The History of Black Forest Cake

An early version of Black Forest Cake may have been invented as early as the 16th century, but the modern recipe wasn’t created until the 20th century, and who exactly deserves credit for creating the dessert remains unclear. Some food historians credit a chef named Josef Keller, who created his Schwarzwälder Kirsch, or Black Forest Cherry dessert, in 1915 using cherries, schnapps, and cream. Others claim that pastry chef Erwin Hildenbrand invented the Black Forest gateau (cake) in 1930. We may never know who first created the cake, but we do know that it became extremely popular in the 1960s. We also know the origin of the cake’s unique name; Black Forest Cake didn’t get its moniker from Germany’s Baden-Württemberg region, but rather from the sour cherry brandy called Schwarzwalder kirschwasser that’s traditionally used to soak the cake, which was first crafted in the eponymous region of the country. (In fact, according to European laws, if the liqueur is not part of the recipe, the dessert cannot be considered a true Black Forest Cake). Today, Black Forest Cake is popular in many parts of Europe, the UK, and the United States, but the recipe tends to be slightly different in each region; for example, the U.S. version typically incorporates sugar syrup flavored with cherry brandy while the German version includes both cream and buttercream.