Baumkuchen

Baumkuchen

Known as the "King of Cakes" the Baumkuchen is a kind of layered cake, known in many countries throughout Europe. When cut, the cake reveals the characteristic golden rings that give it it's name, Baumkuchen or translated literally, "Tree Cake". To get the ring effect, a thin layer of batter is brushed evenly onto a spit and allowed to bake until golden. The most skilled baker will repeat this 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). Baumkuchen may be covered wirh sugar or chocolate glaze. The cake requires some level of skill to bake and can get messy if made in the traditional way (on a spit); however, modified recipes using pans do exist. Nowadays Baumkuchen is very popular in Japan, usualy covered with a layer of sweet chocolate.