An injury time goal from Lewis McGugan gave Forest a well deserved equalizer to maintain their unbeaten away record.
It was an evenly matched, fluid, attacking first half with Forest starting really well and creating some lovely football, but without troubling the Cardiff keeper.
As Cardiff got into the game they had some good shots on target and Lee Camp did well to make three excellent saves.
Cardiff took the lead just after the hour mark and it looked like Forest might suffer their first away defeat of the season, but they continued to battle and were rewarded with the late equalizer.
Five minutes in, Forest had the first half-chance of the game from a flick on by Joe Garner towards David McGoldrick who timed his run perfectly and got goalside of Mark Kennedy, but by then the angle was too tight for him to get a good shot on goal.
The referee waved away calls for a penalty when Paul Anderson beat Adam Matthews for pace as they ran into the box, but the contact was very slight and the referee was unimpressed when Anderson went down.
And things almost opened up when McGoldrick picked up the through ball and crossed it into the six-yards box where Radoslaw Majewski was robbed of the ball at the vital moment.
A good period of pressure from Forest ended with them coming close but Anderson, getting on the end of a great header down from Joe Garner, screwed the ball just wide of the far post.
A superb double save from Lee Camp prevented the home side from taking the lead. The first was a tremendous shot from Peter Whittingham, the ball was parried back to Joe Ledley who followed up, forcing the second save from the Forest keeper.
And there was another great save when Michael Chopra flicked the ball on and it fell to Whittingam, whose effort from 25yards saw Camp flying to his left to tip the ball out.
After a good period of pressure by Forest they gave the ball away and, when Ledley's cross ended up at Chris Burke's feet, Wes Morgan reacted quickly to block the ball and put it out for a corner.
Cardiff won a free kick and Kelvin Wilson picked up a yellow card for a foul on Jay Bothroyd outside the right hand corner of the penalty area.
Then a late challenge by Whittingham on Gunter in the 44th minute caused arguments between both sets of players, but the referee waited for it to die down before producing the yellow card to Whittingham.
In torrential rain Forest won a free kick in stoppage time and Radoslaw Majewski's effort from 25 yards out went over the wall, but just wide of the left post.
Early in the second half, Forest were caught out when Bothroyd made a break and when the linesman's flag stayed down he should have had time to get a shot in, but Wilson did well to catch up with him and get in an excellent challenge.
Cardiff kept on the pressure and from the second of two corners in quick succession Camp took the pace off Ledley's effort from 6 yards out and it was cleared off the line by Majewski.
And as Forest made a break Majewski's effort from 18 yards took a deflection and fell into the arms of David Marshall.
A lovely ball played forward by Majewski found McGoldrick but he was too near the line to get a good shot in and his effort found the side netting.
It was to be Majewski's last move of the game as Billy Davies brought Dele Adebola on in the 62nd minute to try and win the game.
But it was Cardiff who took the lead just a minute later when they carved Forest open and Chopra slotted the ball through to Bothroyd who sent it past a diving Camp to bury it in the far corner of the net.
Garath McCleary was brought on soon after to replace Joe Garner.
Forest missed a chance to equalize when McCleary crossed the ball to McGoldrick, but his effort from 18 yards out was weak and went straight to the Cardiff keeper.
Lewis McGugan became the final Forest substitute when he came on to make his 99th appearance for Forest, replacing Guy Moussi.
Forest put up a good fight towards the end of the half and had a chance from a corner. After good delivery by Chris Cohen the ball came over a crowd of bodies to the far post where Wilson's view was impeded and he was unable to get a shot in.
As the rain teemed down in torrents, Forest again pushed forward but with seven forward they missed their chance and Cardiff were quick to make a break.
But Forest were quickly on the break themselves and were rewarded with an injury time equaliser in the first of four minutes stoppage time. When Adebola was pushed off the ball it fell to McGugan whose superb shot from the edge of the penalty area almost went through the back of the net.
As Forest fought to hold onto the point the referee finally blew his whistle in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Nottingham Forest: Lee Camp, Chris Gunter, Wes Morgan, Kelvin Wilson, Chris Cohen, Paul Anderson, Paul McKenna(C), Guy Moussi(Lewis McGugan, 77min), Radoslaw Majewski(Dele Adebola, 62min), Joe Garner(Garath McCleary, 66min), David McGoldrick
Subs not used: Paul Smith, James Perch, Luke Chambers, Joel Lynch,
Bookings: Wilson 37min
Scorer: McGugan 90+1min
Cardiff City: David Marshall, Adam Matthews, Mark Kennedy, Mark Hudson(C), Anthony Gerrard, Peter Whittingham, Stephen McPhail,(Gavin Rae 26min) Chris Burke, Joe Leadley, Michael Chopra, Jay Bothroyd
Subs not used: Peter Enckelman, Gabor, Gyepes, Paul Quinn, , Solomon Taiwo, Warren Feeney, Ross McCormack
Bookings: Whittingham 45min, Chopra 90+2min
Scorer: Bothroyd 63min
Referee: G Salisbury
Attendance: 20,413
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