March 28 is National Black Forest Cake Day – Time to get your Torte On!

March 28th recognizes a decadent and delicious dessert on National Black Forest Cake Day. Black Forest cake is the English name for the German dessert Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, meaning “Black Forest cherry torte.”

To make a classic Black Forest Cake, bakers layer several sheets of chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then they decorate the cake with whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings. Some traditional recipes call for sour cherries between the layers and a Kirschwasser (a clear liquor distilled from tart cherries) to be added to the cake. In the United States, bakers usually do not use alcohol. However, in Germany, liqueur is a mandatory ingredient. Otherwise, the cake can not legally be sold under the Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte name.

Most will tell you the cake is named after the specialty liquor (Schwarzwalder Kirschwasser) of the region of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mountain range in southwestern Germany, but there are many other ideas on how the cake originally got its name.  Some historians say that it is possible that the cake got its name from the traditional costume worn by women in the Black Forest.  The dress was black (just like the chocolate flakes), the blouse is white (like the cream), and the hat has red pom-poms that look just like cherries.  Called Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in German, which means Black Forest Cherry Torte or Gateau.

The Black Forest Cake has a long and tasty history…

Historians believe the cake may have originated in the late 16th century in the Black Forest Region (Der Schwarzwald in German) located in the state of Baden-Wttemberg.  The name, Schwarzwald, evokes darkness and mystery coming from the romantic German concept of Waldeinsamkeit or forest-loneliness.  During this era, chocolate was first integrated into cakes and cookies.  This region is known for its sour cherries and Kirsch or Kirschwasser (a double distilled, clear cherry brandy made from the sour Morello cherry).  Combine these cherries with the Germans love of chocolate, and you have this wonderful chocolate confection with cream and cherries.  It is thought that the cake is named after this brandy.

Following history of the Black Forest Cake from the Cafe Schaefer web site: Josef Keller (1887-1981) invented what we know as the Black Forest cherry cake in 1915. Keller was the pastry chef in the Caf“Ahrend” (today called Agner) in Bad Godesberg.  In the year 1915 he created for the first time what he called a “Schwarzwälder Kirsch”, or “Black Forest Cherry”.

After his time in the military, Josef Keller established his own cafin Radolfzell.  August Schaefer learned the trade as the apprentice to Josef Keller in Radolfzell from 1924 to 1927.  After many years of collaboration, Josef Keller gave August Schaefer his recipe book which contained the original recipe.

His son, Claus Schaefer, the current Konditormeister of the Triberg CafSchaefer, inherited the book and the original recipe and has thus been able to carry on making Josef Keller’s original. Today the recipe book and the original recipe for the now world-famous “Schwarzwälder Kirsch” can be found with August Schaefer’s son, Claus Schaefer, the current head chef at Triberg’s Konditorei Schaefer.

Beyond the history of the cake, bakers and pastry chefs create elegant displays when baking Black Forest cake. The combination of rich chocolate layered with contrasting color and bold red cherries offer bakers an opportunity to design remarkable pieces. Their decadent interpretations leave us with fantastic memories and a sweet piece of cake to enjoy while you’re at it!

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Photo Credit: Lesya Dolyuk / Shutterstock.com