Black Forest Cupcakes

Wow your guest with these elegant Black Forest Cupcakes filled with cherry studded whipped cream and topped with a 1-minute chocolate ganache! They are a real crowd pleaser at any brunch buffet or dinner party and are so easy to make, you won’t believe it!

This Black Forest Cupcakes recipe is a simplified version of the German classic. It’s much quicker, easier and just as divine!  It has a deep dark chocolate taste, creamy sweet cherry filling, and luscious chocolate ganache on top! A super simple yet impressive chocolate dessert!

What Are Black Forest Cupcakes?

Black Forest cupcakes are cupcakes inspired by Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, a classic European dessert that combines chocolate, cherries and cream. In cupcake form, the elements stay faithful: a chocolate cake base, a  fresh cherry filling, a light whipped cream or chocolate sauce, and cherries on top.

Unlike ordinary chocolate cupcakes, these incorporate a syrupy cherry filling (often with kirsch) that adds moisture and flavor contrast, and a lighter frosting that lets the chocolate and fruit shine.

Why You’ll Love Black Forest Cupcakes

• Balanced flavor experience: deep chocolate, bright cherries, and silky cream in every bite.
• Stunning presentation: elegant and festive so it’s perfect for celebrations.
• Customizable, you can make them boozy or not, add espresso for deeper chocolate flavor, or stabilize the cream for warmer climates.
• Texture is everything! Moist crumb, succulent fruit, fluffy topping, and divine chocolate sauce or shavings.
• Even if you are not crazy about Black Forest, this recipe could still be valuable to you as these can easily be personalized to your taste. Try it with raspberries, strawberries, figs or any fruits you love with chocolate!
• If you are looking for a super simple, super fancy looking dessert to serve to guests at a dinner party or brunch even, these are PERFECT.
• There’s a myth that making food in mini or individual servings is harder or more time consuming. But the truth is, it’s just the opposite. Try our mini raspberry cheesecakes, mini chocolate pudding cakes, kale veggie mini frittatas, chocolate dipped mini pavlova, mini Brooklyn Blackout cakes,

Ingredients You Need

• All-purpose flour – the base structure of your cake.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – rich chocolate flavor.
• Sugar – sweetness and moisture.
• Baking soda & baking powder and Salt– leavening for light texture.
• Milk – hydration and tender crumb.
• Oil or butter – fat for moistness (oil yields softer crumb).
• Eggs & vanilla extract – structure and flavor.
• Hot water or coffee (optional) – deepens chocolate notes.
• Fresh or frozen cherries – classic Black Forest profile.
• Confectioner Sugar  – sweetness and thickener. You can use regular sugar and cornstarch if you’re cooking the cherries first.
• Heavy Cream.
• Cream Cheese.
• Optional Lemon juice and Kirsch or rum (optional) – traditional flavor enhancer.
• Heavy whipping cream – base for fluffy topping.
• Chocolate shavings or curls – classic decorative finish.
• Fresh cherries or maraschino cherries – visual and flavor capstone

How to make Black Forest Cupcakes: 

1. These start with one of my all time favorite chocolate cakes which you’ll find in this Mini Brooklyn Blackout cakes recipe. It’s a light as air, yet intensely chocolate-y cake! I love me a fluffy chocolate cake and this one happens to be so simple and seriously foolproof, that you can’t go wrong with it.
2. Make sure to use cupcake liners to line the muffin or cupcake pan and bake the cupcakes for about 15-17 minutes until ready. A toothpick should come out clean.
3. 
4. To make the filling, you need fresh black cherries , frozen, canned cherries, or even cherry compote.
5. Mash the cherries and add them to the cream cheese and powdered sugar.
6. In a separate bowl beat the whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks. Now fold the whipped cream into the cherry mixture it and keep it cold.
7. Once the cupcakes have cooled, you’ll slice the tops off and using a melon baller, scoop out as much of the bottom part as you can, leaving the cupcake shape intact.
8. 
9. Then you’ll fill the scooped area with the sweet rich cherry mixture and place the chocolate cupcake top back over the filling. And it’s that easy and it’s that GOOD!
10. 
11. 
12. Now you can serve them as is for a lighter fruitier version of the Black Forest cupcakes, or you can go the extra mile. Make the 1 minute chocolate ganache to drizzle over your cupcakes below!

How to make a quick chocolate ganache: 

The basic ganache is simple a 1:2 ratio of cream to chocolate. You’ll be melting 1/4 cup of cream with 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and then whisk them together until smooth. That’s it.

You can likewise use a water bath over medium heat to melt the chocolate.

Pour this luscious velvety smooth chocolate ganache over your cupcakes and you’re in for a REAL treat!

Black Forest Cupcake recipe Tips: 

1. I love making these ahead of time because they keep beautifully in the fridge for up to 5 days!
2. These Black Forest Cupcakes also transport quite well so make them for a potluck, brunch event, or Birthdays!
3. Add in chocolate chips or nuts to your fruit cream filling for a more chocolatey cupcake. You can also go for a white chocolate ganache.
4. Cool completely before filling the cupcakes. Filling warm cupcakes can melt your frosting.
5. Use quality cocoa! It makes a difference in the cupcakes! You can also add espresso powder to enhance chocolate depth.
6. Stabilize whipped cream if you need to. You can use gelatin but we love cream cheese or mascarpone. It adds a rich creamy taste while stabilizing the filling.
7. Fresh or frozen cherries both work well.

Variations

• Boozy Black Forest: Add a splash of kirsch or rum for a classic European twist.
• Chocolate ganache drizzle: Swap whipped cream for light ganache for richer desserts.
• Mascarpone whipped frosting: Blend mascarpone with cream for sturdier, tangy topping.
• Quick version: Use a boxed mix instead of homemade batter.

