Posted on April 28, 2023 by admin
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The German cake “Granatsplitter” or in English “Chocolate Mountain” is a typical cake specialty, or you could also call it a pastry.
So what is is exactly?
In the bakeries it is made out of the left overs from cakes and a so called “Tortenboden” (layered cake biscuit). The cake left overs are mixed with a buttery cream, rum and almonds and mounted on a shortcrust cookie bottom piece up to a height of 10cm or 4 inches, so it’s shape reminds of a little mountain.
This little mountain will be completely covered with chocolate. Because the ingredients can vary the Granatsplitter is always different and this makes it so unusual. You can be very creative and use all kinds of ingredients.
In Berlin they call them “Hackstockkratze”, in the Eastern regions it is a “Punschberg” (because of the rum). For the glaze you can use dark, medium or even white chocolate. To make the dough you can use all kinds of cake rests like from a coffee cake, cookies that are left over or a biscuit base cake. The recipe below is original and authentic German. Happy Baking!
Ingredients German Cake Granatsplitter
– Makes 8 Granatsplitter –
Dough
1/2 biscuit base cake (Tortenboden) – Already made or make from scratch (500-600 g)
You can use the recipe for an Obstkuchen (fruit cake) – Find it here –
some baking flavor: rum or vanilla (or Whisky, brandy, Amaretto etc)
75 g almonds chopped coarsely (or hazelnuts, walnuts)
Shortcrust cookies
150g flour
1 tbsp baking powder
50g sugar
1 package vanilla sugar 0.3 oz – How to make Vanilla Sugar –
rum flavor
2 tbsp milk
50g butter
Butter Cream
500 ml milk
100 g sugar
250 g butter
1 package Vanilla pudding or Cream pudding, Dr Oetker
Glaze
150 g chocolate glaze or “Kuvertüre” (if you cannot get the Kuvertüre just melt 1 bar of dark chocolate like from Lindt using the double boiler method, add 1 tbsp of coconut oil and let it melt)
The German Breakfast Box comes with these Items!
Baking Instructions German Cake Granatsplitter
Make the Cookies
– Mix flour with baking powder, and sieve it on a baking board.
– Make a mold into the flour, into this mold add sugar, vanilla sugar, rum and milk, mix with some flour.
– Add cold butter that is cut in smaller pieces.
– Knead until you get a smooth dough.
– On a floured baking board or smooth surface roll the dough very thin.
– Cut out round cookies (diameter 4-5 cm or 2 inches).
Optional: If you have left over dough, you can create fantasy forms which will be used for the topping.
– Bake cookies and fantasy forms for 10 minutes on 180 C or 350 F.
Make the Butter Cream
– Make the pudding per instructions
– Place plastic foil on top to avoid skin build up.
– Let cool off completely.
– When pudding is cooled off beat briefly, then add the butter.
– Mix well until you get a smooth cream.
Make the Dough
– Crumble the cake that you will use, you need very small pieces.
– Combine crumbles with butter cream, not in one time, bit by bit.
– Add rum flavor and chopped almonds.
– If you use the left over cookie dough, cut it in very small pieces and add to the dough. It adds some crunch to the Granatsplitter.
– Knead well until you get a dough that can be formed with the hands.
– Place in fridge for 10-15 min.
Make the Mountains and Glaze
– With a spoon remove some dough, place it on the cookie and form it into a little mountain.
– Place in fridge for 1 hour.
– Melt chocolate with some coconut oil by using the double boiler method.
– Pour chocolate over the mountain, use a BBQ fork or a spatula that has holes (see video). If you try to dip the mountain into the chocolate it might fall from the cookie.
– Place on parchment paper and let dry.
The video below is in German, but you can follow it quite easily. She shows 2 variations to create the little mountain:
Use a frosting bag or place with hand a small portion of the dough on the cookie and form the mountain.
Related
Category: German Recipes, Granatsplitter, Granatsplitter Tags: chocolate mountain, german baking, german cakes, granatsplitter
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2 Comments on “German Cake: Granatsplitter from Scratch”
Oh, Gabriele wie fein, ich liebte diese Punschberge als Kind. Lecker!
