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The infamous..... Black Forest Gateau
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In Germany you can have your cake and eat it, too!
When one of Germany’s most well-known musicians and entertainers calls himself a 'singing Herrentorte’, you know that Germans take their traditions seriously. When you further find out that how to make a Black Forest Gateau is actually governed by state regulations, you start to get the picture that baking a cake is no laughing matter for Germans. 'Coffee and cake’ is a serious matter and is also typically German.
The art of cake making dates back to the confectioners at the courts of the French kings. And the artistic preparation of fruit pastes originated in the Arab countries and came to Germany via Italy. That said, however, according to old records, the art of cake making has existed in Germany for over 400 years.
There are countless different kinds of cakes and pastries in German patisseries and cafes – from the infamous Black Forest Gateau to other such traditional cakes as Herrentorte, Baumkuchen, Frankfurter Kranz and Dresdner Christstollen, to the various different kinds of strudel and pastries adorned with fresh fruits – as, for example, apple strudel, with or without vanilla sauce. The confectioner’s and the coffee houses may seem rather outdated and arguably too elegant these days, but the granny image certainly has not rubbed off on the cakes themselves – 'coffee and cake’ remains a tradition dear to German hearts and despite the trend these days to have a coffee to go, cake knives continue to be on the bestseller lists in lifestyle shops.
Perhaps this all has something to do with the fact that invitations to 'coffee and cake’ on a Sunday afternoon are as widespread as they are beloved. Ernie in the children’s programme Sesame Street sings, 'If I’d known you were coming, I would have baked you a cake’. And baking someone a cake – whether it’s for a wedding, a birthday, or just because you wanted to – is something that transcends generations and is a typically German gesture.
And let’s not forget that Germany not only played host to this year’s football World Cup, but it is also organising the Confectioners’ World Cup as all.
Andrea Rummel
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