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{{Short description|German cake}} |
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[[Image:Baumkuchen.jpg|thumb|right|Baumkuchen<br />In this picture, the circular layers are (barely) visible as vertical stripes on the cut surfaces.]] |
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[[Image:Baumkuchen,dresden,Deutschland.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Baumkuchen, with characteristic circular tree ring markings.]] |
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'''Baumkuchen''' ({{IPA|de|ˈbaʊ̯mˌkuːxn̩|-|De-Baumkuchen2.ogg}}) is a kind of [[spit cake]] from [[German cuisine]]. It is also a popular dessert in [[Japanese cuisine|Japan]]. The characteristic rings that appear in its slices resemble [[tree ring]]s, and give the cake its German name, ''Baumkuchen'', which literally translates to "tree cake" or "log cake".<ref name="bakingsol">{{cite book |last=Cauvain |first=Stanley |title=Baking Problems Solved |publisher=CRC Press Woodhead Pub |publication-place=Boca Raton Cambridge, England |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-8493-1221-2 |oclc=53968842 |page=261}}</ref> |
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Known as the "Queen of [[Cake]]s" the '''Baumkuchen''' is a kind of [[layer cake|layered cake]], known in many countries throughout [[Europe]]. When cut, the cake reveals the characteristic golden rings that give it its name, ''Baumkuchen'', which literally translates to "[[tree]] cake". To get the ring effect, a thin layer of [[Batter (cooking)|batter]] is brushed evenly onto a spit and allowed to bake until golden, after which the process is repeated. The most skilled bakers will repeat the process numerous times. Some bakers have been known to create 3 foot long ''Baumkuchens'' consisting of 25 layers and weighing over 100 pounds (45 kg). |
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==History== |
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| ⚫ | A simpler horizontally layered version of the cake also exists. It is baked without a spit and |
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It is disputed who made the first Baumkuchen and where it was first baked. One theory is that it was invented in the German town of [[Salzwedel]], which is further popularized by the town itself.<ref name="newyorker" /> Another theory suggests it began as a Hungarian wedding cake.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} In ''Ein neues Kochbuch'' (lit. "A New Cookbook"), the first cookbook written for professional chefs by [[Marx Rumpolt]], there is a recipe for Baumkuchen. This publication puts the origin of Baumkuchen as far back at 1581, the year the cookbook was first published.<ref name="oxford">{{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |last2=Jaine |first2=Tom |last3=Davidson |first3=Jane |last4=Saberi |first4=Helen |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |publisher=OUP Oxford |series=Oxford Companions |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-19-280681-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JTr-ouCbL2AC&pg=PA805 |access-date=2021-03-30 |page=805}}</ref> Marx Rumpolt had previously worked as a chef in Hungary and Bohemia.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} |
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==Characteristics== |
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Baumkuchen may be covered with [[sugar]] or [[chocolate]] [[glaze (cooking technique)|glaze]]. With some [[recipe]]s, the fully baked an cooled Baumkuchen is first sheathed with [[marmalade]] or [[jam]], and then covered with chocolate. |
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[[Image:Baumkuchen BMK.jpg|right|thumb|Baumkuchen baked on a spit. The baker is adding a chocolate coating to the outside of the finished cake.]] |
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Traditionally, Baumkuchen is made on a spit by brushing on even layers of batter and then rotating the spit around a heat source. Each layer is allowed to brown before a new layer of batter is poured.<ref name="treecake">{{Cite web |url=http://www.germanculture.com.ua/recipes/blxmas13.htm |title=Baumkuchen - the King of Cakes |work=German Culture |date=2002 |access-date=2010-06-28 |archive-date=2020-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007190331/http://www.germanculture.com.ua/recipes/blxmas13.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> When the cake is removed and sliced, each layer is divided from the next by a golden line, resembling the [[tree rings|growth rings]] in a tree cross-section. A typical Baumkuchen is made up of 15 to 20 layers of batter. However, the layering process for making Baumkuchen can continue until the cakes are quite large. Skilled pastry chefs have been known to create cakes with 25 layers and weighing over {{convert|100|lb}}.<ref name="treecake" /> When cooked on a spit, it is not uncommon for a finished Baumkuchen to be {{convert|3|–|4|ft}} tall.