1. History

2. Records

3. Schwarzwaldtårta

4. See also

5. References

6. External links

Black Forest gâteau (British English) or Black Forest cake (American English) is a chocolate sponge cake with a rich cherry filling based on the German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte ({{IPA-de|ˈʃvaʁt͡svɛldɐ ˈkɪʁʃˌtɔʁtə|pron}}), literally "Black Forest Cherry-torte".

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. In some European traditions, sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top.^[2] Traditionally, kirschwasser, a clear spirit made from sour cherries, is added to the cake.^[3] Other spirits are sometimes used, such as rum, which is common in Austrian recipes. In India, Black Forest gateau is generally prepared without alcohol. German law mandates that kirschwasser must be present in the cake for it to be labelled a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.^[4]

History

The dessert is not directly named after the Black Forest mountain range in southwestern Germany, but from the speciality liquor of that region, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) and distilled from tart cherries. This is the ingredient, with its distinctive cherry pit flavour and alcoholic content, that gives the dessert its flavour. Cherries, cream, and Kirschwasser were first combined in the form of a dessert in which cooked cherries were served with cream and Kirschwasser, while a cake combining cherries, cookies / biscuits and cream (but without Kirschwasser) probably originated in Germany.

Some sources claim that the name of the cake is inspired by the traditional costume of the women of the Black Forest region, with a characteristic hat with big, red pom-poms on top, called Bollenhut.

The confectioner {{Interlanguage link multi|Josef Keller|de|3=Josef Keller (Konditor)}} (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 about 500 km (300 miles) north of the Black Forest. This claim, however, has never been substantiated.^[5]

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was first mentioned in writing in 1934.^[6]{{dubious|date=February 2016}} 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{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}}.

Records

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.^[7][8] Measuring nearly 80{{Spaces}}m² (900 sq ft) and weighing 3,000{{Spaces}}kg (3 tons), the cake, which was 10{{Spaces}}metres (33 feet) in diameter, used up 700{{Spaces}}litres (150 imperial gallons) of cream, 5,600 eggs, 800{{Spaces}}kg (1800lb) of cherries, 40{{Spaces}}kg (90lb) of chocolate shavings, and 120{{Spaces}}litres (30 gallons){{Fix|text=Make units consistent, we have a mix of Imperial and US gallons.}} of kirsch.^[9] 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^[10] in Singapore. The 500-kg (1100lb) cake was made from 165{{Spaces}}litres (40 gallons) of cream, 1,500 eggs, 68{{Spaces}}kg (150lb) of cherries, 60{{Spaces}}kg (130lb) of chocolate shavings, and 10{{Spaces}}litres (20 pints) of kirsch.^[11]

Schwarzwaldtårta

A Swedish cake called Schwarzwaldtårta is related to the traditional Black Forest gâteau only by name. It consists of layers of meringue with whipped cream in between. The whole cake is also covered with whipped cream and decorated with chocolate.

See also

• List of cakes
• List of cherry dishes
• List of German desserts
• Zuger Kirschtorte

References

External links

• {{Commons category-inline}}
• {{cookbook-inline|Black Forest Torte}}

• Event segment
• Event Segment
• Events from the 2010 acadamy awards
• Events held at the Arena Zagreb
• Events in 1914
• Events in 1969
• Events in Krakow
• Events in the Life of Harold Washington
• Events leading to the First Anglo-Sikh War
• Events management
• EventsML-G2
• Events named massacres
• Events New South Wales
• Events of May
• Events of National Historic Significance
• Events of September 11, 2001
• Events Organiser
• Events preceding the Mountain Meadows massacre
• Events surrounding September 11, 2001
• Event Stream Processing
• Event (synchronization primitive)
• Event-trace diagram
• Event tree
• Event trees
• Eventualists