Preiselbeeren ( Vaccinium vitis-idaea), small red berries from a short shrub of the heath family are a staple in German cooking and mostly served with game such as roast venison or certain cheeses – foods which profit from a tart, slightly bitter but fruity and only mildly sweet compote to complement their own acetous notes or balance richness. Rather flatter than the monolith from the Black Forest it also is assembled in minutes once the base is baked & cooled which makes it easy to prepare in advance and put together in the last minute (the base freezes really well, too!). Not slathered in tons of cream, the cake itself is very rich in chocolate flavour and its dark, toasted, nutty notes need no booze to boost its profile and where sour cherries are used we’ll have the gorgeously wild lingonberries adding their special wild character. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the gateau but it has never been my favourite or anywhere near the middle field, I simply prefer a more intensely flavoured cake. Compared to Schwarzwälderkirschtorte (Black Forest Gateau), ubiquitously branded as the traditional German cake, this one shares its basic traits of chocolate, cream & sour fruit but wins on every count, if you ask me. When I made it for my Mum and cousin last month, our eyes lit up, we’ve savoured every bite and smiled in quiet unison to greet our old friend. My mother has made this cake decades ago and since its first outing 30 years ago we’ve always come back to it even after periods of temporary neglect. Don’t be tempted to use any other chocolate than dark, rich, bittersweet chocolate high in cocoa solids (60% plus) and Dutch processed cocoa, no milk chocolate or sweet cocoa shall touch this cake for it lives of these adult smoky flavours that call out for a strong cup of coffee (or something even stronger) – perfect for a post Christmas afternoon with coffee, hot chocolate and tea to battle the fog, ice and snow. ![]() ![]() The tart, acetous berries have a bitter note that reminds of heather and forest and provides such a wonderful contrast to the toasted nutty notes of the cake while both are balanced by a layer of cool, silky whipped cream and a final sprinkling of chocolate shavings (or for sentimental reasons: sprinkles). This is a marvellous winter cake: a rich, flourless chocolate-hazelnut base is topped with the mildly sweet compote of wild lingonberries.
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