Black Forest, but even more elevated
The Black Forest cake: An iconic dessert that has startrucked taste buds for generations! Enjoying a heavenly slice of Black Forest cake is a surefire way to make your taste buds sing with its layers of rich chocolate sponge, velvety cream, zesty sour cherries! While a great black forest cake already hits all the right notes, did you know that some of the best Black Forest cakes can give your tastebuds an even greater show-stopping performance with a side of delicious flavour pairings?
My dessert-loving friend, get ready to explore some tasty pairing ideas that will enhance your Black Forest devouring experience.
Flavour Soulmates
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Coffee
The bitterness of rich espresso, or freshly brewed coffee has a way in balancing the sweet flavours of the cake. Plus, the grilled, toasted notes of the coffee adds to the bittersweet shades of the dark chocolate in the Black Forest cake. Go ahead, brew that coffee!
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Tea
Don't feel left out tea-lovers. A cup of robust black tea or a fragrant Earl Grey tea works phenomenally with the flavours of Black Forest. The bold flavours of black tea cuts through the richness of the cake, making each sip and bite blend into a delightful note. As for aromatic Earl Grey tea, its subtle floral notes will complement the fruity cherry flavours of the Black Forest cake, adding to the fragrance and the zesty tingle.
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Ice Cream
Oh, now this is a great one! What we find to work the best - cherry or vanilla ice cream. The texture of the smooth ice cream adds to the feel good textures of the cake - it refreshingly melts in the mouth and is a great wash down of flavours. Cherry ice cream adds a gentle tang and works with the cherries in the cake to awaken your taste buds. And vanilla ice cream just kisses the dark chocolate sponge instantaneously - soft and gentle, toning down the bitterness of the cake.
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Cheese
It’s a daring pairing, but so worth-it! Try serving your Black Forest Cake with a mild and creamy cheese like Brie or Camembert. Sounds a bit out-there, but it could just blow you away. The creaminess of the cheese beautifully complements the richness of the chocolate, while the savoury notes of the cheese create an intriguing contrast to the bitter-sour-sweet flavour trio of the Black Forest cake. Your entire taste buds will be stimulated!
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Nuts
Add a little crunch to your bite by pairing your Black Forest cake with some toasted almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts! They enhance the texture of the cake, while introducing a whole new level of taste to your palate. The warm, toasty flavours of the nuts blend immaculately with the rich chocolate and tart cherry components of the cake, creating a whole new balance of flavours - the key to a good Black Forest cake!
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Wine
Some Black Forest cakes contain kirsch, some contain cherry liqueur (also known as cherry syrup) for a pronounced cherry taste. You might think it's crazy, but a side of wine can really elevate your dessert experience. Try a fruity red wine, like a Pinot Noir or a Merlot to accentuate the cherry flavours and for a little kick of zest. It also offers a pleasant contrast to the rich chocolate - the flavours infusing through the chocolate sponge, the dark chocolate toning down the sharpness of the cherry for a sophisticated and slightly bitter note that lingers on the palate.
Worth the try?
It's amazing how a simple dessert like the Black Forest Cake can take you on a whole new journey with an incredible flavour pairing! Do they entice you to give them a try? Go on and experiment a little. Remember to stop and savour the flavours each flavour pairing at a time.
If you’re eager to give some of the options above a try, but need to get your hands on the star of the show itself - the Black Forest cake, we’ve got one that might interest you. We’ve added some French sophistication to our Black Forest cake, taking pride in its playground of textures - spongy cake, soft cremeux, velvety cream, juicy cherries - and its firework of flavours - rich Valrhona Guanaja chocolate, tangy Amarena and Morello cherries, and sweet Chantilly cream. And it’s alcohol-free for everyone to enjoy - so if you could use a kick of booze, you could always give that wine-pairing a try!
Don't just take our word for it, let your taste buds decide! Black Forest, anyone?