Zuger Kirschtorte facts for kids
A slice of Zuger Kirschtorte
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| Type | Layer cake |
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| Place of origin | Switzerland |
| Region or state | Zug |
| Created by | Heinrich Höhn |
| Main ingredients | Sponge cake, nut meringue (almond or hazelnut), butter cream, kirschwasser (or other cherry liquor) |
The Zuger Kirschtorte (say "Tsoo-ger Keersh-tort-uh") is a delicious layer cake from Switzerland. It's made with layers of crunchy nut-meringue, soft sponge cake, and creamy butter cream. What makes it special is the flavor of kirschwasser, which is a type of cherry brandy. This cake is a famous treat from the city of Zug.
Contents
The Sweet Story of Zuger Kirschtorte
The Zuger Kirschtorte was created by a talented pastry chef named Heinrich Höhn. He invented this special cake in 1921 in the Swiss city of Zug.
Winning Awards and Popularity
This amazing cake quickly became famous! It won gold medals at pastry shows. It earned awards in Lucerne in 1923 and 1928. Then, it won another gold medal in London in 1930.
At its most popular, Heinrich Höhn and the next owner, Jacques Treichler, made many cakes. They sometimes made up to 100,000 of these cakes each year! The Conditorei Treichler bakery still makes and ships these cakes today.
Why Other Bakeries Make It Too
Even though the Treichler bakery is famous for it, the name "Zuger Kirschtorte" is not officially protected. This means other bakeries in the area can also make their own versions of the cake.
How Zuger Kirschtorte is Made
Making a Zuger Kirschtorte is a careful process. It involves several steps to create its unique layers and flavors.
Preparing the Cake Layers
First, the baker makes two thin, round layers of "Japonaise meringue." These meringue layers are special because they contain ground almonds and hazelnuts. They are baked until they are a light brown color and become slightly crispy.
Next, one layer of soft sponge cake is prepared. This sponge cake will be the middle layer of the torte.
Crafting the Creamy Filling
For the delicious filling, a rich butter cream is made. This cream is flavored with kirschwasser, the cherry brandy. Sometimes, a tiny bit of food coloring is added to make the cream a light pink color. Long ago, they used beetroot juice for this!
Building the Cake Layers
Now, it's time to put the cake together, layer by layer:
- First, a layer of the kirsch-flavored butter cream is spread onto one of the meringue rounds.
- Then, the sponge cake layer is placed on top of the butter cream.
- The sponge cake is then soaked with a mix of sugar syrup and kirschwasser. This makes the cake moist and adds more cherry flavor.
- Another layer of butter cream is spread over the sponge cake.
- Finally, the second meringue layer is placed on top.
Decorating the Finished Torte
The whole cake is then covered with more butter cream. The sides of the cake are decorated with roasted, sliced almonds. For a final touch, the top of the cake is lightly dusted with fine icing sugar. This makes the Zuger Kirschtorte look as good as it tastes!
