Black Forest Cheesecake Cake

A chocolate cake mix base with a rich and decadent cheesecake top, covered in cherry pie filling!
Black Forest cheesecake cake with cherry pie filling on top.pinitView Gallery5 photos

Black Forest Cheesecake Cake is two favorite desserts combined. Chocolate cake and a creamy baked cheesecake pair to create this awesome easy dessert. To make this into a black forest cheesecake, I use canned cherry pie filling to top it off. And, yes, believe it or not, the cheapest brand here actually has the MOST cherries!! If you want to get fancy, you can add whipped cream and chocolate flakes to the top as well.

Black Forest cheesecake cake with cherry pie filling on top.

I invented this incredibly easy dessert recipe a number of years back. Using a store-bought cake mix makes this a super simple and quick, yet impressive dessert. We don’t follow the instructions on the box, therefore, the crust is more dense, like a brownie, for this easy dessert recipe.

Black Forest cheesecake cake with cherry pie filling on top.

This post may contain affiliate links, please read myprivacy policy.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I use a standard baked cheesecake recipe for the cheesecake part. Then, just pour it onto the raw cake mix part and bake it all together. The topping can actually be whatever your favorite canned pie filling is. We often open a can of cherry pie filling and a can of blueberry pie filling to give everyone a choice. And, there are some who like this cheesecake cake plain with no pie filling on top:-)

Brownie cake mix layer with cheesecake layer on top.

History of Cheesecake

By the 5th Centure BC,ancient Greeks made the earliest known cheesecakes. These consisted of patties of fresh cheese mixed with flour and honey and cooked. In the first English cookbook, which was written in 1390, there were multiple recipes for cheesecake that had eggs and various different flavors. This love of cheesecake came to America with the British. By the 19th Century, cheesecake began to be flavored with vanilla, lemon, or other mild flavors. Cream cheese replaced the traditional curd cheese used in cheesecakes in the 1930’s. This transformed cheesecake!Cream cheese rendered the cheesecakes creamier, richer, and even more delicious! This is when the famous New York Cheesecake was born.

Why You Will LOVE Black Forest Cheesecake Cake!

  • So sweetly scrumptious!
  • Simple to assemble.
  • Uses easy to find ingredients.
  • Rich and impressive dessert recipe.
  • Decadent baked cheesecake variation!

Using a cake mix for the crust in this cheesecake recipe is kind of cheating. But hey, why not? Sometimes it’s great to have an easy, yet impressive dessert to serve! Black Forest Cheesecake Cake is super simple and quick to assemble. It really takes only 15-20 minutes to mix all of the ingredients. Then pop it in the oven for 40-50 minutes. Just plan ahead a bit so that this baked cheesecake has time to chill!!

Ingredients for Black Forest Cheesecake Cake

Ingredients for black forest cheesecake cake.

For the Cake Mix Crust

  • Cake mix, 1 box, preferrably chocoloate fudge, but any kind of chocolate cake mix will work!
  • Cooking oil, I use canola, but any mild flavor oil is fine.
  • Water
  • Egg, just one for the crust part.
Cake mix brownie crust ingredients.

For the Cheesecake Part

  • Cream cheese, this recipe uses 4×8 oz blocks, make sure they are softened before mixing.
  • Sugar, granulated
  • Vanilla extract
  • Eggs, there are 4 in the cheesecake part.
Cheesecake part ingredients.

Topping

  • Canned cherry pie filling, I actually found that the cheapest brand has the most cherries…hmmm

How to Make Black Forest Cheesecake Cake

1. Grease a 9×13 inch pan, bottom only. In a medium bowl, beat all ingredients for the cake mix crust. (this will be quite thick)

Cake mix, egg, oil, and water in a white bowl.

2. Press into the 9×13 inch pan. It will be quite thick, I use a spatula to press it down.

Brownie crust layer in a greased 9x13 inch pan.

3. In another medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Be careful to not overmix, it’s okay to have tiny lumps in the mixture.

Cheesecake ingredients mixed up.

4. Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the cake mix crust.

The two layers of black forest cheesecake cake.

5. Bake at 325°F (not convection) for 40-50 minutes. The center should still be jiggly.

Black forest cheesecake cake finished baking.

