There are a lot of Black Forest Cake strains out there, but this is a special one because it really leans into the dessert side, crossing Strawberry Jam with the ever-smooth Ice Cream Cake.
While Strawberry Jam is new to me, I am familiar with Ice Cream Cake (review here) and will give pretty much any flower in the “dessert” category a go.
It had been a while (too long tbh) since I’d seen Fox Hollow Flora on shelves, a farm I hold in the uppermost echelon of Oregon craft royalty.
So when I saw a cake strain on Oregrown’s menu with a twist being offered by one of my old favorites, I knew I had to have it.
Leaning in for a big pre-comittal sniff was plenty to seal the deal, with that familiar, bold, buttery Ice Cream Cake scent profile I like, but with a slightly sweeter lean than I recalled.
I also got the last quarter ounce in the jar, so it had been moving fast, which is a testament to Fox Hollow’s commitment to the craft of cultivation.
Appearance: Mossy Amethyst Nugs
Cannabis flower rich in dark purple amethyst hues always catches my eye, and this Black Forest Cake abounds in the purp, although there is a healthy smattering of rich forest moss greens in there as well.
Unfortunately, I smoked through most of my quarter ounce before I remembered I needed to take pictures for this review, so unfortunately, all I’ve got is my last gram or so before I finished it.
My reviews are usually picture-rich, so if this is your first visit to this blog, I apologize. You will find much better pictures in most reviews.
It’s worth noting, too, whenever I smoke most of my weed before I remember to take pictures of it, that usually indicates it’s some pretty bomb bud, which this most certainly was!
Smell: Walking Past The Cakery
Second-hand vape scents aromatized notes of fresh crayons and fresh sourdough with perhaps a bit of black cherry jam spread over top.
From a distance, you could equate this smell to a freshly baked chocolate cherry cake because of the dryer cacao notes as well.
When vaped, there is a fun little buttery honey note, subdued and in proportion to the bready mouth you get on exhale. The flavor experience, particularly noticeable when vaped in a handheld or with a ball vape through a bubbler, is a delightful one of Trefoil cookies and cold whipped cream.
The exhale has a little twist, with a cheeky slap of volatile fumes and dark cherry, resulting in similar parting pleasures to those of a well-crafted Negroni.
That’s not to say this has a Negroni-like alcohol bite or punch or anything like that; it’s a super tame vape and a smooth combustion experience all around.
I will admit I was hoping for a little more of that Strawberry Jam to come through. Although I’ve never smoked that particular strain, I am a big fan of strawberry terpene profiles (hello ocimene).
So if you’re thinking you’re going to get say, Strawberry Fizz levels of berry out of this, think again, this is definitely more on the Ice Cream Cake spectrum, just perhaps a tad bit sweeter, like the breeze off a real strawberry patch vs a full-on strawberry pie.
If you’re a big berry pie lover, check my Grape Pie strain review, and if you prefer grape over strawberry, then this Grape Cream Cake review may be of interest to you as well.
Sensation: Smooth Smoke for Sedate Days
This review was composed in late September in Oregon, as the summer seemingly decided to give way to winter, complete with overcast skies and scattered light rain showers.
Black Forest Cake was a perfect accompaniment to this weather. Soft, warm, smooth…it’s everything you instinctually crave when the weather cools off.
If you prefer indica/sativa labels for your hybrids, then I’d tell you this one is more on the indica side of the spectrum, effects-wise.
Lazy eyelids, groovy music-feelin, feel-the-carpet-beneath-your-feet kind of effects.
In the sensation department, this is very familiar to regular Ice Cream Cake. Lowkey and chill, my preferred default mode when I’m rollin up and lookin to relax.
Overall, I’ve been very happy with this quarter-ounce purchase, and it looks like I’m going to finish it before I finish my quarter of Now N Later, which is itself a lovely candy gasser, so that’s saying something.
I’ve found Black Forest Cake to be a slightly softer, more easygoing younger cousin to the original Ice Cream Cake, so beloved among connoisseurs.
That isn’t to say Black Forest Cake is any lesser; it’s just a slightly different riff off a popular melody and something I could happily smoke on all day.
So if you’re into any of the cakes, whether that be Wedding Cake, Kush Cake, or Ice Cream Cake, then Black Forest Cake will be one to try.
