Black Forest Chocolate Crepes Recipe

Put a sweet, rich, and chocolatey twist on classic crepes with this black forest cake-inspired recipe. Recipe developer Annabelle Randles brings us this irresistible take on the iconic cake, this recipe features many of the flavors reminiscent of the famous black forest cake, from the chocolate in the crepe batter to the cherries on top. Skipping the traditional cherry liquor, Randles more specifically uses whipped cream, homemade cherry sauce, fresh cherries, and chocolate shavings to create a delicious and indulgent treat that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

These crepes are best served and assembled shortly after they are cooked, however, you can prepare the ingredients in advance. The crepe batter will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day. The cherry sauce can also be made a couple of days ahead and kept in the fridge in an airtight container. Randles recommends to warm up the cherry sauce slightly just before serving if you go this route. Otherwise, you can make everything from the cherry sauce to the batter to the crepes themselves in one go, making for a Sunday morning brunch that you won't soon forget.

To make these black forest chocolate crepes you will need some all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, salt, and vegetable oil. The cherry sauce is made with frozen cherries, water, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Randles likes to serve these crepes with whipped cream, fresh cherries, and chocolate shavings.

Make the batter: In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.

Slowly whisk in the eggs.

Whisking constantly, add the milk and then the butter until the batter is completely smooth. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

In the meantime make the cherry sauce: Place all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan.

Stirring from time to time, heat the cherry mixture over medium heat until the cherries are soft and the juice has thickened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200 F.

Grease a crepe pan or flat frying pan with vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat until the pan is hot.

Pour about ⅓ cup of crepe batter in the pan and quickly swirl it around so the pan is evenly coated.

Cook the crepe for about 45 seconds.

Using a palette knife, flip the crepe and cook for another 30 seconds.

As you make the crepes, transfer them to an oven-safe dish. Keep warm in the oven covered with foil.

Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter to make 10 crepes.

Serve the crepes filled with whipped cream and topped with cherry sauce, fresh cherries, and chocolate shavings.

While crepes are relatively simple to make, Randles shares her top tips to ensure success. Choosing the right pan, paying attention to the batter, choice of fat, and cooking temperature are all small details that can make a difference. A traditional crepe pan with a slightly flared rim is ideal, but you can also use a non-stick lightweight frying pan or skillet with good heat conductivity to ensure even cooking.

Make sure the batter is smooth and thin, otherwise the crepes will be heavy. If you notice any lumps, Randles recommends blitzing the batter in a blender for 10 to 20 seconds before leaving it to rest. Resting the batter, while not essential, will result in tender crepes as the gluten will have more time to relax. For a richer taste, Randles likes to use butter in the batter and a neutral vegetable oil to cook the crepes and keep them light.

Randles also recommends that you pay close attention to the cooking temperature. The pan should be heated over medium-high heat until it is evenly very hot. You can test the temperature but adding a few drops of water which should sizzle and evaporate immediately. Depending on how quickly the crepes are cooking, you might need to adjust the heat as necessary throughout the cooking process.

Black forest cake originates, unsurprisingly, from the Black Forest region in Germany. First gaining popularity in America in the 1960s (but having been around long before then), black forest cake is now a worldwide dessert favorite, and anyone who has tasted the combination of rich chocolate and deep cherries knows why it's such a winning duo. To make the cake extra moist, the chocolate sponge cake is traditionally dipped in cherry liquor known as kirsch or kirschwasser, which is perhaps the biggest difference between the classic cake and this rendition of crepes.

Randles drew her inspiration for these black forest chocolate crepes from the classic cake recipe using whipped cream as filling as well as cherry sauce, fresh cherries, and chocolate shavings for toppings. Randles prepares the cherry sauce while the crepe batter is resting and leaves it to cool down in a pan while cooking the crepes. And, as we established, there's no cherry liqueur — however, if you prefer, you can add a dash of kirsch or kirschwasser towards the end of cooking the cherry sauce.