What makes a cupcake “Black Forest”?

Black Forest cupcakes combine chocolate cake, cherry filling, and whipped cream frosting, echoing the elements of classic Black Forest cake (chocolate, cherries and cream). You can also create a chocolate ganache for a richer chocolate experience as we did here!

Can I use canned cherry pie filling?

Yes! cherry pie filling is a convenient alternative to homemade compote and still delivers great flavor.

How do I stabilize whipped cream frosting?

Add a small amount of gelatin, mascarpone or cream cheese to help the frosting hold up longer, especially in warmer conditions.

Can I use a boxed Chocolate Cake?

While we love our go to chocolate cake from Mini Brooklyn Blackout Cakes, you can definitely use boxed cake for convenience!

Can these be made ahead?

Bake cupcakes a day ahead and store in an airtight container. Make cherry filling and whipped frosting separately and assemble before serving for best texture.

How long do these stay fresh?

Refrigerated in an airtight container, assembled cupcakes stay good for 3 days; but of course they’re best eaten sooner.

Can I freeze Black Forest cupcakes?

Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months. Thaw and continue with frosting and filling just before serving to preserve texture

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Easy Mini Black Forest Cupcakes

Wow your guest with these elegant Mini Black Forest Cupcakes filled with cherry-studded whipped cream and topped with a 1-minute chocolate ganache! They will be the eyecatcher at any brunch buffet or dinner party and are so easy to make, you won't believe it! 

Course Cupcake, Dessert

Cuisine American, German

Keyword Black Forest, black forest cupcakes, chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate cherry cupcakes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 266 kcal

Author Mahy

Ingredients

• 1 x fluffy chocolate Cake recipe from this Mini Brooklyn Blackout Cakes

For the cherry filling:

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1/3 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup diced frozen pitted sweet cherries

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup chocolate pieces (or chips)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the fluffy chocolate cake and bake into a standard muffin pan.

For the cherry filling:

1.  In a large bowl, add the cream, cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, whip up the filling until fluffy and stiff—about 2 minutes. Then gently fold in the diced cherries. Cover the cherry mixture and set in the fridge until ready to use.

   

Assemble:

1. When the muffins are done, allow them to cool for a few minutes. Then using a small knife, slice off the tops of the muffins. Take a melon baller and scoop out some of the cake from the bottom part of the muffins while keeping the shell intact.
   
2. Spoon about a tablespoon (more or less to taste) of the cherry filling in the bottom of each muffin bottom and place the muffin top over it.
   

For the ganache:

1.  In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the cream and chocolate then microwave for 40 seconds. Take a whisk and whisk the chocolate until smooth. Let the chocolate ganache cool for a couple of minutes (the ganache will thicken as it cools). Spoon a tablespoon (more or less to taste) of the chocolate ganache mixture over each of the muffin tops. Enjoy 🙂

   

Recipe Notes

Black Forest Cupcake recipe Tips: 

1. I love making these ahead of time because they keep beautifully in the fridge for up to 5 days!
2. These Black Forest Cupcakes also transport quite well so make them for a potluck, brunch event, or Birthdays! 
3. Add in chocolate chips or nuts to your fruit cream filling for a more chocolatey cupcake. You can also go for a white chocolate ganache.
4. Cool completely before filling the cupcakes. Filling warm cupcakes can melt your frosting.
5. Use quality cocoa! It makes a difference in the cupcakes! You can also add espresso powder to enhance chocolate depth.
6. Stabilize whipped cream if you need to. You can use gelatin but we love cream cheese or mascarpone. It adds a rich creamy taste while stabilizing the filling.
7. Fresh or frozen cherries both work well.

Variations

• Boozy Black Forest: Add a splash of kirsch or rum for a classic European twist.
• Chocolate ganache drizzle: Swap whipped cream for light ganache for richer desserts.
• Mascarpone whipped frosting: Blend mascarpone with cream for sturdier, tangy topping.
• Quick version: Use a boxed mix instead of homemade batter.

What makes a cupcake “Black Forest”?

Black Forest cupcakes combine chocolate cake, cherry filling, and whipped cream frosting, echoing the elements of classic Black Forest cake (chocolate, cherries and cream). You can also create a chocolate ganache for a richer chocolate experience as we did here!

Can I use canned cherry pie filling?

Yes! cherry pie filling is a convenient alternative to homemade compote and still delivers great flavor.

How do I stabilize whipped cream frosting?

Add a small amount of gelatin, mascarpone or cream cheese to help the frosting hold up longer, especially in warmer conditions.

Can I use a boxed Chocolate Cake?

While we love our go to chocolate cake from Mini Brooklyn Blackout Cakes, you can definitely use boxed cake for convenience!

Can these be made ahead?

Bake cupcakes a day ahead and store in an airtight container. Make cherry filling and whipped frosting separately and assemble before serving for best texture.

How long do these stay fresh?

Refrigerated in an airtight container, assembled cupcakes stay good for 3 days; but of course they're best eaten sooner.

Can I freeze Black Forest cupcakes?

Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months. Thaw and continue with frosting and filling just before serving to preserve texture

Nutrition Facts

Easy Mini Black Forest Cupcakes

Amount Per Serving (1 cupcake)

Calories 266 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 26mg9%

Sodium 226mg10%

Potassium 34mg1%

Carbohydrates 43g14%

Sugar 28g31%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 305IU6%

Vitamin C 0.6mg1%

Calcium 46mg5%

Iron 1.7mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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