Baking Baumkuchen gallery

Further information about Baumkuchen

Each photograph links to a larger view and description.

The baumkuchen mix is prepared and poured into the machine's mixture tray.
For this particular baumkuchen, the characteristic grooves are enhanced using a pastry brush.
The baking cylinder of the baumkuchenmaschine is covered in aluminuim foil and carefully secured with baking twine. A special technique is used to wrap the twine to ensure the foil is secure. The chamber is heated to the correct temperature before putting the first layer of mixture onto the drum.
Many layers are added before the baumkuchen reaches the desired size.
Cross section of a baumkuchen. The tree like rings, that give it its name, are clearly visible.
Many layers are before the baumkuchen reaches the desired size.
The baumkuchen is glazed and allowed to dry, still rotating.

The Baumkuchen is the symbol of the Konditor (patissier/pastry chef) in Germany, where baking the perfect Baumkuchen is a critical part of the Konditormeister mastership examination.

Known as the "King of Cakes" the Baumkuchen is baked layer by layer on a rotating spit over open flames. Between 10 and 20 layers are added before the whole cake is glazed or covered in chocolate to form an airtight seal.

When cut, the cake reveals the characteristic golden rings that give it it's name, Baumkuchen or translated literally, "Tree Cake". Some English-speaking countries call Baumkuchen "Pyramid cake", although the origin of the name is unknown.

It is believed that the first Baumkuchen was baked by Johann Christian D Andreas Schernikow (1784-1852). His son, Andreas Friedrich Schernikow (1815-1875) took over his father's business in 1842 and the recipe of the Baumkuchen.

Portions of this article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Baumkuchen".

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