National Black Forest Cake

Did you know:

• Typically, Black Forest cake consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer.

• In some European traditions sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top.

• Traditionally, Kirschwasser (a clear liquor distilled from tart cherries) is added to the cake, although other liquors are also used

• The cake is named not directly after the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mountain range in southwestern Germany but rather from the specialty liquor of that region, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) and distilled from tart cherries.

• Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was first mentioned in writing in 1934.