Name: White Forest Cake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 280g (2 ¼ cup) all-purpose flour or cake flour; 1 ½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 86g (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature; 70g (⅓ cup) vegetable oil; 250g (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar; 3 large eggs; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/4 tsp almond extract; 180g (¾ cup) milk, room temperature; ½ Tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar; 2 Tablespoons cornstarch; 2 Tablespoons water; 340g ( ¾ lb) fresh or frozen pitted cherries; 50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar; ½ Tablespoon lemon juice; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; ⅛ teaspoon almond extract; ⅛ teaspoon salt; 200g (7oz) mascarpone cheese; 120g (1 cup) powdered sugar; ⅛ teaspoon salt; 240g (1 cup) heavy cream / whipping cream; Fresh cherries; Shaved white chocolate

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This white forest cake features a fluffy vanilla cake with cherry filling and mascarpone whipped cream. It is topped with white chocolate shavings and fresh cherries.

A traditional black forest cake features chocolate cake layers as the base, and this white forest cake version uses a vanilla cake instead. It’s super fluffy and tender and pairs perfectly with tangy cherries.

You can use canned cherry pie filling if you need to, but I highly recommend making your own cherry cake filling for the best flavor. You can use frozen or fresh cherries to make it yourself. This recipe for cherry cake filling uses a hint of almond extract, which enhances the cherry taste.

I’ve topped and filled the vanilla cake layers with creamy mascarpone frosting. This frosting is lightly sweetened, so it’s not too heavy or rich. I use it on this raspberry mascarpone cake too! The cake is finished off with white chocolate curls and fresh cherries.

Ingredients

Find the ingredient amounts listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you need.

For the cake

All-purpose flour.
Baking powder and baking soda
Salt
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil
Granulated white sugar
Large eggs
Vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract.
Whole milk
Vinegar or lemon juice.

The cherry filling

Dark sweet cherries
Granulated sugar
Fresh lemon juice
Vanilla extract
Almond extract
Salt
Cornstarch

The mascarpone frosting

Mascarpone cheese
Powdered sugar
Salt
Heavy cream

Method

The cake

Preheat the oven to 356°F/180°C. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a small bowl, and set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a medium bowl and electric mixer, beat together room-temperature butter and oil on medium speed until it’s creamy and combined.

Add in the granulated sugar and beat on high speed for around 3-4 minutes until it’s very light in color and creamy.

Add in the eggs, vanilla and almond extract and beat them in.

In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vinegar.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and half the milk, with the mixer on low speed.

Add in the remaining milk mixture and mix slowly to combine.

Divide the cake batter evenly amongst the cake pans.

Smooth down the batter with a small offset spatula.

Bake the cakes for around 28-30 minutes until the tops spring back when touched and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes in their pans, then turn them onto a wire cooling rack and let them cool completely to room temperature.

The cherry filling

In a medium saucepan, combine cold water and cornstarch. Mix it into a slurry. Add cherries, granulated sugar, salt, lemon juice, vanilla, and almond extract.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir regularly as the mixture begins to warm up.

As the mixture boils, it will thicken, become jelly-like, and lose its cloudy appearance.

Lower the heat and let it boil for around 5 minutes, stirring continuously.

Take it off the heat and spoon it into a bowl.

Let it cool in the refrigerator until cold and thick.

Frosting

Make the frosting when the cake layers and the cherry filling have cooled completely, and you’re ready to assemble.

Add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer at high speed, whisk it until combined.

Slowly stream in the heavy cream and keep whisking as you do until it is thick and forms stiff peaks. This can happen quickly, so take care not to over-mix it, or it may split.

Assembling

Place one layer of cake on a cake turntable or cake stand. Add a thin layer of mascarpone frosting on top and spread it out. Then, pipe a wide ring of mascarpone frosting around the edge. This is going to hold the cherry compote in place. Spoon in about half the cherry filling and spread it out.

Spoon in about half the cherry filling and spread it out.

Add on the second cake layer.

Pipe a frosting spiral on the top of the cake, and pipe all around the edges of the cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting on the top of the cake. Use a bench scraper to smooth the frosting around the edge of the cake.

Pipe extra frosting in any holes on the sides of the cake, then smooth it out again.

Dollop the remaining cherry filling on top of the cake and swirl it out. Add on white chocolate shavings and fresh cherries.

Serving

Refrigerate the cake until you’re ready to serve. Remove it from the fridge about half an hour before serving.

Make ahead

The cake layers can be made and refrigerated or frozen before you need them. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap.

The cherry filling can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated until needed. The frosting is best made on the day.

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