Black Forest cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte) is a German layered dessert of chocolate sponge soaked in kirsch (cherry brandy), filled with whipped cream and sour cherries, and coated in more whipped cream and chocolate shavings. It takes its name from the Black Forest region of southwestern Germany, home to both the sour cherries and the kirschwasser traditionally used; some accounts instead trace the name to the black, white, and red traditional dress worn by the region's women, echoing the cake's chocolate, cream, and cherry layers. Its exact inventor is disputed among several German pastry chefs from the 1910s-30s, but the earliest known printed recipe appeared in a German confectionery book from 1934. Morello or other sour cherries are traditional, providing tartness against the sweet cream and chocolate, though modern versions sometimes swap in rum, hazelnuts, or coffee.