This White Forest Cake has three layers of the perfect white cake, each frosted with stabilized whipped cream, cherry pie filling, and white chocolate curls, creating an elegant and delicious dessert. Seriously, this is a show-stopper of a cake that looks as good as it tastes! It is a twist on a Black Forest Cake, substituting dark chocolate elements with vanilla or white chocolate. If you are craving chocolate, I do have a Black Forest Bundt Cake you will love!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Flour: For the white cake, I used cake flour. This gives you a soft, tender cake. If you don’t have any cake flour, I have homemade cake flour you could make in a pinch.
- Egg Whites: Using just the whites of the eggs gives the cake a lighter, fluffier texture. After you have separated the egg whites from the yolks, save the yolks in the refrigerator (up to 2-3 days) to use in another recipe like my White Chocolate Pretzel Blondies.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the best results when baking the cake. You could use 2% or 1% if that is all you have, but I do not recommend skim milk.
- Stabilized Whipped Cream: Stabilized whipped cream is perfect for cakes like this one. Not only does it taste amazing, it holds its shape well. If using regular whipped cream, it can deflate and become runny. With how beautiful this cake is, you don’t want that!
- Cherry Pie Filling: Between each layer and on top of the cake, there is cherry pie filling. I have a wonderful cherry pie filling recipe you may want to use. Or, canned pie filling also works.
- White Chocolate Curls: For a decorative touch, and extra sweetness, make white chocolate curls from a bar of white chocolate. You can look to see how I make them by checking out How To Make Mini Chocolate Curls.
- Cherries: Don’t forget about adding fresh cherries to the top of the cake to put a finishing touch on the already lovely cake!
Can I Use A Different Kind Of Frosting For White Forest Cake?
Sure! You could use other frostings if you don’t want to use stabilized whipped cream. Try it with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, both of which would be delicious. You can find the BEST cream cheese frosting in my Zucchini Cupcakes recipe.
Can I Bake The Cake Layers In Advance?
Yes, you can get the cake layers baked ahead of time so they are ready to assemble when you are ready to finish the cake. Once the cake layers have cooled, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Or, freeze the layers for a month or two.
How To Store This White Forest Cake
Because of the stabilized whipped cream frosting, it’s best to store this cake in the refrigerator. Keep it covered, if possible. It will last up to 2-3 days.
White Forest Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ¾ cups (357 g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup (245 g) whole milk, room temperature
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (476 g) heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Cherry Filling
- 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling, divided
- 4 ounces white chocolate bar, made into curls, divided
- fresh cherries, for garnish
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of 3, 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low, add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, half of the milk, another third of the flour mixture, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the three prepared pans. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- While the cakes are cooling, place the bowl and whisk attachment from your stand mixer into the freezer to chill for about 15 minutes. (Starting with a cold bowl will help the cream whip up faster and with more volume.)
- Once chilled, add the cream cheese and sugar to the bowl. Mix on medium-high speed until fully combined and no lumps remain.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Increase speed to medium and mix until soft peaks have formed (peaks droop slightly). Stop the mixer.
- Using a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all of the cream cheese. With the mixer back on medium speed, mix until stiff peaks have formed.
- Finally, add the vanilla and the pinch of salt, being careful not to overmix.
- Set aside.
Assembly
- Once the cakes have completely cooled, place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand.
- Spread a layer of stabilized whipped cream evenly over the cake layer. Sprinkle with some white chocolate curls.
- Using a piping bag that you have cut about a ¼-inch of the tip off and filled with the stabilized whipped cream, pipe a circle around the edge of the cake.
- Add about ½ cup of the cherry pie filling inside the circle, carefully spreading it evenly.
- Gently place another cake layer on top of the cherry filling.
- Spread a layer of stabilized whipped cream evenly over the cake layer. Then, sprinkle more white chocolate curls.
- Pipe a circle around the edge of this cake layer.
- Add about ½ cup of the cherry pie filling inside the circle, carefully spreading it evenly.
- Gently place the final cake layer on top of the cherry filling. Spread a layer of stabilized whipped cream evenly over the final cake layer. Then add ½ cup cherry pie filling to the middle of the cake layer.
- Frost the sides of the cake with the remaining stabilized whipped cream as desired.
- Garnish with the remaining white chocolate curls and fresh cherries.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
This white forest cake was awesome! The layers were super moist, and the cherry filling with white chocolate curls made each bite so good.
Elizabeth
The cake was so soft, and the white chocolate curls balanced the cherries perfectly.
Bella
I absolutely loved this cake! The whipped cream was light and fluffy, and the fresh cherries on top were a great touch.
Annabelle
This cake was fantastic! The layers were tender, and the whipped cream frosting was out of this world. Loved the cherry filling and white chocolate curls.
Selena
This cake was a hit! The light cake layers with the creamy whipped topping and cherry filling were delicious. Plus, the fresh cherries on top looked amazing.
Hi. I’m wondering if I can either replace the cream cheese, or if I can leave it out altogether, because I don’t like cheese of any kind.
This cake looks delicious and I would like to make it (minus cream cheese)