Origins of this gourmet dessert: The Black Forest
The Black Forest is an emblematic German pastry (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte). Its origins date back to 1915, when pastry chef Josef Keller is said to have created the first version of this dessert. It consists of cocoa sponge cake, whipped cream, cherries and kirsch, a cherry brandy typical of the region.
The name Forêt-Noire may refer to several elements: the dark chocolate shavings that recall the region’s dark forests, or the colors of the traditional costume worn by the inhabitants of the Black Forest (black, red and white) in southwest Germany.
The Black Forest revisited by several chefs
The Black Forest has inspired many reinterpretations over the years, from the most subtle to the most daring.
There are modern versions that play with textures, such as light mousses or flourless sponge cakes, like the Black Forest by Meilleur Ouvrier de France pâtissier Jean-Michel Perruchon, flavored with Jacobert® Kirsch.
Philippe Rigollot, World Pastry Champion and Meilleur Ouvrier de France pâtissier, has created a Black Forest with Griottines Cointreau®, with a flourless sponge.
Nicolas Pierot‘s Black Forest, meanwhile, combines dark chocolate, Griottines Cointreau® and salted cherry compote.
Each chef revisits flavors and presentations, whether for entremets or individual desserts. Alexis Bouillet, World’s Best Young Pastry Chef in 2011, imagines a Japanese sponge topped with chocolate diplomate cream and cherry confit, all rolled up to serve as the base for a delicate dessert, crowned with a mascarpone chantilly flavored with Jacobert Kirsch. At the heart of this refined sweetness are a few Amarenas Cointreau!
This timeless classic remains an inexhaustible source of culinary creativity. It’s up to you to be inspired!
