Dish · german

Black Forest Cake

Layers of chocolate sponge soaked in kirsch, filled with whipped cream and cherries, stacked and finished with more cream and chocolate shavings.

Where it comes from

Named for the Black Forest region of southwestern Germany, home to the cherry brandy traditionally soaked into the sponge, though the cake's deeper link to the region's cooking is debated among historians.

What cooks argue about

How much kirschwasser goes into the syrup is the real fight: a generous soak is traditional and distinctly boozy, while a light hand or none at all draws claims it isn't really Black Forest cake.

Nobody has published a black forest cake recipe yet. The page stays out of search until one exists, which is the rule for every thin page here.