| Black Forest gâteau | |
| Alternate Name: | Black Forest cake |
| Country: | Germany |
| Creator: | Josef Keller (contested)[1] |
| Main Ingredient: | Chocolate cake, cherries, whipped cream, Kirschwasser |
Black Forest gateau (German: (in German pronounced as /ˈʃvaʁt͡svɛldɐ ˈkɪʁʃˌtɔʁtə/), literally "Black Forest Cherry-torte"), also called Black Forest cake, is a 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. Traditionally Kirschwasser, a clear alcoholic 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.[2]
The origin of the cake's name is not entirely clear.
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.[3] 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.[4]
The Tübingen city archivist Udo Rauch names the Tübingen master confectioner Erwin Hildenbrand of Café Walz in Tübingen as the "inventor", dated spring 1930.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]
See also: The cake is a lie.
The 2007 video game Portal made frequent references to a fictional Black Forest cake,[8] inspired by a real life the developers purchased from a nearby café.[9] 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.[10] [11]
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.[12] [13] Measuring nearly 80m2 and weighing 3000kg (7,000lb), the cake, which was 10metres in diameter, used up 700L of cream, 5,600 eggs, 800kg (1,800lb) of cherries, 40kg (90lb) of chocolate shavings, and 120L of kirsch.[14] 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[15] in Singapore. The 500kg (1,100lb) cake was made from 165L of cream, 1,500 eggs, 68kg (150lb), 60kg (130lb) of chocolate shavings, and 10L of kirsch.[16]
The cake is popular around the world more so than in Germany itself, where it is often considered uninteresting or old-fashioned. The recipe was exported from Germany through cultural exchange and emigration prior to and following World War II. The alcohol helped the cake keep in warmer climates, and the cake's ingredients could be easily adapted by different cultures—swapping the cherries for a local fruit, or omitting the alcohol in Muslim countries, for example. Its popularity in parts of the world has sometimes led chefs and bakers to believe it is a local dessert.[17] A Swedish cake called is related to the traditional Black Forest gâteau only by name, consisting of meringue layers and hazelnuts covered by whipped cream and decorated with thin dark chocolate and cocoa powder.[18]