Germany's most famous layered cake — dark chocolate sponge soaked in Kirschwasser cherry brandy, filled with whipped cream and sour cherries, and finished with chocolate shavings.
Origins and naming
Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte) takes its name from the Black Forest region in southwest Germany, home to Morello sour cherries and to Kirschwasser — the clear cherry-pit brandy that is the cake’s defining flavour. The earliest written recipe dates to 1934, attributed to pastry chef Josef Keller.
Kirschwasser is non-negotiable
Under German food standards, a product labelled Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte must contain Kirschwasser. The cherry spirit soaks each layer of chocolate sponge, carrying its faint almond-cherry note through the whole cake. Cheap versions substitute cherry syrup — detectable and inferior.
Assembly
The classic construction: three layers of dark chocolate Génoise sponge, each brushed generously with Kirschwasser syrup. The bottom two layers are filled with whipped cream and drained Morello cherries. The outside is masked in whipped cream, then completely covered in coarse dark chocolate shavings. A ring of whipped cream rosettes around the top edge holds maraschino cherries for garnish.
Cultural status
It remains Germany’s most internationally recognised cake. In Germany, it is closely associated with the Baden region’s food culture and is taken seriously as a craft pastry — the Kirschwasser must be genuine Black Forest Kirschwasser for the name to apply legally.
Find more foods by letter
Black Forest Cake starts with B and ends with E. Browse other foods along the same letter.
Foods that contain a letter from "Black Forest Cake":