Typically, Black Forest gateau consists of several layers of chocolate sponge cake sandwiched with whipped cream and cherries.

The confectioner Josef Keller [de] (1887–1981) claimed to have invented Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in its present form in 1915 at the prominent Café Agner in Bad Godesberg, now a suburb of Bonn and actually some 300 km (190 mi) north of the Black Forest.

[8][9] The record for the world's largest authentic Black Forest gateau was set at Europa Park, Germany, on 16 July 2006, by K&U Bakery.

[12] On 9 December 2012, a team led by chefs Jörg Mink and Julien Bompard made Asia's biggest Black Forest cake at the S-One Expo[13] in Singapore.

[15] A Swedish cake called Schwarzwaldtårta is related to the traditional Black Forest gateau only by name; it contains no cherries at all but consists of meringue layers and hazelnuts covered by whipped cream and decorated with thin dark chocolate and cocoa powder.