Black Forest Ice Cream Sundae

Brown sugar cherries, vanilla ice cream with sea salt, and a generous dollop (or two) of chocolate meringue, these Black Forest Ice Cream Sundaes are perfect for summer. Think of a combination between a baked alaska, a black forest cake, and an ice cream sundae.

What are the three main types of meringue?

Italian, Swiss, and French meringue are the three main types of meringue. This recipe is made with Swiss meringue which is where the egg whites are cooked over a pot of simmering water with sugar and then whipped into stiff peaks. Swiss meringue is great because it doesn’t need to be baked and keeps a soft marshmallowy type of texture.

How to make a chocolate meringue?

To transform a vanilla meringue into a chocolate meringue, simply sift and fold cocoa powder into the already whipped meringue. It’s important to add the cocoa after the meringue is whipped because otherwise it will become runny and not stiff and marshmallowy. I like to use the natural or blended cocoa powder from Saco Pantry for the best flavor.

Do you have to torch meringue?

The egg whites are already cooked so torching it is very much optional. If you have a blow torch, it can be fun to torch the meringue to give it that crispy texture but it’s definitely not necessary.

Can these be made in advance?

While I don’t recommend assembling these ice cream sundaes in advance, you can prep all of the elements. The cherries can be cooked, the ice cream purchased or made, and the chocolate meringue whipped and stored in the fridge, in advance of serving the recipe.

Tips for making a Black Forest Ice Cream Sundae

• Fresh or frozen cherries will work for the bottom of the sundae but I prefer fresh if they’re in season. Don’t stress if you don’t have kirsch you can replace it with bourbon or just replace it with a splash of water.
• When making meringue, the most important tip tis to make sure the bowl and whisk are clean and that no egg yolk or shell gets into the egg white. These will all ensure the egg whites whip into stiff peaks.
• Eggs are easiest to separate when they are cold and unlike other meringue, the egg whites don’t need to come to room temperature before whipping because they will get heated up with a double boiler.
• If you don’t have a double boiler, no stress. Simply place a metal mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water. The bowl should be a bit bigger than the top of the pot so that it sits above the simmering water and not in it.
• The easiest way to check and see if the meringue is finished cooking, is to rub the egg whites between your fingers and feel if the sugar has fully dissolved. If you can still feel sugar granules keep cooking, if its smooth you can take it off the heat.
• The easiest way to get a clean scoop of ice cream is to run the ice cream scoop under hot water between each scoop.
• Have all elements of the ice cream sundae ready before you start to assemble.

Additional Cake Recipes to try!

• Black Forest Cake
• Black Forest Ice Cream
• Spaghettieis | German Spaghetti Ice Cream

Black Forest Ice Cream Sundae Ingredients

• Brown Sugar: Dark or light brown sugar will work for cooking down the cherries. To be honest you could use white sugar too but I love the taste of brown sugar with cherries for a slightly warmer flavor.
• Cherries: I used dark sweet fresh cherries but frozen or even sour cherries would all work. If you use sour cherries, I recommend adding more sugar to taste as needed.
• Kirsch: Kirsch is an optional addition but it tastes delicious with the other elements. The the alcohol cooks out leaving the flavor behind without the alcohol content.
• Vanilla Ice Cream: I chose plain vanilla ice cream but you could use any type of ice cream!
• Flaky sea salt: A little flaky sea salt balances out all of the sweetness.
• Egg Whites: Egg whites are the basis of meringue, just be sure there’s no egg yolk or shell mixed in.
• Sugar: White granulated sugar is used to give structure and sweetness to the meringue. I don’t recommend replacing it with any other sugar.
• Fine Sea Salt: A small amount of salt balances out the sweetness and helps with the structure of the meringue.
• Cocoa Powder: I prefer to use this cocoa powder from Saco Pantry for the best flavor.

How to make a Black Forest Ice Cream Sundae

Brown Sugar Kirsch Cherries

• Rinse, de-stem, and pit the cherries. Add the cherries into a small sauce pot along with the brown sugar and kirsch.
• Cook on medium heat until the liquid becomes syrupy and the cherries have just softened.
• Remove from the heat and pour the cherries into a separate bowl to cool.
• If making in advance, cover the cherries and store in the fridge until ready to use. You can always warm them slightly in a microwave before serving.

Chocolate Meringue

• In a large metal mixing bowl (or the bowl portion of a double boiler) add in the egg whites, a pinch of salt, and white granulated sugar.
• In a separate pot (or the bottom of a double boiler) add in two inches of water. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and then turn the heat to low to keep it simmering.
• Place the mixing bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved into the egg whites. Check to make sure that the mixture is done cooking by rubbing some of it between your fingers and feeling if the sugar has fully dissolved. If it is fully dissolved, turn off the heat and remove the bowl from the pot.
• Allow the mixture to cool for 5-10 minutes. Use an electric mixer to whip the meringue on high speed until almost stiff peaks form. We’re going for a s’mores marshmallowy kind of texture.
• Sift the cocoa powder into the meringue and then use a rubber spatula to fold the cocoa into the meringue.

Assemble

• Divide the cherries into the glasses or bowls you plan to serve the sundaes in.
• Add one scoop of ice cream on top of the cherries followed by a sprinkle of sea salt.
• Top each one off with a generous dollop (or more) of the chocolate meringue.
• Optionally torch the meringue with a kitchen blow torch for a baked alaska vibe.

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