Black Forest Cake

The Black Forest region of southern Germany (Der Schwarzwald) is known for its sour Morello cherries and for Kirsch, or Kirschwasser, a double-distilled, clear cherry brandy made from them. It’s not surprising, then, that desserts made with both the cherries and the Kirsch are part of the regional repertoire. Its German name is Schwarzwälderkirschtorte, Black Forest Cherry Torte (torte is the German word for cake).

Black Forest Cake is a chocolate layer cake, with added layers of whipped cream and Kirsch-soaked morello cherries. The cake is then decorated with more whipped cream, morello or maraschino cherries, and chocolate curls or shavings. The cake layers are also soaked in a Kirsch syrup (although brandy or rum can be used). American recipes tend to omit the spirits to make the cake more family-friendly.

The earliest version of the recipe possibly dates back to the late 16th century. The first “Black Forest Cake” was probably not a conventional cake but a dessert comprising cooked cherries, cream, Kirsch and a biscuit—similar to the original berry shortcake. The meaning of ‘cake’ has changed over time, and the first cake was: A comparatively small flattened sort of bread, round, oval, or otherwise regularly shaped. In Middle English it meant a small flat bread roll.

German national Karl Fredrich Von Rumohr mentioned combinations of chocolate cake and sour fruit in his Essence of Cookery [1822]: "In many German towns, pastry and cake 'factories' have risen from the ruins of the art of true housekeeping. I have seen cakes emerging from these places with layers of tart fruit, chocolate, vanilla, almond paste, sour preserves and insipid sweetness." (Barbara Yeomans translation [Prospect Books:London] 1993 (p. 131). He does not provide a recipe for these items.

While the ingredients and general method of Black Forest Cake can be traced through hundreds of years, food historians generally agree this recipe belongs to the 20th century. We find no evidence of anything close to Black Forest Cake, as we know it today, in our small collection of 19th-20th century German-American cooking texts. The earliest recipes we find are dated 1960s.

Authentic Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwäld Kirsch Kuchen)
from Bekah Goertzen, submitted to http://www.recipezaar.com

"As a German woman, it breaks my heart to see all of these 'black forest cakes' in North America made with sickeningly sweet icing and gross cherry pie filling.This cake isn't meant to be very sweet but is rather a dessert for adults with deep rich flavours and enough alcohol to make your head spin! If you cannot get fresh cherries you can use canned Bing cherries but please do not use cherry pie filling because it will take away from the authentic taste of the cake. If can't find Kirsch do not use another type of alcohol because it will not turn out the same - instead use cherry juice. Because of the high alcohol content only serve this to adults."

Note: This cake takes two days to bake. The first day the cake is baked and soaked with Kirsch. After layering the cake with the filling, it is placed in the refrigerator for a day to allow the Kirsch to soak in and moisten the cake. The next day when you serve it, the cream is whipped and the cake iced and decorated with cherries and chocolate shavings, ready for eating.

Cake 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Filling 1/2 cup kirsch 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3 cups icing sugar 1 pinch salt 1/4 cup espresso 1 1/2 lbs fresh black cherries (can use canned Bing cherries in a pinch)

Icing 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/8 cup kirsch 2 tablespoons dry milk 2 tablespoons icing sugar 1/2 cup shaved dark chocolate

Pit most of the cherries leaving about 10 for decoration on top of the cake. Take the pitted cherries and soak them in a jar of the 1/2 cup Kirsch overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of three 9 inch round cake pans with parchment. Sift the dry cake ingredients together. Cream the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk and mix well. Pour evenly into the cake pans. Bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Cool and remove the cakes. Prick the tops of the cakes with a toothpick and pour the 1/2 cup of Kirsch (that the cherries soaked in) onto the cake.

In a bowl beat the butter until light and creamy. Add the icing sugar, salt and espresso and mix well. If the icing is too thick add Kirsch or cherry juice. Cut the cherries into halves. Place the base layer on top of your cake tray, spread 1/2 of the icing over one top, cover with cherries and top with another layer of cake. Spread the second half of the filling over that layer of cake, cover with cherries and top with the third layer of cake. Cover this and let sit in the fridge for a day or two to allow the kirsch to soak into the cake and become moist.

The day you're going to serve this cake prepare the icing. Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Gently fold in the dry milk and icing sugar. Add the vanilla and pour in the Kirsch until it's a good consistency. If you like more icing double this recipe. Spread the icing over all of the cake. Place the fresh, intact cherries on top for decoration and cover the top with the chocolate shavings. Serve and enjoy!

Serves 8