Food and Drink | 07.02.2007
Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
In Germany, enjoying coffee and cake in the afternoon isn't just for grannies. Making cakes -- and eating them too, of course -- are a long-standing tradition and many German cake recipes are known around the world.
When one of Germany’s most well-known musicians and entertainers calls himself a "singing Herrentorte," you know that Germans take their traditions seriously.
And when you find out that the recipe for Black Forest cake is actually regulated by the state, you start to get the picture that baking is no laughing matter for Germans.
Tastes and traditions from abroad
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Black Forest cake is a German specialty
Afternoon coffee and cake may be a German tradition, but the art of cake making dates back to the confectioners at the courts of the French kings. The artistic preparation of fruit pastes originated in the Arab countries and came to Germany via Italy. According to old records, cakes have been baked in Germany for over 400 years.
There are countless different kinds of cakes and pastries in German patisseries and cafes -- from the infamous Black Forest cake and other traditional cakes like Herrentorte, Baumkuchen, Frankfurter Kranz and Dresdner Christstollen, to the various different kinds of strudel and pastries adorned with fresh fruits.
Some confectioners and coffee houses may appear rather outdated and arguably over-elegant these days, but the granny image certainly has not rubbed off on the cakes themselves. Coffee and cake remains a tradition dear to German hearts and, despite the coffee-to-go trend, cake knives continue to be on the bestseller lists in house ware shops.
If I'd known you were coming…
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: You don't need a special occasion to make a cake
Perhaps this all has something to do with the fact that invitations to "coffee and cake" on a Sunday afternoon are as widespread as they are beloved.
Ernie in the children’s program Sesame Street sings, "If I’d known you were coming, I would have baked you a cake." And baking someone a cake -- whether it’s for a wedding, a birthday, or just because -- is something that transcends generations and is a typically German gesture.
And let’s not forget that Germany not only played host to last year’s soccer World Cup, it also organized the Confectioners World Cup as well.
