The Black Forest

Is a cake made from cocoa sponge cake, flavored with kirsch, and filled with cherries in syrup and whipped cream. It is covered with whipped cream and decorated with chocolate chips.

History

While cherry and cream desserts are very old in the Black Forest, the modern version of the cake dates back to 1915 when the pastry chef Josef Keller from Bad Godesberg prepared it for the first time.

The traditional costume of the inhabitants of the Black Forest consists of black, red and white, colors that are found in the cake: red cherries, white whipped cream and sponge cake with black cocoa.

It is however uncertain if the name of the cake really relates to this traditional costume, called Bollenhut. Other theories exist as to its origin.

The dark chocolate chips that decorate the cake would have given it its name because it reminds of a dark forest like the Black Forest.

The name could refer to the kirsch that is part of the cake and is made mainly in the Black Forest

There is an older version under the name of Schwarzwaldtorte, literally "Black Forest cake". However, it does not come from the Black Forest, but from Switzerland.

The first traces of this combination of ingredients probably date back to the 19th century when, in the Southern Black Forest, cherries, whipped cream and kirsch were mixed, not to make a cake, but a dessert. Candied cherries were served with cream and sometimes with some kirsch. It is possible that the Schwarzwaldtorte was a model since it consisted of a sponge cake, cherries and nuts, often with cream, but without kirsch.

The pastry chef Josef Keller claims the authorship of the Black Forest cake and says he created it for the first time in 1915 at the Café Agner, which no longer exists in his city.

According to a recipe written by Josef Keller in 1927, the cake was made with shortbread and had only one layer, unlike the current version of today.
The common characteristics were the cherry-whipped-chocolate blend and the kirsch-flavored whipped cream.

It was in 1934 that the Black Forest cake was mentioned for the first time in a writing by J.M. Erich Weber. In the recipe, the cocoa sponge cake is replaced by a hazelnut shortbread pastry, covered first with cherry jam, then with a layer of walnuts flavored with kirsch and sugar.

On top, two layers of butter cream and a set of whipped cream and cherries (eggs, sugar, milk, gelatin, cream, almonds, cooked cherries).

The final layer was composed of nuts again. Like today, the slightly vaulted surface was made of whipped cream and chocolate chips, sprinkled with icing sugar. In the 1930s, the cake was known mainly in Berlin and in the pastry shops of the big German, Austrian and Swiss cities.

Before that date, cream cakes were scarce as there were only a limited number of electric refrigerators to keep them. As a result, in 1949, the Black Forest cake was only 13th among the 15 best-known cakes in Germany.

From there, his ascent was blazing. It is today the favorite cake of the Germans and an emblem of German pastry known around the world. However, in many countries, some of its ingredients are replaced by local products or it is prepared without alcohol.

Since 2006, there has been a Black Forest cake festival (March 28th is National Black Forest Cake Day). every two years in Todtnauberg, a district of Todtnau in the Black Forest, where amateur and professional pastry chefs compete in two categories of test with their homemade creations.

Many food manufacturers use the concept of "Black Forest cake" for various foods, such as rolled cakes, yogurt or ice cream. They refer to different forms of the chocolate-cherry blend, giving up all or part of the other ingredients (sponge cake, whipped cream, kirsch).

Recipe

Cake

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2/3 cups cake flour, sifted
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Filling and frosting

1-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon kirsch or maraschino cherry juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup kirsch or maraschino cherry juice
2, 14 ounce cans sweet cherries in heavy syrup, well-drained
3-4 cups shredded chocolate

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F. Heavily grease two 8-inch round pans.
Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Beat in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Pour into prepared pans.
Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Remove cakes from pans and cut each one in half, so you end up with four layers.
Make the filling by whipping cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
Beat in cocoa powder, kirsch, and vanilla.
Assemble by placing the first cake layer on a plate, brush it with some kirsch, spread with
some of the whipped cream mixture, then spread with a third of the cherries. Hold back a few cherries for the top.
Do the same with the remaining layers, then frost with remaining frosting.
Press chocolate shavings onto the sides of cake and sprinkle on top. Decoratewith reserved cherries.

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