28th March: Black Forest Gateau Day

10 things you may not know about Black Forest Gateau:

1. It's Black Forest Gateau in England. The Americans call it Black Forest cake. In its country of origin, Germany, it is called Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, which translates as "Black Forest cherry-torte".
2. Black Forest gateau is made from several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with whipped cream, Cherries, and Chocolate shavings.
3. Originally, the combination of cherries and cream and Kirschwasser was a dessert rather than a cake. A confectioner named Josef Keller claims to have invented the dessert in its current form in 1915.
4. The first reference to it in writing was in the 1930s, when another cook, Erwin Hildenbrand, claimed to have invented it, and, presumably, wrote down the recipe.
5. Traditionally, Kirschwasser (a clear liquor distilled from tart cherries) is added to the recipe. In Germany, a cake cannot be described as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte unless it has Kirschwasser in it. In 2013, this was written into statute when Brussels granted the cake protected status.
6. There is a Swedish version called Schwarzwaldtårta which consists of layers of meringue with whipped cream in between. The whole cake is covered with whipped cream and decorated with chocolate.
7. The cake is named after the liquor, which comes from the Black Forest region, rather than the forest itself.
8. There are around 200 calories in a slice of Black Forest gateau.
9. The largest black forest gateau ever measured 80 square metres (10m in diameter) and weighed 3,000kg. It was made in Germany in 2006 using 700 litres of cream, 5,600 eggs, 800kg of cherries 40kg of chocolate and 120 litres of Kirschwasser.
10. Every two years in Todtnauberg, there is a Black Forest gateau festival with prizes awarded for the best and most attractive gateaux.