There, they wear a very characteristic hat covered with red pompoms on top, which they call Bollenhut. This theory was never verified, although it is true that many years ago, cream, cherries and kirsch were combined to make a typical dessert of the region, since the presence of cherry trees in the area is very high.Īccording to other theories, the name of the black forest cake in German (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte) is a direct derivation of the Schwarzwälder Kirsch liqueur, one of the region’s specialties distilled from sour cherries.įinally, there are also those who claim that the name of this cake comes from the traditional dress of the women who live in the Black Forest.

It was in 1949 that it was ranked 13th on the list of the best and most famous German cakes.Īlthough the popular belief is that the name of this dessert is based on the “black forest” mountain range, located in the southwest of Germany, this is not really the case.Ī famous pastry chef named Josef Keller, who developed his activity during a large part of the 20th century, claimed to have been the inventor of the black forest cake (as it is known today) in 1915 when he worked at the popular Café Agner, located in Bad Godesberg, a suburb located approximately 300 miles (500 km) from the Black Forest. The Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was first mentioned in writing in 1934, and by then it was only available in fine and elegant bakeries mainly in Berlin, but also in other German, Austrian and Swiss cities. What is the origin of the black forest cake? To finish, a little cocoa powder is also added on top. This preparation consists of layers of meringue covered with chocolate and whipped cream, decorated with roasted chopped nuts. In Sweden, there is a dessert also called Schwarzwaldtårta, although the only thing it has in common with the black forest is the name. In Germany, for the black forest cake to be traditional, it must contain the aforementioned spirit. In addition, a sour cherry-based liqueur called kirschwasser is often used to soak the cake (although sometimes it can also be rum, commonly used in Austria).

While fresh cherries are generally used inside, maraschino cherries are preferable for the top. What is black forest cake?īlack forest cake is composed of several layers of rather thin chocolate sponge cake between which a good amount of whipped cream and cherries is placed, and then decorated with more cream on top, along with grated chocolate. The original name of this dessert is Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, which literally translates as “black cherry forest cake”. Black forest cake is a spongy chocolate cake typical of Germany filled with cream and a large amount of cherries.

German black forest cake recipe easy