Baumkuchen is a traditional German cake cooked on a spit over a heat source, with layers of batter brushed on top of each other until covered in chocolate, jam, sugar or icing. Its history is unclear, but it became famous in the mid-19th century after King Frederick William IV of Prussia tasted it. While it is difficult to make, there are recipes for home bakers.
Baumkuchen is a traditional German cake that dedicated bakers have been making for several centuries. The name translated literally into English means “tree cake,” a reference to the thin layers that are visible when the cake is cut. Real baumkuchen is extremely labor intensive and requires special equipment to prepare.
Instead of simply being placed in a pan, a baumkuchen is cooked on a spit over a heat source. The bakers drip the batter onto the skewer, where it spins and allows the cake to cook slowly and evenly. Once the layer has turned a golden brown color, another layer of batter is brushed on top of it. The process repeats until the cake is finished, when it is covered in chocolate, jam, sugar or icing. Making a baumkuchen the traditional way takes skill and practice.
When removed from the skewer and sliced, each golden layer can be seen and distinguished from the next as it is separated by a slightly darker yellow line, much like the cross-sectional rings of a tree. Three-foot (0.9 m) Baumkuchens weighing up to 100 pounds (45 kg) with 25 layers of cake were made by extraordinarily skilled pastry chefs. These are a rarity, however, and hard to make.
The history of baumkuchen is hazy, as the process of making one was a closely guarded secret for some time. The German city of Salzwedel is said to be the birthplace of baumkuchen, although this is where the layer cake first became famous rather than where it was first developed. Its popularity skyrocketed in the mid-19th century when King Frederick William IV of Prussia tasted one for the first time on a trip through Salzwedel. He requested that the remaining cake be taken with the royal trailer, solidifying its notoriety. After the royal visit, other bakers started making the difficult cake.
While true baumkuchen is nearly impossible to prepare in the home kitchen, there are a number of recipes that allow the home baker to get a closer look at the German dessert. These recipes usually include traditional ingredients such as butter, sugar, rum, almonds, flour and lemon. There is no right way to glaze traditional or homemade baumkuchen, although a thin glaze of chocolate, melted fruit marmalades or marzipan is common. In the home oven, a spring pan can be used to hold the batter as it is spread in layers and cooked in a similar manner to what German bakers have done for centuries.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