6. Spoon pie filling onto the individula pieces as desired.

Black Forest cheesecake cake with cherry pie filling on top.

For recommended items to help you make this recipe, see my Amazon Shop.

Variations

  • Change the cake mix to Devil’s Food, Red Velvet, Chocolate Fudge, or Gluten Free Chocolate Cake.
  • Add whipped cream when serving.
  • Put chocolate shavings on each slice when serving.
  • Use blueberry pie filling instead of cherry.
  • Try strawberry or raspberry pie filling.

Black Forest Cheesecake Cake

Black Forest Cheesecake Cake is two favorite desserts combined. Chocolate cake and a creamy baked cheesecake pair to create this awesome easy dessert. To make this into a black forest cheesecake, I use canned cherry pie filling to top it off.

Prep Time20 minsCook Time40 minsRest Time2 hrsTotal Time3 hrsDifficulty:BeginnerServings:18Calories:452Best Season:Suitable throughout the year

Ingredients

For the Cake Mix Crust

For the Cheesecake Part

For the Topping

Instructions

Video
OffOn

For the Cake Mix Crust

  1. Grease a 9x13 inch pan, bottom only. In a medium bowl, beat all ingredients for the cake mix crust. (this will be quite thick)

    20220820 144742 Scaled
  2. Press into the 9x13 inch pan. It will be quite thick, I use a spatula to press it down.

    20220820 145344 Scaled

For the Cheesecake Part

  1. In another medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Be careful to not overmix, it's okay to have tiny lumps in the mixture.

    20220820 145831 Scaled
  2. Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the cake mix crust.

    20220820 150054 Scaled
  3. Bake at 325°F (not convection) for 40-50 minutes. The center should still be jiggly.

    20220820 154758 Scaled

For the Topping

  1. Spoon pie filling onto the individula pieces as desired.

    20220820 162346 Scaled
Nutrition Facts

Servings 18


Amount Per Serving
Calories 452kcal
Calories from Fat 253kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 28g44%
Sodium 426mg18%
Potassium 217mg7%
Total Carbohydrate 45g15%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Sugars 24g
Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 32 IU
Vitamin E 13 IU
Vitamin K 10 mcg
Riboflavin 15 mg
Vitamin B12 12 mcg
Phosphorus 20 mg
Copper 13 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

Don't overbake, the top should be a bit jiggly when finished cooking.

Best served cold, a day after making Black Forest Cheesecake Cake.

Keep refrigerated once the cheesecake has completely cooled down.

Can use other fruit pie filling flavors.

Don't beat the cheesecake filling too much, just mix until mostly smooth.

Make sure that your cream cheese is room temperature before mixing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Expand All:
Can Black Forest Cheesecake Cake be frozen?

Yes, wrap well with plastic wrap once the black forest cheesecake cake has completely cooled. Can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave in the refrigerator overnight. Leave the pie filling off until just before serving.

How long does Black Forest Cheesecake Cake keep in the refrigerator?

This baked cheesecake will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Can I use spreadable cream cheese in Black Forest Cheesecake Cake instead of the bricks?

I would not recommend substituting the bricks completely for spreadable cream cheese. I have made this baked cheesecake with partially spreadable and partially brick cream cheeses though and it turned out fine. Using bricks will guarantee the proper final texture, but, if you are in a pinch and find you only have 3 bricks and a tub of spreadable cream cheese, that would work as well:-)

What kind of cream cheese is best for baked cheesecake?

A full fat cream cheese will produce the best textured cheesecake. Avoid the lower fat varieties as they will not produce as smooth and rich of a cheesecake texture.

What other cake mixes could be used for the base of Black Forest Cheesecake Cake?

You could use devil's food, chocolate fudge, red velvet, or jsut chocolate cake mixes. Basically, any cake mix with chocolate flavor will work for Black Forest Cheesecake Cake.

Can Black Forest Cheesecake Cake be made gluten free?

Yes, just use a gluten free cake mix for the base.

Did you make this recipe?

Recipe Card powered by WP Delicious
SA PROFILE CACHE

Rebekah Callahan

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.