Beauty from the Beast

Black Forest Cake is a beautiful 4 layered cake straight from the mountains of Germany. The Black Forest gateau consists of several layers of chocolate sponge (soaked in cherry liqueur) sandwiched with whipped cream and cherries. This cake was initially made with alcohol distilled from tart cherries, but now uses rum and brandy.

The black forest is a big hit because of its authentic yet rustic standards it follows to this very day. It is associated with a particular alcohol which is made from the Schwarz Wald forest (Black Forest) in Germany and called Schwartzwalder Kirsch(wasser). These heavily dense forest grow beautiful Morello cherries which are world famous for their natural sourness. These cherries balance the cake’s sweetness and make it a perfect symphony.

Josef Keller — the man behind this cake — made it during the early 1900’s. As delectable and decadent as the dense forests cake is, it is inspired from the famous Bollenhut (the traditional German hat a lady wears) that resembles the colours of the Black forest cherry cake. The black dress is the dark chocolate cake, the white shirt with Balloon puffy sleeves are the light real whipped cream, the 8–11 red pompoms are the cherries, and the black undulating lace veil, shielding the young woman’s eyes are represented by chocolate curls.

There are many versions of the cake form around the world, not only has it been altered but new ingredients have been added, redefining the entire concept. The art of eating this cake is to generally pair it with soft cream and coffee, making it a quick evening snack or a late-dinner dessert. It definitely adds a sense of pride to know where our favourite foods come from, but it’s even better to savour these from time-to-time.