Why My Black Forest Pancakes Stay Fluffy All Week

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Fluffy Black Forest Pancakes loaded with rich chocolate and cherries, topped with a dreamy cream cheese glaze. The ultimate indulgent breakfast treat you will want to make every weekend.

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Here is a pancake recipe that I'm sure you're going to love! These pancakes have got three amazing components that are layered that truly resemble the traditional Black Forest cake.

Black Forest is my all-time favorite cake, it would be my number one choice for a birthday cake! I’ve loved Black Forest cake ever since I can remember - it’s been my favorite for my entire life I’m sure! Back in India, I would love to go to bakeries and enjoy a slice of Black Forest cake. I simply adore the rich chocolate, the cream, and sweet cherries in the middle. It’s just a scrumptious combination!

Because I love Black Forest so much I wanted to incorporate this concept into some super tasty pancakes. I’ve made “birthday cake pancakes” with Extremely Fun & Fluffy Funfetti M&M Pancakes, but to me a Black Forest cake is a birthday cake! So this is like making my kind of birthday cake into a pancake! I hadn’t made a chocolate pancake in quite some time, but cocoa pancakes are always the ones I’m really looking forward to making when Pancake Sunday rolls along!

These layered pancakes feature a rich cream cheese glaze and a strawberry purée. These two sauces in addition to some chocolate shavings all meld together in between each pancake to make a superb flavor combination. Be sure to try these pancakes for your next relaxing weekend treat and enjoy!

Making the Chocolate Pancakes

To achieve fluffy chocolate pancakes, we simply just need to add some cocoa powder to the regular pancake batter with oat flour, honey, vanilla extract, baking powder and an egg. The batter will have a mild cocoa flavor. I didn’t add any additional sweetener to the batter with the exception of the usual honey I use because the sweetness will come from the cream cheese glaze and strawberry purée, with extra shaved chocolate on top.

Be sure to whisk the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then combine the two mixtures. Mix well, ensuring that there are no lumps in the batter. You want to form a thick and fluffy batter.

Cooking the Pancakes

Preheat the oven to 200°F. We’ll be transferring cooked pancakes onto a baking sheet and adding them to the oven so that they stay warm while the remaining pancakes cook.

Heat a pan on medium heat. Add some butter. When the pan is hot, use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out some batter. Your pancakes are ready to flip when you start seeing bubbles on the pancake. This will take about 1-2 minutes. Flip, cook on the other side, and cook for about another minute or so. When the pancake has finished cooking on the other side, use your spatula and transfer the pancake onto a baking tray. Put the tray in the oven to keep the pancake warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Making the Strawberry Purée

The topping here will be a strawberry purée combined with my classic cream cheese glaze. To make the strawberry purée, add the strawberries and a bit of water into a blender. Keep blending until the strawberries have been completely blended, and add water if necessary. If your purée is too thin, you can cook it in a pot and reduce the sauce until it reaches the consistency of a thick sauce. The strawberries have a lot of natural sweetness, so you won’t need any additional sugar.

Serving the Black Forest Layered Pancakes

The final step is to grate some chocolate. You can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate, depending on your taste!

When all of the pancakes have finished cooking, put one on a plate. Spoon some of the cream cheese glaze, then the strawberry purée, then the chocolate shavings. Repeat until you’ve reached the top pancake. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Easy Swaps and Variations

Make these layered pancakes your own:

Use oat flour in place of the all-purpose flour to keep them gluten-free.
Dutch-process cocoa gives a deeper color and flavor, and carob works too.
Swap the cream cheese in the glaze for mascarpone or Neufchatel.
Use maple syrup instead of honey, and make the batter eggless with a flax egg.

Storage, Make-Ahead and Freezing

Keep cooked pancakes warm in a 200 degree F oven while you finish the batch. Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days, or freeze them in a single layer and then stack with parchment between each one. Reheat in a toaster, microwave, or warm oven. You can make the cream cheese glaze and strawberry puree ahead of time; just assemble the stacks right before serving so the pancakes do not get soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes these 'black forest' pancakes?▼

They take their cue from black forest cake — chocolate pancakes layered with a strawberry purée, a cream cheese glaze and dark chocolate shavings. It's that classic chocolate-and-fruit-and-cream combination, stacked into a pancake tower.

How do I make the strawberry purée?▼

Blend the strawberries with just enough water to get them moving. If it comes out too thin, simmer it in a small saucepan over medium heat until it reduces to a thick, sauce-like consistency that won't run off the pancakes.

What's in the cream cheese glaze?▼

It's a simple whisk-together of 5 ounces of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and a little milk until smooth. It adds that tangy, creamy layer between the chocolate pancakes and the strawberry.

