Cakes are made from various combinations of refined flour, some form of shortening,

sweetening, eggs, milk, leavening agent, and flavoring. There are literally thousands of cakes
recipes (some are bread-like and some rich and elaborate) and many are centuries old. Cake
making is no longer a complicated procedure.

Baking utensils and directions have been so perfected and simplified that even the amateur
cook may easily become and expert baker. There are five basic types of cake, depending on
the substance used for leavening.

The most primitive peoples in the world began making cakes shortly after they discovered
flour. In medieval England, the cakes that were described in writings were not cakes in the
conventional sense. They were described as flour-based sweet foods as opposed to the
description of breads, which were just flour-based foods without sweetening.

Bread and cake were somewhat interchangeable words with the term cake being used for
smaller breads. The earliest examples were found among the remains of Neolithic villages
where archaeologists discovered simple cakes made from crushed grains, moistened,
compacted and probably cooked on a hot stone. Todays version of this early cake would be
oatcakes, though now we think of them more as a biscuit or cookie.
Cakes were called plakous by the Greeks, from the word for flat. These cakes were
usually combinations of nuts and honey. They also had a cake called satura, which was a
flat heavy cake.

During the Roman period, the name for cake (derived from the Greek term) became
placenta. They were also called libum by the Romans, and were primarily used as an
offering to their gods. Placenta was more like a cheesecake, baked on a pastry base, or
sometimes inside a pastry case.

The terms bread and cake became interchangeable as years went by. The words
themselves are of Anglo Saxon origin, and its probable that the term cake was used for the
smaller breads. Cakes were usually baked for special occasions because they were made with
the finest and most expensive ingredients available to the cook. The wealthier you were, the
more likely you might consume cake on a more frequent basis.

By the middle of the 18th century, yeast had fallen into disuse as a raising agent for cakes in
favor of beaten eggs. Once as much air as possible had been beaten in, the mixture would be
poured into molds, often very elaborate creations, but sometimes as simple as two tin hoops,
set on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. It is from these cake hoops that our modern cake
pans developed.

Cakes were considered a symbol of well being by early American cooks on the east coast,
with each region of the country having their own favorites.

By the early 19th century, due to the Industrial Revolution, baking ingredients became more
affordable and readily available because of mass production and the railroads. Modern
leavening agents, such as baking soda and baking powder were invented. Check out the
History of Baking Powder.
Black Forest cake has multiple (usually 4) layers of chocolate sponge cake, cherries, and
whipped cream. It is frosted with whipped cream and covered with chocolate shavings and a
few cherries for decoration. Kirschwasser (cherry schnapps) is used to flavor the whipped
cream. The bottom layers of sponge cake are also brushed with Kirschwasser (cherry
schnaps) to provide moisture and a little extra flavor.

There are many other ideas on how the cake originally got its name. Some historians say that
it is possible that the cake got its name from the traditional costume worn by women in the
Black Forest. The dress was black (just like the chocolate flakes), the blouse is white (like
the cream), and the hat has red pom-poms that look just like cherries. Called
Schwarzwderkirschtorte in German, which means Black Forest Cherry Torte or Gateau.

History of Black Forest Cake:

16th Century Historians believe it originated in the late 16th century in the Black Forest
Region (Der Schwarzwald in German) located in the state of Baden-Wttemberg. The name,
Schwarzwald, evokes darkness and mystery coming from the romantic German concept of
Waldeinsamkeit or forest-loneliness. During this era, chocolate was first integrated into
cakes and cookies. This region is known for its sour cherries and Kirsch or Kirschwasser (a
double distilled, clear cherry brandy made from the sour Morello cherry). Combine these
cherries with the Germans love of chocolate, and you have this wonderful chocolate
confection with cream and cherries. It is thought that the cake is named after this brandy.

1915 Following history of the Black Forest Cake from the Cafe Schaefer web site:

Josef Keller (1887-1981) is the inventor of the Black Forest cherry cake. Keller was the
pastry chef in the CafAhrend (today called Agner) in Bad Godesberg. In the year 1915 he
created for the first time what he called a Schwarzwaelder Kirsch, or Black Forest
Cherry.

After his time in the military, Josef Keller established his own cafin Radolfzell. August
Schaefer learned the trade as the apprentice to Josef Keller in Radolfzell from 1924 to
1927. After many years of collaboration, Josef Keller gave August Schaefer his recipe book
which contained the original recipe. His son, Claus Schaefer, the current Konditormeister of
the Triberg CafSchaefer, inherited the book and the original recipe and has thus been able to
carry on making Josef Kellers original.

Today the recipe book and the original recipe for the now world-famous Schwarzwaelder
Kirsch can be found with August Schaefers son, Claus Schaefer, the current head chef at
Tribergs Konditorei Schaefer.

1930 According to research carried out by Tingen town archivist, Udo Rauch, evidence is
also pointing to master patissier, Erwin Hildenbrand, as having invented the Black Forest
gateau in the spring of 1930 at the CafWalz in Tingen. Before this he was working in several
places in the Black Forest.

1949 The cake was rated the 13th best known cake in Germany.

Black Forest Cake Schwarzwderkirschtorte Recipe:

This is a easy-to-make version of Black Forest Cake.

Print
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Makes one (1) four-layer cake

Ingredients:

1 box dark chocolate or devil's food cake mix (your favorite brand)
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups heavy cream or whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
1/4 cup Kirshwasser (Cherry Brandy), divided
1 container whipped icing (cream cheese or vanilla)
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling, divided
Maraschino cherries (for garnish)
1 to 2 ounces shaved semisweet chocolate*

* How To Make Chocolate Shavings - For best results, the chocolate used should be cold,
straight out of the refrigerator. If it is room temperature, then the slices won't turn out paper
thin; instead, they will be thick, broken chunks. To make chocolate shavings, you first need a
good quality of chocolate in block form. Using a vegetable or potato peeler, hold the
chocolate with a paper towel and pass the vegetable peeler over the narrowest side of the
chocolate block. The chocolate will curl up like wood shavings.

Instructions:

Make chocolate cake according to package directions, adding 1 teaspoon red food coloring
and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Bake cake, as directed, in two 9-inch layer cake pans. When
done baking, remove from oven and cool the cake completely on a wire rack. When the cake
is cooled, wrap each layer in plastic wrap. Place layers in the refrigerator for approximately 1
hour.

In a large bowl of the electric mixer, whip together the heavy cream and powdered
sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Using a sharp knife, slice each cooled cake round horizontally to make four layers.

First Layer: Place one layer on a flat plate and brush with 2 tablespoons cherry brandy. Fill
a plastic bag with whipped vanilla or cream cheese icing (your choice) and pipe a generous
ring (at least one (1) cherry high!) around the edge of first cake layer. Fill the exposed ring of
the cake with some of the cherry pie filling.
Second Layer: Place the second layer on top of the first layer. Repeat first layer process
with the second layer.
Third Layer: Place third layer on top of the second layer. Repeat process with the second
layer.
Fourth Layer: Place fourth layer on top of the third layer. Frost the entire cake with freshly
whipped cream.
Garnish the top of the cake with (cherries picked from the pie filling) or maraschino
cherries. Sprinkle the top chocolate shavings. Gently press chocolate shavings onto sides of
cake.

Refrigerate for at least two hours prior to serving. Slice while well chilled for best results.
Now days there are hundreds of different cheesecake recipes. The ingredients are what make
one cheesecake different from another. The most essential ingredient in any cheesecake is
cheese (the most commonly used are cream cheese, Neufchatel, cottage cheese, and ricotta.)