Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)
Germany's most famous cake — chocolate sponge layered with kirsch-soaked whipped cream, sour cherries, and chocolate shavings.
Region
Black Forest (Schwarzwald), Baden-Württemberg
Type
Dessert
Spice Level
(0/5)
Diet
Vegetarian
Where to Try
Cafés and Konditoreien nationwide; at its most authentic in the Black Forest towns of Baden-Württemberg.
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte — Black Forest gateau — is Germany's best-known cake, named for the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg. Layers of chocolate sponge are soaked with Kirschwasser (cherry brandy) and stacked with whipped cream and sour cherries, then finished with chocolate shavings and a ring of cherries on top. The first published recipe dates from 1934, and German food guidelines (the Leitsätze für Feine Backwaren) require anything sold under the name to have a clearly noticeable kirsch flavour. It appears in cafés and Konditoreien across the country and is the classic afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen treat.