Kaffee und Kuchen, Delicious And Relaxing

Between 3pm and 4pm millions of Germans stop for Kaffee und Kuchen, or a coffee and cake break, to help get them through the rest of the day.

I guess you could drink tea, but what’s the point (unless you’re in East Frisia)? ;-)

But, whatever you choose to drink, might I suggest some of these delightfully, sinful treats to go with it?

Bayerische Creme

Anyone who’s been to Dunkin Donuts knows the Bavarian Kreme donut is one of the coffee chain’s most popular. Ha, they don’t know what true Bavarian Creme tastes like — made with sugar, milk, and vanilla bean, you serve this up in a pretty dessert dish — not a Berliner (which is also great, BTW).

In case you want to make it (it’s not all that hard) — here’s the recipe.

Oh yeah, it just hit me — Bavarian Creme isn’t a cake. Ah, no matter, the dessert is the stuff of legend — from its creation all the way back in the 1300s. ;-)

But to stay with the cake theme, try the famed Berliner. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

The famed Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, or Black Forest Cake in English, is a layer cake of cherry schnapps, cherries, chocolate, and heavy whipping cream. I think I need to let my pants out just writing about this decadent cake that’s popular all over the world.

Käsesahnetorte

Käsesahnetorte is cheese-cream cake, not a cheesecake. But, it is made with white cheese (called Quark), sugar, flour, and whipped cream. One thing: you’ll be disappointed if you’re into instant gratification — it’s got to sit in the fridge overnight to solidify.

Streuselkuchen

Yeah, it’s got all the basic cake making ingredients — sugar, butter, milk, and yeast. Yet, the crumb topping (make with vanilla sugar, sugar, and butter) is what makes this Crumb Cake the bee’s knees. ;-)

Linzertorte

I don’t care that the Linzertorte cake’s origins were in Austria (and baked in the Baden region since the late 17th century). I just know the inside is filled with almonds, rasberry jam, and cognac. Delicious!

Strudel

The Strudel has been a staple around many German kitchens since the mid-15th century. Today you can order it with just about anything on the middle from Blood Sausage to poppyseeds, fruit, and veggie versions.

Zwetschgenkuchen

Sounds like a mouthful, but Zwetschgenkuchen is just a delicious plum cake. The crumb topping is made just like a crumb cake — but the fruity goodness on the inside is what makes this a little slice of Heaven.

Excuse me, I have a date with a cup of coffee and that plum cake. Care to join?