Black Forest gâteau (German: (), literally "Black Forest Cherry-torte"), also called Black Forest cake (American English), is a German chocolate and cream cake with a rich cherry filling. While it is most likely based on a Black Forest dessert tradition, the cake's specific origin in Germany is contested.
Typically, Black Forest gateau consists of several layers of chocolate sponge cake sandwiched with whipped cream and cherries. It is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings. In some European traditions, sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top. Traditionally the alcoholic kirschwasser, a clear spirit made from sour cherries, is added to the cake. Other spirits are sometimes used, such as rum, which is common in Austrian recipes. German law mandates that any dessert labeled must have kirschwasser.
History
It isn't entirely clear where the cake's name originates from.
According to one school of thought, the name is derived from the specialty liquor of the Black Forest region, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser), which is distilled from tart cherries. This is the ingredient that gives the dessert its distinctive cherry pit flavor and alcoholic content flavor.
Some sources claim that the name of the cake is inspired by the traditional costume of the women of the Black Forest region, with a characteristic hat with big, red pom-poms on top, called Bollenhut.
The confectioner (1887–1981) claimed to have invented in its present form in 1915 at the prominent Café Agner in Bad Godesberg, now a suburb of Bonn about north of the Black Forest. This claim, however, has never been substantiated. A long time ago, cherries, cream, and Kirschwasser were combined in the form of a dessert in which cooked cherries were served with cream and Kirschwasser, originated in Black forest region famous for its cherry trees.
The Tübingen city archivist Udo Rauch names the Tübingen master confectioner Erwin Hildenbrand of Café Walz in Tübingen as the "inventor", dated spring 1930. Tübingen, which is no longer usually associated with the Black Forest, belonged to the Black Forest district from 1818 to 1924. Given that Keller's initial recipe was not identical to the most popular interpretation of the Black Forest Cake, but instead a simpler version, it could be theorized that both confectioners influenced its creation.
was first mentioned in writing in 1934. At the time it was particularly associated with Berlin but was also available from high-class confectioners in other German, Austrian, and Swiss cities. In 1949 it took 13th place in a list of best-known German cakes.
In popular culture
The 2007 video game Portal made frequent references to a fictional Black Forest cake, inspired by a real life the developers purchased from a nearby café. The commercial success of the game, as well as the popularity of the internet meme regarding the cake, led to the Black Forest cake becoming famous among fans of the franchise.
Records
The record for the world's largest authentic Black Forest gâteau was set at Europa Park, Germany, on 16 July 2006, by K&U Bakery. Measuring nearly and weighing , the cake, which was in diameter, used up of cream, 5,600 eggs, of cherries, of chocolate shavings, and of kirsch. On 9 December 2012, a team led by chefs Jörg Mink and Julien Bompard made Asia's biggest Black Forest cake at the S-One Expo in Singapore. The cake was made from of cream, 1,500 eggs, , of chocolate shavings, and of kirsch.
A Swedish cake called is related to the traditional Black Forest gâteau only by name. It consists of layers of meringue containing finely ground roasted hazelnuts covered by a thin layer of chocolate with whipped cream in between. The whole cake is also covered with whipped cream and decorated with thin dark chocolate and cocoa powder.