28th March: National Black Forest Cake Day

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

Most often, bakers layer several layers of chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherries between each layer to make Black Forest cake. Then they decorated 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, the liqueur is a mandatory ingredient. Otherwise, the cake can not legally be sold under the Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte name.

The cake is named after the specialty liquor (Schwarzwalder Kirschwasser) of the region of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mountain range in southwestern Germany.

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 layers of 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, too.