How do I keep the pancakes warm while cooking?▼

Preheat the oven to 200°F and move each finished pancake there on a baking sheet as you go, so the whole stack is warm and ready when you assemble and serve.

Can I make black forest pancakes ahead of time?▼

Yes. Cook the pancakes and make the glaze and strawberry puree in advance, then refrigerate. Warm the pancakes and assemble the stacks just before serving so they stay fresh.

Can I make them gluten-free or eggless?▼

Use oat flour in place of the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free version, and a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water) to make them eggless.

Tips for the Best Black Forest Pancakes

These black forest pancakes turn the classic German dessert into a stackable breakfast. Whisk the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into the wet ingredients — milk, egg, honey and vanilla — until you have a thick but runny batter, then cook 1/4 cup at a time in a buttered pan until bubbles form, flipping once. For the layers, blend the strawberries into a quick purée (reduce it in a saucepan if it is too thin), and stir together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and a tablespoon or so of milk for the cream cheese glaze. Stack the warm pancakes with a spread of glaze, a spoon of strawberry purée and a shower of dark chocolate shavings between each layer, finishing the top the same way. Keep cooked pancakes warm in a 200°F oven so the whole dessert comes together hot.

Make It a Classic Black Forest

This layered stack leans on fresh strawberries, but Black Forest traditionally means cherries. A few easy swaps take it in that direction:

Use cherries in place of the strawberry puree: fresh, frozen, or a good canned cherry pie filling all work.
Warm the cherries in a saucepan, and for a glossier, thicker sauce, stir in a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with a little cold water.
For grown-up servings, a small splash of kirsch (cherry brandy) is the classic Black Forest touch.
Keep the dark chocolate shavings and cream cheese glaze; they're just as good with cherries.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

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Recipe by Anadi Misra

Black Forest Pancake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Fluffy Black Forest Pancakes loaded with rich chocolate and cherries, topped with a dreamy cream cheese glaze. The ultimate indulgent breakfast treat you will want to make every weekend.

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16 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

26 min

Total

pancakes

medium

Level

Ingredients

Tap any quantity to scale

For the pancakes

(125 g) all purpose flourShop →
(5 g) baking powderShop →
(13 g) cocoa powderShop →
(300 ml) milk
large egg · make your own
(15 ml) honeyShop →
(5 ml) vanilla extractShop →
(9 g) butter(for cooking)

For the topping

Classic Cream Cheese Glaze · make your own
(65 g) strawberries
dark chocolate(finely chopped, for garnish)Shop →

For the cream cheese glaze

(142 g) cream cheese
(23 g) powdered sugarShop →
(11.3 ml) milk

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Prepare the classic cream cheese glaze as described here.
Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Prepare the classic cream cheese glaze as described here.
2
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour/oat flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients - water/milk, egg, honey and the vanilla extract.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour/oat flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients - water/milk, egg, honey and the vanilla extract.
3
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and begin whisking using either a whisk or a stand mixer, until you get a thick but runny pancake batter.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and begin whisking using either a whisk or a stand mixer, until you get a thick but runny pancake batter.
4
Heat a pan to medium heat and add some butter. Pour about ¼ cup of pancake batter. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until you start seeing bubbles at the surface.
Heat a pan to medium heat and add some butter. Pour about ¼ cup of pancake batter. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until you start seeing bubbles at the surface.
5
Then, flip the pancake and cook for 1-2 minutes. After each pancake is done, transfer to a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.
Then, flip the pancake and cook for 1-2 minutes. After each pancake is done, transfer to a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.
6
To make the quick strawberry purée, add the strawberries and just enough water to a blender, and blend until puréed. If your mixture has become too thin, you can reduce it by cooking it in a saucepan on medium heat until it reaches a thick sauce-like consistency.
To make the quick strawberry purée, add the strawberries and just enough water to a blender, and blend until puréed. If your mixture has become too thin, you can reduce it by cooking it in a saucepan on medium heat until it reaches a thick sauce-like consistency.
7
When all the pancakes have cooked, place one pancake on a plate and spread 1–2 tbsp of cream cheese glaze, followed by the strawberry purée and some of the chocolate shavings. Stack on another pancake and repeat until you've coated the top pancake. Serve hot and enjoy:)
When all the pancakes have cooked, place one pancake on a plate and spread 1–2 tbsp of cream cheese glaze, followed by the strawberry purée and some of the chocolate shavings. Stack on another pancake and repeat until you've coated the top pancake. Serve hot and enjoy:)

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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen