Decadent Low(er) FODMAP Black Forest Cake
I made this Low(er) FODMAP Black Forest Cake for my neighbor, Mary, for her birthday. She isn’t following the low FODMAP diet, but she indulges me in my need to make low FODMAP baked goods – hey, she gets to eat them, so it isn’t a bad deal.
This is a classic cake that involves chocolate, cream – and cherries!
Are Cherries Low FODMAP?
FRESH Cherries are low FODMAP in portions of 2 cherries, or 20 g. That is not a lot. They contain fructose and sorbitol, so if either of those FODMAPs are particularly troublesome for you, then you will not be sitting down to a bowl of cherries anytime soon.
PLEASE NOTE: Canned cherries have not been lab tested for FODMAPs. Processing can affect FODMAP levels. As always, eat to your tolerance. We have designated this recipe as possibly high for fructose and polyols, but this is an extrapolation of what we know about fresh cherries.
This is one reason we call this cake “Low(er)”.
This cake contains canned cherries, but there are not many of them. And, I consider the cherries on top of the cake as décor, that could be set aside. There are cherries chopped up and added to the filling, and they are in best-guess low FODMAP amounts.
Also, as a point of interest, we know that some fruits and vegetables become lower in FODMAPs when canned and drained, which went into our calculations and extrapolations.
Pre-FODMAP I would cook and bake with both sweet cherries as well as sour, tart cherries – and I would also go back and forth as to whether I liked my Black Forest Cake with one or the other.
The Monash app entry appears to show us sweet cherries, so that is what we have used here, canned version. So, you will need canned sweet cherries for this cake. I prefer unsweetened, but if you can only find those packed in sugar syrup, they will work.
Also, note that I call for you to shop for a 14 to 15-ounce (400 g to 430 g) can of dark, sweet cherries. This does not mean that that amount of cherries ends up in the cake.
Once drained, the weight is far less and creates a low FODMAP amount of cherries for the recipe, if you follow the serving size recommendations.
Let’s Talk Cocoa
Finding cocoa on the Monash app is not easy. It is not listed along with chocolate, which is in the Confectionery & Sugars section, it is rather listed under Beverages.
There you will see that Monash gives 8 g (about 1 U.S. tablespoon) of cocoa a Green Light. But you have to read the fine print.
Monash states that you should use caution when eating amounts greater than 200 g (7 ounces), at which point the fructan and GOS FODMAP levels kick in.
The difference between 8 g and 200 g is enormous! It means we can actually have cocoa while following the low FODMAP diet in recipes such as this.
You can read more in our article All About Cocoa.
The cake for this Low(er) FODMAP Black Forest Cake is our basic and perfect Easy Low FODMAP Chocolate Cake, which happens to be vegan on its own!
Making Lactose-Free Heavy Cream
You will need heavy cream for this recipe. Here in our supermarkets we do not have access to lactose-free heavy cream. We experimented with making our own and it is easier than you think! Check out our article on DIY Lactose-Free Dairy. Plan ahead as you might have to order some online products.
Looking for a special cake for a special day? Check out our article, 15 Low FODMAP & Gluten-Free Birthday Cakes & Celebratory Treats.
Low(er) FODMAP Black Forest Cake
This Low(er) FODMAP Black Forest Cake make a great birthday or other celebration cake!
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes 1, 8-inch (20 cm) cake; 20 slices; 1 slice per serving
Ingredients:
- 1, batch of Easy Low FODMAP Chocolate Cake, baked into 2, 8-inch (20 cm) rounds, cooled
- 1, 14 to 15- ounce (400 g to 430 g) can dark, sweet cherries, drained very well
- 2 cups (480 m) lactose-free heavy cream, purchased or DIY
- 1/3 cup (30 g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup (21 g) sifted natural or Dutch-processed cocoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pastry bag
- Star tip
- Shaved dark chocolate, optional
Preparation:
-
Prep the Cake & Cherries: Trim any domed portions of the cooled cakes. Reserve trimmings and crumble to use as decoration later.
-
Reserve 8 cherries for décor, if you like and pat them very dry with paper towels. Chop the rest of the cherries and set aside.
-
Make the Chocolate Whipped Cream: Place the cream, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa and vanilla in a chilled mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer just until soft peaks form. Take care at this point and just whip a tiny bit more until the cream is stiff but not over-whipped.
-
Set aside about one-third of chocolate whipped cream in a small mixing bowl and fold in the chopped cherries to create the filling.
-
Finish the Cake: Place one cake layer on your serving platter. Spread chocolate whipped cream filling over the top, stopping about ¼-inch (6 mm) from the edges. Place second cake layer on top and cover top and sides with most of the reserved chocolate whipped cream, smoothing with an offset spatula. Press some of the reserved cake crumbs along the bottom edge, as seen in image, if using.
-
Insert star tip in pastry bag, add some chocolate whipped cream, and pipe rosettes as desired on top of cake. Sprinkle shaved chocolate in center of cake, if using. Cake may be refrigerated at this point up to overnight in a covered cake dome. Place reserved whole cherries, patted very dry, on rosettes right before serving.
Notes:
Tips
- Many people ate surprised that you can make your own lactose-free dairy at home! Read all about it in our article, DIY Lactose-Free Dairy.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
WOW this cake looks perfect! So festive!
Natalie, thank you for the compliment! It was a pleasure to make for my neighbor Mary and I was determined to work in a low FODMAP amount of cherries! Some might think this is pushing the envelope, but it is healthier for all of us in the long run if we can eat as broadly as possible without triggering symptoms.