Oma's Königskuchen: German King's Cake (Fruit Cake) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the most famous German cake? ›

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (known as Black Forest gâteau or Black Forest cake in other parts of the world) is something for which we can never thank the Germans enough.

Dreikönigskuchen aka. Three King's Cake is a traditional yeast cake from southern Germany and Switzerland. At home at Lake Constance, you bake this cake for January 6th – the day of the Three Wise Kings.

Like it or not, it is fruitcake season. In Germany, we have Stollen, which a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and Lebkuchen, which is similar to gingerbread.

History. The earliest recipe from ancient Rome lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins that were mixed into barley mash. In the Middle Ages, honey, spices, and preserved fruits were added. Fruitcakes soon proliferated all over Europe.

A common misconception is that German Chocolate Cake comes from Germany. In fact, the name comes from American baker, Samuel German, who developed a type of dark baking chocolate in 1852. The baking chocolate was then named Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate in honor of German.

The world's most famous cake, the Original Sacher-Torte, is the consequence of several lucky twists of fate. The first was in 1832, when the Austrian State Chancellor, Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, tasked his kitchen staff with concocting an extraordinary dessert to impress his special guests.

The name “king cake” comes from the Biblical story of the three kings who bring gifts to Baby Jesus. A blend of coffee cake and cinnamon roll, king cake is usually iced in yellow, green and purple – the colors of Mardi Gras -- and is frequently packed with fruit fillings and decadent cream cheeses.

January 6 marks the start of the Mardi Gras season. According to the Christian calendar, it is known as the day of Epiphany. On this day, the three kings traveled to Bethlehem, bearing gifts to the newborn baby Jesus. To honor this belief, people celebrate with an oval-shaped king cake, symbolizing the unity of faiths.

This also explains the name of the dessert that's eaten on this day, the galette des rois, which translates to “kings' cake”. It's similar to the king cake served in New Orleans in the U.S., a nod to the state's French influence; but in France it's not multi-colored, and it's only served on or around Epiphany.

Its origins go as far back as the Middle Ages, when dried fruits became more widely available. The cost of ingredients was so high that in the 17th and 18th-century fruitcakes were only made for special occasions, such as weddings and holidays, particularly in Victorian England.

Why was fruitcake outlawed? ›

Fruitcakes were so rich, they were considered sinful and were outlawed in Europe in the early 18th century. Restrictions eased later in the century.

Nowadays fruitcakes are a holiday delicacy still prized for their long-lasting freshness.

The trifecta of sugar, low moisture ingredients and some high-proof spirits make fruitcakes some of the longest-lasting foods in the world.

Fruitcake is no ordinary cake. It can stay fresh and edible for months after baking. What typically makes fruitcake last so long is its super dense texture. This texture prevents, let's say, less than appetizing things from setting up camp in the cake's crevices.

Slang. a crazy or eccentric person; nut.

Baumkuchen is a traditional German cake. It is baked on a stick, layer by layer, while turning. Baking on a spit over open fire is an ancient method of cooking bread.

The shortest crossword solution for Rich German cake is 5 letters long and is called TORTE.