page_title: Baumkuchen
section_title: Characteristics
hierarchical_section_title: Baumkuchen / Characteristics
caption_attribution_description: English: Market of Rodez, Aveyron, Midi-Pyrénées, France). Français&#160;: Gâteaux à la broche au marché de Rodez (Aveyron, Midi-Pyrénées, France). Occitan&#160;: Mercat de Rodés (Avairon, Miègjorn-Pirenèus, França).
context_page_description: Baumkuchen is a German variety of spit cake. It is a traditional pastry of many European countries, and also a popular snack and dessert in Japan. The characteristic rings, which resemble tree rings when sliced, give the cake its German name, Baumkuchen, which literally translates to "tree cake".
context_section_description: This labor-intensive, and thus rather expensive, specialty is made on a spit by evenly brushing on thin layers of batter, then rotating the spit over a heat source, traditionally a wood fire. Each layer is allowed to dry before another layer of batter is poured over the previous. When the cake is removed and sliced, each layer is divided from the next by a golden line, resembling the growth rings on a crosscut tree. A typical baumkuchen is made up of 15 to 20 layers of batter. