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!

R977 - Vegan Black Forest Cherry Cake (No-Bake)
R977 - Vegan Black Forest Cherry Cake (No-Bake)
Banner | Steady

Vegan Black Forest Cake (No-Bake)

1 loaf pan (20 x 35 cm)
40 minutes (+ 8 hours resting time)

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

  1. Coarsely crumble the chocolate cookies.
  2. 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.
  3. Cover the pan with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably 8–12 hours.
  4. 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.
  5. Finally, decorate the cake with six cream dollops and place one cherry on each dollop.
R977 - Vegan Black Forest Cherry Cake (No-Bake)
R977 - Vegan Black Forest Cherry Cake (No-Bake)

More Vegan Dessert

Recent Posts

Zucker ↦ Jagdwurst Donut
Hej, we are Julia&Isa!
Hej, we are Julia&Isa!

Zucker&Jagdwurst is our vegan food blog.
Glad you're here! More about us.