Is Black Forest Cake Acidic or Alkaline?
Black forest cake (baked) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Black forest cake comes in at +0.8, far below chocolate cake (+6.2), because cherries and cream make up a large part of the cake. The cream is neutral, and the cherries add potassium. As a result, the protein-rich sponge counts for less. The value says nothing about sugar, fat and kirsch, and the cake still has 258 kcal per 100 g.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, black forest cake (baked) ranks #47 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Frozen yogurt (+0.7), Brownie (+0.7), Twix (+0.6). More acid-forming are Cherry cake (+0.8), Marshmallows (+0.9), Donut (+1.2).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
What balances black forest cake
A small serving (40 g) of black forest cake adds +0.3 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is black forest cake acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Black forest cake (baked) has a PRAL of +0.8 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
Do I have to avoid black forest cake on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Black forest cake is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Black Forest Cake logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.