We could have made a Black Forest Gateau, but that would have been too obvious. What is arguably the biggest entry into the cake world from Germany, the Black Forest Gateau is famously loaded with chocolate, whipped cream and tart dark cherries that are grown in the Black Forest, the famous Mountain range located in Germany. What makes this cake stand apart is the use of Kirsch, a cherry alcohol that is potent in flavor. The chocolate sponge is traditional brushed with the Kirsch, or Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser} as it’s officially known to absorb the flavor more into the cake. With even not being a cherry flavored fan myself, I enjoy the contrast of flavors of the dark, rich chocolate and the light whipped cream and the authentic, real cherries.
Believe it or not, the Black Forest Gateau or Cake as it’s known in the US isn’t directly named after the forest itself. Some say it’s based after the liquor. Some say it’s from the traditional garb worn by women in the Black Forest region that included big red pom poms on top of a very noticeable hat that was called a Bollehut. The first time the actual recipe showed up was actually not that long ago, in the 1930’s. The cake then sky rocketed in patisseries, bakeries and regular restaurants with everyone switching up the presentation of the classic dessert. Some use maraschino cherries in their cake but in my own opinion, you need to use the real deal to get that deep, authentic cherry flavor.
While I am an avid baker and love challenging myself with new things, I have made a few Black Forest Cakes in my day. I wanted something different. I thought about different variations of desserts, ranging from cupcakes to tarts to ice cream sundaes. But then I thought how the sweet tooth in me actually enjoys sometimes having their dessert in a glass. I don’t generally do sweet drinks. I’m not an espresso martini or appletini girl. I don’t lose my mind over chocolate martinis or dessert ones generally. The one exception I have is a key lime martini at Lucky Bones Backwater Grille in Cape May, NJ, which I figured in my New Jersey Travel Blog. There’s something about that martini that is soooo delicious. I haven’t made a fun martini in a minute so why not set out to make a fun dessert one based off this delicious cake?
While you can put an actual cherry or two into the martini, I found that thinning out a cherry jam and lining the rim of your martini glass ensured rich cherry flavor in each sip. At the time, cherries were not in season in my area, so to make things easier, I went with a jarred cherry jam from the grocery store and went from there. You can put this directly onto a plate and dip your martini glasses in it or put it in a squeeze bottle and decorate the inside of your glass.
I personally like the rimmed option better.
Of course, chill your martini glasses in the freezer ahead of time. This will of course chill your drink but it will also hold that jam on tighter thanks to the chilled glass.
I did a combo of chocolate liquor, chocolate vodka, whipped cream vodka and a little bit of cherry vodka. I personally HATE the taste of artificial cherry flavor. I don’t like maraschino cherries, cherry flavored ice creams or anything actually infused with a fake taste. Cherry Coke used to be my only exception, but even that proves to be too sweet. Regardless, I even agreed that this needed a splash of that flavoring. If you enjoy cherry flavored things, please feel free to add more.
This is a great dessert in a glass, easy to make and made with ingredients that are easy to find. Impress your friends with this Black Forest Martini during your next socially distanced get together. Or if beer isn’t for you during Oktoberfest, celebrate Germany with this piece of German laced cocktail. Prost!!
Black Forest Martini
Serves 2
- 3/4 cup cherry jam
- 2 Tbsp water
- 8oz Godiva Chocolate Liquor
- 4oz Whipped Cream Vodka
- 4oz Chocolate Vodka
- 2oz Cherry Vodka
Ice
Place cherry jam in a sauce pan over medium heat with water. Stir and allow jam to thin out. Cool and store in a squeeze bottle.
Fill a martini shaker with ice. Add chocolate liquor, whipped cream vodka, chocolate vodka and cherry vodka inside. Shake thoroughly.
Take chilled martini glasses and line with cherry jam mixture. You can use a squeeze bottle along the edges or place the jam on a plate and dip the glasses in it upside down.
Strain the martini mix into the glass and serve!