<ref name="newyorker">{{Cite magazine |last=Sheraton |first=Mimi |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/11/23/spit-cake |title=Spit Cake |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=2009-11-15 |access-date=2024-12-03 |archive-date=2023-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605115012/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/11/23/spit-cake |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Baumkuchen ingredients are typically butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour. Baking powder is not considered a traditional ingredient. The ratio of flour, butter and eggs is typically 1:1:2 respectively (i.e., 100 grams of flour, 100 grams of butter and 200 grams of eggs). The recipe can be varied by adding other ingredients, such as ground nuts, honey, marzipan, nougat and rum or brandy, to the batter or filling.<ref name="bakingsol" /> Additionally, Baumkuchen may be covered with sugar or chocolate [[glaze (cooking technique)|glaze]]. With some recipes, the fully baked and cooled Baumkuchen is first coated with marmalade or jam, and then covered with chocolate. |
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The cake requires some level of skill to bake and can get messy if made in the traditional way (on a spit). |
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==Variations== |
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It is highly disputed who made the first Baumkuchen and where it was first baked. Traditionally the town of [[Salzwedel]] and the Master Baker for the Prussian King have been associated with its creation in the year 1790. |
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[[Image:Baumkuchenspitzen.JPG|thumb|Chocolate-coated Baumkuchenspitzen]] |
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''Baumkuchenspitzen'', German for "Tree Cake Peaks," are miniature versions of Baumkuchen; for these, the slices of the whole cake are cut into small pieces that are then typically coated in chocolate and packaged. |
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[[File:Schichttorte.jpg|thumb|A slice of Schichttorte, made by pouring a thin layer of cake batter on top of the previous one and quickly cooking it under the broiler]] |
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| ⚫ | A simpler horizontally layered version of the cake called a "Schichttorte" also exists. It is baked without a spit and thus does not have circular rings but horizontal layers. The horizontally layered version results in a Baumkuchen that is more similar in shape to conventional cakes. It can also be baked in a conventional household oven that has a [[Grilling#Overhead grilling|broiler]] inside, whereas the traditional spit version requires special equipment normally not available in an average household. However, unlike with the spit variant, the Schichttorte cross section is less reminiscent of tree rings. |
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==Baumkuchen in Japan== |
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Nowadays ''Baumkuchen'' is one of the most popular pastries in Japan (where it is called バウムクーヘン ''baumukūhen'') and is available in any grocery shop. |
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Baumkuchen is one of the most popular cakes in Japan,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hahn |first1=Thomas |last2=Mayer |first2=Verena |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/stil/baumkuchen-juchheim-essen-und-trinken-weihnachten-1.4728019 |title=Herr der Ringe |work=[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]] |date=2019-12-24 |access-date=2022-03-15 |language=de}}</ref> where it is called {{Nihongo||バウムクーヘン|baumukūhen}}. It is a popular return present in Japan for wedding guests because of its [[wedding ring|ring]] shape, similar to the symbol of the Zen [[Ensō]] which symbolises good luck.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hankel |first=Anja |url=http://www.topia.ne.jp/awalife/awalife_nov2009.pdf |title=Loanwords in Japanese |page=6 |work=Awa Life |publisher=Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA) |date=2009-11-05 |access-date=2010-07-01 |archive-date=2011-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722115625/http://www.topia.ne.jp/awalife/awalife_nov2009.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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It was first introduced to Japan by the German [[Karl Joseph Wilhelm Juchheim]]. Juchheim was in the Chinese city of [[Qingdao]] during World War I, and British and Japanese forces began the [[Siege of Qingdao]]. Karl served as a private in the Landsturm. After the fall of Qingdao, Karl was sent to prisoner-of-war camps in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2010/01/10/tv/origins-of-baumkuchen-cheap-onsen-trips-and-this-weeks-cm-final-fantasy-xiii/ |title=Origins of baumkuchen, cheap onsen trips and this week's CM: Final Fantasy XIII |work=[[The Japan Times]] |date=2010-01-10 |access-date=2024-12-03 |archive-date=2019-01-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107152859/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2010/01/10/tv/origins-of-baumkuchen-cheap-onsen-trips-and-this-weeks-cm-final-fantasy-xiii/#.XDNwQqDP32c |url-status=live}}</ref> After the war, Juchheim started making and selling the traditional confection at a German exhibition in [[Hiroshima]] in 1919. He might have baked Japan's first Baumkuchen before the exhibition on [[Ninoshima]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Uchida |first=Momoko |title=Hiroshima: Baumkuchen reflects island's wartime history |url=https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/features/japan-focus/20220724-46646/ |work=[[Yomiuri Shimbun]] |date=2022-07-24 |access-date=2023-03-05}}</ref> Continued success allowed him to move to [[Yokohama]] and open a bakery-store, but it was destroyed in the [[Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923]], thus forcing him to move his operations to [[Kobe]], where he stayed until the end of [[World War II]]. Some years later, his wife returned to help a Japanese company open a chain of bakeries under the Juchheim name that further helped spread Baumkuchen's popularity in Japan and is still in operation. |
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Baumkuchen (called Baamkuch) has also become a traditional dish in [[Luxembourg]], where it is served mostly on special occasions like weddings. |
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==See also== |
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A quite interesting version of ''Baumkuchen'' is [[Lithuanian cuisine|Lithuanian]] ''[[šakotis]]'', which is distinctive by its shape. |
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* [[Šakotis]] - traditional Lithuanian spit cake |
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* {{Commons category-inline}} |
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* [[Layer cake]] |
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== References == |
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A related cake is the [[Swedish cuisine|Swedish]] ''[[Spettekaka]]'' (turnspit cake). |
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{{Reflist}} |
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{{Spit cake}} |
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[[de:Baumkuchen]] |
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{{Cakes}} |
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[[ja:バウムクーヘン]] |
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{{Authority control}} |
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[[lt:Šakotis]] |
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[[pl:Sękacz]] |
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[[ru:Баумкухен]] |
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[[zh:年輪蛋糕]] |
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[[Category:German |
[[Category:German cakes]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Spit cakes]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Japanese cakes]] |
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[[fr:Gâteau à la broche]] |
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Latest revision as of 00:31, 4 December 2024
Baumkuchen (German pronunciation: [ˈbaʊ̯mˌkuːxn̩] ⓘ) is a kind of spit cake from German cuisine. It is also a popular dessert in Japan. The characteristic rings that appear in its slices resemble tree rings, and give the cake its German name, Baumkuchen, which literally translates to "tree cake" or "log cake".[1]
History
[edit]It is disputed who made the first Baumkuchen and where it was first baked. One theory is that it was invented in the German town of Salzwedel, which is further popularized by the town itself.[2] Another theory suggests it began as a Hungarian wedding cake.[citation needed] In Ein neues Kochbuch (lit. "A New Cookbook"), the first cookbook written for professional chefs by Marx Rumpolt, there is a recipe for Baumkuchen. This publication puts the origin of Baumkuchen as far back at 1581, the year the cookbook was first published.[3] Marx Rumpolt had previously worked as a chef in Hungary and Bohemia.[citation needed]
Characteristics
[edit]
Traditionally, Baumkuchen is made on a spit by brushing on even layers of batter and then rotating the spit around a heat source. Each layer is allowed to brown before a new layer of batter is poured.[4] When the cake is removed and sliced, each layer is divided from the next by a golden line, resembling the growth rings in a tree cross-section. A typical Baumkuchen is made up of 15 to 20 layers of batter. However, the layering process for making Baumkuchen can continue until the cakes are quite large. Skilled pastry chefs have been known to create cakes with 25 layers and weighing over 100 pounds (45 kg).[4] When cooked on a spit, it is not uncommon for a finished Baumkuchen to be 3–4 feet (0.91–1.22 m) tall.[2]
Baumkuchen ingredients are typically butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour. Baking powder is not considered a traditional ingredient. The ratio of flour, butter and eggs is typically 1:1:2 respectively (i.e., 100 grams of flour, 100 grams of butter and 200 grams of eggs). The recipe can be varied by adding other ingredients, such as ground nuts, honey, marzipan, nougat and rum or brandy, to the batter or filling.[1] Additionally, Baumkuchen may be covered with sugar or chocolate glaze. With some recipes, the fully baked and cooled Baumkuchen is first coated with marmalade or jam, and then covered with chocolate.
