Black Forest No-Bake Cake

I can help you prepare a version of the no-bake Black Forest cake, which is a no-bake variation of the classic German dessert. Remember that the original recipe involves baking soft layers of chocolate sponge cake that are soaked in kirsch (a cherry liqueur) and layered with whipped cream and cherries. The no-bake version I’m proposing will be simpler and won’t require the use of an oven.

Ingredients

For the base:

• 200 g of cocoa dry biscuits
• 100 g of melted butter

For the filling:

• 500 g of spreadable cheese (like Philadelphia)
• 250 ml of whipping cream
• 80-100 g of icing sugar (adjust to your taste)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 20 ml of kirsch (optional, if you want an alcohol-free version, you can omit it)
• 200 g of cherries in syrup (or fresh if in season, pitted)

For the decoration:

• Fresh or syrup-packed cherries to taste
• Grated dark chocolate or chocolate shavings
• Whipped cream (if you wish to add more decoration)

Preparation

1. For the base, finely grind the dry biscuits in a food processor or place them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they are coarsely ground. Mix them with the melted butter to form a homogeneous mixture.
2. Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper, distribute the biscuit and butter mixture, and press down firmly to create a compact base. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
3. For the filling, whip the spreadable cheese with the icing sugar and vanilla extract using an electric mixer until you get a smooth and homogeneous cream. If you decide to use kirsch, mix it in at this point.
4. In another bowl, whip the cream until stiff.
5. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cheese cream, trying not to deflate the mixture.
6. Drain the cherries from the syrup and distribute them over the biscuit base, setting some aside for the final decoration.
7. Pour the cheese and cream mixture over the cherry layer and level it with a spatula.
8. Let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
9. Before serving, decorate the surface with whipped cream, whole cherries, and dark chocolate shavings or curls.

This dessert is perfect for special occasions, especially in the summer when you want something delightful that doesn’t require heating up the kitchen.

Curiosity

The Black Forest cake gets its name from the German Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte and has a distinctive combination of chocolate, cream, and cherries. The classic version features chocolate sponge cake, but this cold adaptation maintains the harmony of flavors in a structure that’s simpler to make.