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Black Forest gateau

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Black Forest gateau
Alternative namesBlack Forest cake (United States)
Place of originGermany
Created byJosef Keller (contested)[1]
Main ingredientsChocolate cake, cherries, whipped cream, Kirschwasser

Black Forest gateau, sometimes spelled gâteau (German: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (pronounced [ˈʃvaʁt͡svɛldɐ ˈkɪʁʃˌtɔʁtə] ⓘ), literally "Black Forest cherry torte") and called Black Forest cake in the United States, is layer cake consisting of chocolate sponge cake, whipped cream and cherry fillings and toppings. 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.[2] Other spirits are sometimes used, such as rum, which is common in Austrian recipes. German law mandates that any dessert labelled Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte must have Kirschwasser.[3]

History

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Slice of cake showing cherries between the layers
Individual cupcakes based on Black Forest cake

The origin of the cake's name is unclear. The confectioner Josef Keller [de] (1887–1981) claimed to have invented Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in its present form in 1915 at the prominent Café Agner in Bad Godesberg, now a suburb of Bonn and actually some 300 km (190 mi) north of the Black Forest. The claim, however, has never been substantiated.[4] Centuries ago, cherries, cream, and Kirschwasser were combined in the form of a dessert in which cooked cherries were served with cream and Kirschwasser. This tradition originated in the Black Forest region of southwestern Germany, known for its many cherry groves.[5]

The Tübingen city archivist Udo Rauch names the Tübingen master confectioner Erwin Hildenbrand of Tubingen's Café Walz as the dessert's "inventor", dating its creation to spring 1930.[6] The city, not usually associated with the Black Forest, nonetheless belonged to the Black Forest district from 1818 to 1924. Given that Keller's initial recipe was not identical to the most popular interpretations of the cake, being instead a simpler version, it could be speculated that both confectioners influenced its creation.

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was first mentioned in writing in 1934.[7][2] At the time, it was particularly associated with Berlin but was also available from higher-end confectioners in other German, Austrian, and Swiss cities. In 1949, Black Forest gateau took 13th place in a comprehensive list of well-known German cakes.[2] The 2007 video game Portal references a Black Forest cake, inspiring an internet meme.[8][9]

Records

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The record for the world's largest authentic Black Forest gateau was set at Europa Park, Germany, on 16 July 2006, by K&U Bakery.[10][11] Measuring nearly 80 m2 (860 sq ft) and weighing 3,000 kg (6,600 lb), the cake, which was 10 m (33 ft) in diameter, used up 700 L (180 US gal; 150 imp gal) of cream, 5,600 eggs, 800 kg (1,800 lb) of cherries, 40 kg (88 lb) of chocolate shavings, and 120 L (32 US gal; 26 imp gal) of kirsch.[12] 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[13] in Singapore. The 500 kg (1,100 lb) cake was made from 165 L (44 US gal; 36 imp gal) of cream, 1,500 eggs, 68 kg (150 lb), 60 kg (130 lb) of chocolate shavings, and 10 L (21 US pt; 18 imp pt) of kirsch.[14]

Regional variations

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A Swedish Schwarzwaldtårta

The recipe was exported from Germany through cultural exchange and emigration prior to (and following) World War II. The alcohol in the kirsch helped the cake keep better in warmer climates, and its ingredients could be easily adapted by different cultures—swapping the cherries for a local fruit or omitting the alcohol in Muslim countries, for example. The cake's popularity in some parts of the world has occasionally led chefs and bakers to believe that the dessert is of local origin.[15] A Swedish cake called Schwarzwaldtårta is related to the traditional Black Forest gateau only by name; it contains no cherries at all but consists of meringue layers and hazelnuts covered by whipped cream and decorated with thin dark chocolate and cocoa powder.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Black Forest Cake History and Recipe, Schwarzwälderkirschtorte, Whats Cooking America". whatscookingamerica.net. May 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Germany: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cherry Cake)". European Cuisines. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Leitsätze für Feine Backwaren" (PDF). Bmelv.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  4. ^ Confectionery Museum Kitzingen, data collection about the Black Forest Cherry Cake in history Archived 25 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Erfindung: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte - Schwarzwaldregion Belchen".
  6. ^ "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte – TUEpedia". www.tuepedia.de (in German). Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  7. ^ J. M. Erich Weber (1934). 250 Konditorei-Spezialitäten und wie sie entstehen: Der praktische Unterricht in 500 Bildern von Werdegängen aus 24 Fachabteilungen bei kleinster Massenberechnung. Radebeul-Dresden. p. 368.
  8. ^ DelGreco, Marina (27 January 2021). "Portal's GLaDOS Gives the Perfect 'National Chocolate Cake Day' Recipe". Game Rant. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  9. ^ "The 'Portal' cake is not a lie ... almost". NBC News. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Weltgrößte Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte im Europa-Park - Europa-Park". Freizeitpark-welt.de. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  11. ^ "Deutschlandmagazin 3.0 - Deutschlandmagazin 3.0 - Nachrichten Germany - Deutschland aus Lifestyle Politik Reise und Tourismus Auto Motor Sport | Schwarzwald". Deutschlandmagazin.com. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  12. ^ OC Projects GmbH, Kaarst. "Torten News | Größte Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte der Welt hergestellt". paradisi.de. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  13. ^ "A "Day Trip" to Stuttgart, Germany for Tanjong Pagar Residents". S-One Expo. 6 December 2012. Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  14. ^ "STOMP - Singapore Seen - Feast your eyes on Asia's biggest black forest cake -- made and eaten in S'pore". Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  15. ^ Krishna, Priya (1 May 2024). "How Did Black Forest Cake Become the World's Favorite Dessert?". The New York Times. p. D1. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Schwarzwaldtårta - Per Morbergs recept | Recept från Köket.se". Köket.se. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
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