Description

This White Forest Cake is a delightful and elegant dessert featuring layers of soft white cake, rich white chocolate cream cheese frosting, and luscious cherry filling. Perfect for special occasions, this cake combines tender cake layers with a creamy, flavorful frosting and sweet, slightly tart cherry filling for a truly decadent treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Ingredients

3 1/2 cups Cake flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup Oil (canola or vegetable oil)
1 1/2 cups White granulated sugar
3/4 cup Sour cream (room temperature)
1 tbsp Pure vanilla extract
5 Egg whites (room temperature)
1 cup Buttermilk (room temperature)

Cherry Filling Ingredients

1 lb Cherries (fresh or frozen, pitted if fresh)
1/2 cup White granulated sugar
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tbsp Water
1/4 tsp Almond extract

White Chocolate Frosting Ingredients

2 cups Unsalted butter (room temperature)
8 oz Cream cheese (room temperature)
8 oz White chocolate bars (2 bars, Lindt recommended)
5 cups Powdered sugar (sifted)
1 tsp Pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper circles and spray again to prevent sticking.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Beat Butter, Oil, and Sugar: Using a mixer, beat the unsalted butter, oil, and granulated sugar on high speed for 2 minutes until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.
Add Wet Ingredients: To the butter mixture, add sour cream, vanilla extract, and egg whites. Mix on medium speed until just combined.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk: Add the sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately to the batter, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
Fill the Cake Pans: Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans and smooth the tops.
Bake the Cakes: Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the Cakes: Allow the cakes to sit in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
Prepare Cherry Filling: If using fresh cherries, pit them. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, water, and almond extract. Cook until the cherries release their juice and soften. Mash the cherries gently with a potato masher and continue cooking until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Melt White Chocolate: Place white chocolate bars in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second intervals, stirring well between each, until fully melted and smooth.
Make White Chocolate Frosting: In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Using a mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add cream cheese and beat for 1 minute, scraping the bowl to remove lumps.
Combine Ingredients for Frosting: Add the melted white chocolate to the butter mixture and beat on high speed until well combined. Gradually add powdered sugar (half first, then the rest) mixing on low speed, followed by vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until the frosting is fluffy and smooth.
Trim Cake Layers: Using a serrated knife, level the domed tops of the cakes for even stacking. Place the first layer on your cake board and secure it with a small dollop of frosting.
Assemble Cake—Layering: Spread about 3/4 cup of frosting over the first cake layer. Pipe a border of frosting around the edge to contain the filling, then spread half of the cherry filling evenly inside the border.
Repeat Layering: Add the second cake layer, frost it with 3/4 cup frosting, pipe the border, and spread the remaining cherry filling. Place the third cake layer on top, upside down for a flat surface.
Crumb Coat and Chill: Fill any cracks on the sides of the cake with frosting. If cherry filling spills out, cover it with frosting and freeze the cake for 15 minutes to set the filling. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the entire cake and freeze for another 10 minutes to lock in crumbs.
Final Frosting and Decoration: Frost the entire cake smoothly with the remaining frosting. Use a piping tip, like Wilton 1M, to create decorative swirls on top. Garnish with extra cherries. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes to set the frosting before serving.

Notes

Ensure all dairy ingredients (butter, sour cream, buttermilk, cream cheese) and eggs are at room temperature to achieve a smooth batter and frosting.
Parchment paper in the pans helps prevent sticking and makes cake removal easier.
Do not overmix the batter once dry ingredients are added to avoid a dense cake.
Use fresh or frozen cherries for the filling; if frozen, thaw and drain excess liquid before cooking.
The white chocolate frosting should be kept refrigerated if not using immediately and brought to room temperature before frosting the cake.
Freezing the cake between frosting steps helps maintain a clean finish and locks in moisture and flavors.
This cake is best served slightly chilled but can be kept at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: White Forest Cake, White Chocolate Cake, Cherry Cake, Layer Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting, Decadent Cake, Celebration Cake, Holiday Cake