Do you know the difference between German “Schnaps” and American “schnapps?” It isn’t just an additional “p.” German Schnaps (or “eau de vie” in French) is generally an 80-100 proof clear, unsweetened fruit brandy distilled from fermented fruits. No sugar is added, and the fruit flavor is extremely light. Schnaps is usually made from apples, pears, plums, apricots or cherries.
American schnapps, on the other hand, is generally a 30-100 proof liqueur, produced by mixing fruit with already fermented and distilled alcohol. Sugar and glycerin are then added, and the resulting syrupy product is also known as liqueur.
Schnaps: My Secret Ingredient
To tell you the truth, I have never cared for the taste of Schnaps. Whether served before dinner as an apéritif or after dinner is a digestif, it is not sweet enough for me. I prefer a liqueur. But I love what Schnaps does for my Black Forest Cherry Cake (Schwarzwaelder Kirschtorte). The cake is named after the Schnaps that was first distilled in the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) in southwestern Germany, not the other way around. http://tastings.com/spirits/brandy.html This particular Schnaps is aptly called Kirschwasser (cherry water), or simply Kirsch. The clear, colorless fruit brandy is made from tart cherries, including pits. The cherry pits give the Black Forest Cherry Cake its unique flavor. I understand that it takes about 22 pounds of cherries to make just one 750 ml bottle (about 25 ounces) of Kirschwasser.
Kirschwasser – a Schnaps that defines my Black Forest Cherry Cake, photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2015
First documented in 1934 in Berlin, Germany, Black Forest Cherry Cake consists of layers of chocolate cake, whipped cream and tart cherries. But it would not taste the same without the secret ingredient – you guessed it – an infusion of Kirschwasser. I either soak the cherries overnight in the Schnaps or sprinkle the Kirschwasser directly onto each cake layer. I always end with cherries atop the cake, dotted with shaved dark chocolate. Give it a try!
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.
Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
Tags: American schnapps, Black Forest Cherry Cake, eau de vie, German Schnaps, Kirschwasser, liqueur, Schwarzwaelder Kirschtorte