Viele Grüße aus Deutschland 🙂
FAQs
Baumkuchen is not only the king of cakes but also the cake of kings. In 1843, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia (see photo) visited the town of Salzwedel in Germany, which is famous for Baumkuchen. There he tasted the cake and was so excited that he ordered the rest of the cake to be taken with him to Berlin.
What is the origin of the German Chocolate Cake? ›
Originating in the United States, it was named after English-American chocolate maker Samuel German, who developed a formulation of dark baking chocolate that came to be used in the cake recipe. Sweet baking chocolate is traditionally used for the cake's flavor, but few recipes call for it today.
What is a fact about German cake? ›
A common misconception is that German Chocolate Cake comes from Germany. In fact, the name comes from American baker, Samuel German, who developed a type of dark baking chocolate in 1852.
What is the difference between chocolate cake and German Chocolate Cake? ›
German chocolate cake uses a particular kind of baking chocolate as its base, one which has a milder, sweeter profile thanks in part to lecithin, a fatty substance derived from egg yolks. In contrast, classic chocolate cake recipes often use cocoa powder or darker chocolate for a richer, more intense flavor.
What is the most famous German cake? ›
Black Forest Cake is perhaps Germany's most well-known and most-loved cake. It consists of a chocolate cake with a filling of fresh cream and cherries soaked in Kirschwasser—a clear cherry schnapps—and decorated with cream, chocolate shavings, and cherries.
What do Germans call cake? ›
Cake in German language is kuchen.
Why does German Chocolate Cake taste different? ›
Stiffly beaten egg whites act as a leavening agent that traps air bubbles, which expand during baking. This is particularly important for German chocolate cake, as its characteristic mild and light chocolate base relies on this lightness to balance the rich and dense coconut-pecan frosting.
Why is German Chocolate Cake so good? ›
German Chocolate Cake is famous for its filling—it has a rich, sticky-sweet custard studded with coconut flakes and chopped pecans.
Who invented German cake? ›
First called German's chocolate cake, the cake was credited to Mrs. George Clay, a homemaker living on Academy Drive in Dallas. The titular German stemmed not from any sort of association with the country, but rather from the headlining ingredient: Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate, itself a confusingly named product.
Do they eat German Chocolate Cake in Germany? ›
Hence the name German chocolate cake, right? However, the popular dessert isn't from Germany at all. Instead, it originated in the country that loves it the most: America.
Of all these regional and national dishes, Germany is most famous for Currywurst, sausages, pretzels and Black Forest Gateau, but as you can see, there is plenty more to German cuisine than just these.
Why does my German chocolate cake fall apart? ›
Too Little or Too Much Moisture. If your cake isn't moist enough, it can sink in the center. But too much moisture can also ruin a cake. This happens most often in humid climates, where extra moisture can collect naturally in ingredients like flour.
Why is it called devils food? ›
There are a few theories as to how it got its name. One, it's the decadent counterpart to angel food cake. Two, it's sinfully delicious. Finally, devil's food cake came about during a time when food that was spicy, rich, or dark was described as deviled, like deviled ham and deviled eggs.
What is a rich German cake called? ›
The shortest crossword solution for Rich German cake is 5 letters long and is called TORTE. The longest solution is five letters long and is called TORTE.
What is the significance of the king cake? ›
The plastic baby symbolizes the infant Jesus because of the religious connection to King's Day. Tradition dictates that finding the baby in your cake piece symbolizes luck and prosperity, and the finder becomes the “king” or “queen” of the evening. The person who hosts the Mardi Gras party buys or makes the king cake.
What's the difference between Rosca de Reyes and king cake? ›
One other key difference between Rosca de Reyes and Mardi Gras Cake is how they are decorated. The Reyes cake has no green, white, or yellow icing, but actually is decorated with candied fruit to resemble a king's crown. With Mardi Gras King Cake, if you find the baby you have to buy the next cake.
Which cake is known as King of cakes? ›
Bolo-rei ( lit. 'king cake') is a traditional Portuguese cake eaten from the beginning of December until Epiphany. The recipe is derived from the Southern French gâteau des rois which found its way to Portugal during the 1800s when Confeitaria Nacional opened as the Portuguese monarchy's official bakery in 1829.
What is the meaning of the king cake? ›
King cake is eaten on January 6 in honor of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem who delivered gifts to the baby Jesus. (The plastic baby hidden inside king cakes today is a nod to this story.)
