I expect it's called a gateau because Torte in German specifically refers to a layer cake, as opposed to Kuchen, which translates to cake. Kuchen also refers to lots of things that in English would be a tart, because there's no separate word for that. There's also only one word for both batter and dough...
I am a UK-raised Brit of a certain age and have always known the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte as Black Forest Gâteau. In UK English at least, gâteau (or gateau) is often used to refer to cakes that are either more elaborate than an everyday cake (involving multiple layers and fillings, for example) or of continental European origin, or indeed both, even if in reality they have become so commonplace that you can buy them in UK supermarkets. So yes, the connotation is fancy (but not necessarily sophisticated!) and not quite British.
Seconding this as another Brit! I can picture the 'gateaux' in my parents' 1979 marks and spencers baking book - all ornate piping, layers and fancy props.
Love this in-depth treatment of the Black Forest Cake. I am half German, my Grandfather's quarter coming from a lovely ranching and dairy farm just right outside the Black Forest. When they came to America, they opened a bakery in Oakland, California. I have never once seen or eaten a Black Forest Cake from anyone in my family. However, they did make a lot of 2-layer simple chocolate cakes (made with "sour" milk or buttermilk) with stiffly-beaten, sweetened whipped cream between the layers and on top (no frosting). I remember calling it a "Chantilly" cake as a child. No cherries--although they loved and grew sweet cherries! I have a feeling I missed out on something delicious! Thank you for giving me the chance to make it right!
The Black Forest Cake looks scrumptious. I need to pick up a copy of the SIFT book … I first learned about it when Jemma Wilson baked one of the recipes in her home kitchen some months ago. Congratulations on its and your success.
Would it be non-traditional/sacrilegious to make with fewer layers? Am I alone in finding so tall a cake intimidating? Even the thinnest of slices is a big helping
Sure you could. Even two layers would be fine, though three is most common. The Time-Life recipe my mother always made in the 1970s has three layers. Note that this recipe uses 7-inch cake pans, a bit smaller than the standard size, and halves the two cake layers, so the photo may make the finished cake look deceptively large -- though the photo with the fork shows it's not that tall at all.
Hi! I made the amaro black forest this week for my partner's birthday (soo excited to try it in a few hours!). Wondering if there are any troubleshooting tips for the gelatin in whipped cream? I used silver gelatin sheets and it set well, but was full of small chunks and ended up being unusable. I made a whipped cream without it, but would love to attempt again in the future! I am admittedly not super experienced with gelatin use, so I am unsure where I messed up.
I expect it's called a gateau because Torte in German specifically refers to a layer cake, as opposed to Kuchen, which translates to cake. Kuchen also refers to lots of things that in English would be a tart, because there's no separate word for that. There's also only one word for both batter and dough...
Excellent etymology!
Just booked my ticket for Toklas, so excited ☺️ now, to properly read the newsletter!!
Yay!
I am a UK-raised Brit of a certain age and have always known the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte as Black Forest Gâteau. In UK English at least, gâteau (or gateau) is often used to refer to cakes that are either more elaborate than an everyday cake (involving multiple layers and fillings, for example) or of continental European origin, or indeed both, even if in reality they have become so commonplace that you can buy them in UK supermarkets. So yes, the connotation is fancy (but not necessarily sophisticated!) and not quite British.
Seconding this as another Brit! I can picture the 'gateaux' in my parents' 1979 marks and spencers baking book - all ornate piping, layers and fancy props.
Love this in-depth treatment of the Black Forest Cake. I am half German, my Grandfather's quarter coming from a lovely ranching and dairy farm just right outside the Black Forest. When they came to America, they opened a bakery in Oakland, California. I have never once seen or eaten a Black Forest Cake from anyone in my family. However, they did make a lot of 2-layer simple chocolate cakes (made with "sour" milk or buttermilk) with stiffly-beaten, sweetened whipped cream between the layers and on top (no frosting). I remember calling it a "Chantilly" cake as a child. No cherries--although they loved and grew sweet cherries! I have a feeling I missed out on something delicious! Thank you for giving me the chance to make it right!
The Black Forest Cake looks scrumptious. I need to pick up a copy of the SIFT book … I first learned about it when Jemma Wilson baked one of the recipes in her home kitchen some months ago. Congratulations on its and your success.
Would it be non-traditional/sacrilegious to make with fewer layers? Am I alone in finding so tall a cake intimidating? Even the thinnest of slices is a big helping
Sure you could. Even two layers would be fine, though three is most common. The Time-Life recipe my mother always made in the 1970s has three layers. Note that this recipe uses 7-inch cake pans, a bit smaller than the standard size, and halves the two cake layers, so the photo may make the finished cake look deceptively large -- though the photo with the fork shows it's not that tall at all.
You listed under the cake cocoa powder twice. It is 100g black cocoa powder total?
Hi Jackie, it’s 50 g black cocoa and 50 g regular cocoa, so 100 g cocoa total but only half of it black.
Hi! I made the amaro black forest this week for my partner's birthday (soo excited to try it in a few hours!). Wondering if there are any troubleshooting tips for the gelatin in whipped cream? I used silver gelatin sheets and it set well, but was full of small chunks and ended up being unusable. I made a whipped cream without it, but would love to attempt again in the future! I am admittedly not super experienced with gelatin use, so I am unsure where I messed up.
This looks amazing! Would it make a good two layer sheet cake? Which version of measurements would I use?
Congratulations on 1 year of publication! If you are having a hard time find black cocoa powder, you can get it from King Arthur Baking.