Gluten-free Black Forest Cake Recipe (dairy-free option)

Gluten-free black forest cake recipe - the ultimate treat that nobody would ever know was Coeliac-friendly and wheat-free too.

Keyword gluten-free baking, gluten-free black forest cake recipe, gluten-free recipes

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 15

Servings -12

Calories 371kcal

Author Becky Excell

175 g caster sugar
175 g butter softened (dairy free if necessary)
3 eggs
135 g gluten free self raising flour
1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
85 g ground almonds
25 g cocoa powder sifted
100 ml milk dairy free if necessary
65 g chocolate chips optional - dairy free if necessary
1-2 tbsp Kirsch syrup taken from a jar of cherries soaked in Kirsch - linked in FAQ section

300 ml double cream dairy-free alternative listed in FAQ section
3 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp Kirsch syrup taken from a jar of cherries soaked in Kirsch - linked in FAQ section

5 tbsp Bonne Maman Cherry Compote linked in FAQ section - any cherry jam will do though
4-5 cherries soaked in Kirsch taken from a jar of cherries soaked in Kirsch - linked in FAQ section
10-12 fresh cherries for the topping
60 g dark chocolate grated (dairy-free if necessary)

Preheat your oven to 160C Fan / 180C and prepare a 2lb loaf tin by lining it with baking paper. Allowing some overhang will make it easier for you to remove your cake later.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together your softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (I use an electric hand mixer for this part).
Add in your eggs, self raising flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, sifted cocoa powder, ground almonds and milk. Mix together until combined using your electric hand whisk. You can do all of this by hand too, just ensure everything is well incorporated without pockets of dry ingredients.
Carefully fold in your chocolate chips.
Spoon the cake mixture into your tin, ensuring it's as even as possible. Place in the oven for about 50 minutes until cooked through. You can always poke the middle with a skewer to check.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before gently poking all over and drizzling a tbsp or two of the Kirsch syrup. Allow to cool in the tin before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Pour your cream into a large mixing bowl and add your icing sugar. Whisk until just past soft peaks and then gently fold in your Kirsch.

In a small bowl, mix a four or five of the cherries from the jar of cherries in kirsch into your cherry compote. The infused cherries taste incredible!
Next, place your cooled cake onto your serving plate and spread the top with your cherry compote mix. Spread a generous amount right to the edges - if some drips down the sides that's fine.
Dollop or pipe (I use a piping bag and snip off the end, leaving a 2.5cm hole) blobs of your cream mixture on top of the compote.
Place your fresh cherries on top of the cream. You can optionally remove the stones from the middle first if you like using the gadget I linked in the FAQ section, or by pushing them out using a chopstick.
Sprinkle your grated chocolate all over the top of the cake.
Slice and enjoy! Because of the cream this cake ideally needs to be kept chilled.

You might not need all the whipped cream, depending on how you decorate it but keep it and serve it on the side with each slice.
You don't have to use Kirsch if you can't find it or don't want to - you could easily just use cherry compote and fresh cherries.
I got my black cherries in Kirsch from Marks and Spencer but you can get it is a lot of different places, all of which I've linked in the FAQ section.