Black Forest Cake, or Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

Black Forest cake, or Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, is a glorious combination of a thin chocolate shortcrust base, chocolate sponge cake, sour cherries, generous amounts of kirschwasser (cherry brandy), freshly whipped cream, and dark chocolate shavings. It is without doubt the most famous German torte, at its best a marvelous combination of richness and lightness. However, the better and more widely a recipe is known, the more distorted it tends to become, and all too frequently Black Forest cake appears as a poor imitation, with cheap (but longer-lasting) buttercream, artificial chocolate sprinkles, and, worst of all, glacéed cherries.