from cream, butter and almond flour, a typical keto profile. | |||
| Net carbs | approx. 4 g | approx. 6 g | Higher than other keto cakes due to sour cherries; still keto-friendly within a daily limit of 20 to 50 g. |
| Higher than other keto cakes due to sour cherries; still keto-friendly within a daily limit of 20 to 50 g. | |||
| Sugar | approx. 3 g | approx. 4 g | Natural sugar from sour cherries and cream; no added sugar. |
| Natural sugar from sour cherries and cream; no added sugar. | |||
| Protein | approx. 5 g | approx. 7 g | Moderate; eggs, almond flour and dairy supply the protein. |
| Moderate; eggs, almond flour and dairy supply the protein. | |||
| Salt | approx. 0.2 g | approx. 0.3 g | Low; from butter and baking powder. |
| Low; from butter and baking powder. | |||
Note: Nutrition values are estimated averages per 100 g and per serving and may vary depending on ingredients, brands, portion size, and preparation. They do not replace individual nutrition or medical advice.
FAQ
6 g of net carbs is high, does that still fit into keto?
Within a daily limit of 20 to 50 g of carbs, 1 slice (6 g) fits well but takes up nearly a quarter to a third of the daily budget. For strict keto under 20 g per day: half a slice and reduce the sour cherries to 200 g instead of 350 g (then only 4 g of carbs per slice). This cake is more of a Sunday or holiday dessert, not an everyday treat. For daily coffee cake: opt for marble cake or cheesecake at 3 to 4 g of carbs instead.
Why did my whipped cream collapse after 24 hours?
Whipped cream without a stabilizer loses volume after 24 hours in the fridge, especially when acid (such as cherry juice) is involved. Solution: fold in a packet of sugar-free whipped cream stabilizer, or stir in 1 sheet of dissolved, tempered gelatin. Mascarpone cream (50 percent cream plus 50 percent mascarpone) is also noticeably more stable than plain whipped cream.
Which chocolate shavings are keto-friendly?
Hand-shaved or grated 85 percent chocolate is the best choice: 30 g for decorating the whole cake adds only 0.5 g of carbs per slice. Ready-made chocolate shavings from the supermarket are usually milk chocolate (a carb bomb). Also keto-friendly: unsweetened cocoa nibs as a crunchy alternative, 4 g of carbs per 100 g, slightly bitter and very chocolatey.
Can I make the cake with other berries?
Yes, but then it is no longer a Black Forest Cake. Suitable alternatives: raspberries (5 g of carbs per 100 g) give you a 'raspberry chocolate cake' with only 4 g of carbs per slice. Blackberries (6 g per 100 g) result in a blackberry chocolate cake with similar nutrition to cherry. Strawberries (5.5 g per 100 g) yield a summery strawberry chocolate cake. If you want to call it 'Black Forest', you need real sour cherries, that is the defining classic.