Variations
[edit]
Baumkuchenspitzen, German for "Tree Cake Peaks," are miniature versions of Baumkuchen; for these, the slices of the whole cake are cut into small pieces that are then typically coated in chocolate and packaged.
A simpler horizontally layered version of the cake called a "Schichttorte" also exists. It is baked without a spit and thus does not have circular rings but horizontal layers. The horizontally layered version results in a Baumkuchen that is more similar in shape to conventional cakes. It can also be baked in a conventional household oven that has a broiler inside, whereas the traditional spit version requires special equipment normally not available in an average household. However, unlike with the spit variant, the Schichttorte cross section is less reminiscent of tree rings.
Baumkuchen in Japan
[edit]Baumkuchen is one of the most popular cakes in Japan,[5] where it is called baumukūhen (バウムクーヘン). It is a popular return present in Japan for wedding guests because of its ring shape, similar to the symbol of the Zen Ensō which symbolises good luck.[6]
It was first introduced to Japan by the German Karl Joseph Wilhelm Juchheim. Juchheim was in the Chinese city of Qingdao during World War I, and British and Japanese forces began the Siege of Qingdao. Karl served as a private in the Landsturm. After the fall of Qingdao, Karl was sent to prisoner-of-war camps in Japan.[7] After the war, Juchheim started making and selling the traditional confection at a German exhibition in Hiroshima in 1919. He might have baked Japan's first Baumkuchen before the exhibition on Ninoshima.[8] Continued success allowed him to move to Yokohama and open a bakery-store, but it was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, thus forcing him to move his operations to Kobe, where he stayed until the end of World War II. Some years later, his wife returned to help a Japanese company open a chain of bakeries under the Juchheim name that further helped spread Baumkuchen's popularity in Japan and is still in operation.
See also
[edit]- Šakotis - traditional Lithuanian spit cake
Media related to Baumkuchen at Wikimedia Commons- Layer cake
References
[edit]- ^ a b Cauvain, Stanley (2001). Baking Problems Solved. Boca Raton Cambridge, England: CRC Press Woodhead Pub. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-8493-1221-2. OCLC 53968842.
- ^ a b Sheraton, Mimi (2009-11-15). "Spit Cake". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
- ^ Davidson, Alan; Jaine, Tom; Davidson, Jane; Saberi, Helen (2006). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford Companions. OUP Oxford. p. 805. ISBN 978-0-19-280681-9. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- ^ a b "Baumkuchen - the King of Cakes". German Culture. 2002. Archived from the original on 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
- ^ Hahn, Thomas; Mayer, Verena (2019-12-24). "Herr der Ringe". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2022-03-15.
- ^ Hankel, Anja (2009-11-05). "Loanwords in Japanese" (PDF). Awa Life. Tokushima Prefectural International Exchange Association (TOPIA). p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
- ^ "Origins of baumkuchen, cheap onsen trips and this week's CM: Final Fantasy XIII". The Japan Times. 2010-01-10. Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
- ^ Uchida, Momoko (2022-07-24). "Hiroshima: Baumkuchen reflects island's wartime history". Yomiuri Shimbun. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
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