Vegan Black Forest Cake (No-Bake)
Black Forest Cake in summer? Sounds like a heavy choice in this heat – lots of cream, a rich chocolate sponge, and fruity cherries, traditionally layered and often refined with a good splash of cherry schnapps. As much as we love the classic cake, in summer we prefer something a bit lighter and more refreshing. And most importantly: no oven, please!
That’s why we created our own vegan no-bake version of the Black Forest Cake – perfect for warm days when you’re craving that classic flavor, but don’t want to spend hours baking or deal with a heavy cream cake. The base is a crunchy chocolate cookie crust that requires no baking at all. Instead of sponge, we’re using a frozen chocolate cream layer made from vegan whipping cream and dark chocolate for an ultra-creamy texture. Of course, the typical cherries are a must – either fresh or from a jar – and for that original flavor, a splash of cherry schnapps. If you prefer it alcohol-free, you can simply use cherry juice instead.
Traditionally, Black Forest Cake consists of three main elements: a fluffy chocolate sponge, a generous amount of cream, and a cherry filling often flavored with schnapps. In our no-bake version, we’ve reimagined all of these components: the sponge is replaced by a chilled cookie crust, the cream becomes a light and airy plant-based mousse, and the cherries are still front and center – for that full-on summer feeling.
By the way: If you don’t have cherries on hand, this ice cake also works wonderfully with raspberries or blueberries – just as delicious and beautifully vibrant.
Here you’ll find our classic Black Forest Cake recipe.
We love no-bake recipes in the summer – and we’ve put together a whole collection for you. How about a No-Bake Hazelnut Chocolate Bar, a No-Bake Mango Cheesecake, or these No-Bake Cheesecake Hazelnut Bites?
Give the cake a try, adapt it to your taste, and let us know which version you liked best!
Vegan Black Forest Cake (No-Bake)
Ingredients
For the cherries:
- 680 g (1.5 cups / 24 oz) Morello cherries (from a jar)
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the cream layer:
- 720 ml (3 cups) vegan whipping cream
- 2 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cherry schnapps (alcoholic fruit brandy)
For the base:
- 255 g (2 ½ cups crushed / 9 oz) thin chocolate cookies
For garnish:
- 100 g (3.5 oz) chocolate shavings
- fresh cherries (as desired)
Instructions
- Drain the Morello cherries and chop them. Melt the vegan butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped cherries, sugar, and cornstarch, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 8–10 minutes until the cherry sauce thickens and becomes syrupy. Then stir in the lemon juice. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- For the cream layer, in a large mixing bowl, whip the vegan whipping cream together with agave syrup, vanilla extract, and cherry schnapps using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high to high speed until stiff peaks form.
Tip: For the alcohol-free version, simply replace the cherry schnapps with cherry juice.
- Coarsely crumble the chocolate cookies.
- Set aside one-quarter of the whipped cream in the fridge for later. First, line a loaf pan with cling film to make it easier to remove the cake later. Spread a thin layer of the remaining vegan whipped cream on the bottom of the lined loaf pan. Evenly distribute one-third of the cherries and cookie crumbs on top. Then cover again with some vegan cream and repeat this process until all ingredients are used up. Finish with a layer of cookie crumbs.
- Cover the pan with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably 8–12 hours.
- Carefully remove the chilled cherry cake from the pan. Spread vegan cream all around the cake, but set aside about one-third of the cream for the cream dollops on top. Then decorate with chocolate shavings: place the shavings in a cupped hand, gently press them against the cake, and pull upward so the shavings stick to the cream.
- Finally, decorate the cake with six cream dollops and place one cherry on each dollop.