Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

Black Forest region (Schwarzwald), Baden-Württemberg, Germany — the earliest documented recipe attributed to confectioner Josef Keller in 1915 at Café Ahrend in Bad Godesberg (not technically the Black Forest); the name likely refers to Kirschwasser produced in the Black Forest region; the cake became internationally famous through post-WWII German patisserie

The Black Forest cake — layers of chocolate Genoise soaked in Kirschwasser (cherry schnapps), filled and coated with unsweetened whipped cream, morello cherries, and decorated with chocolate shavings and more cherries — is both Germany's most internationally recognisable cake and one of the most abused: commercial versions substitute artificial cherry flavouring for Kirschwasser, whipped topping for cream, and cheap maraschino cherries for morellos, producing a travesty. The authentic Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte uses a light chocolate Genoise (not dense chocolate cake), tart preserved morello cherries (Sauerkirschen) in Kirschwasser, and unsweetened heavy cream that allows the cherry-chocolate-schnapps combination to speak. Protected Geographical Indication in Germany requires that authentic Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte contain a minimum 80g Kirschwasser per litre of cream.

Served at German Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake, traditionally 3–4pm) with a Café Latte or strong filter coffee; at German Christmas markets and bakeries; a slice with a small glass of the same Kirschwasser used in the cake is the traditional pairing; the cake must be cold (refrigerator temperature) when served — warm cream torte is structurally unstable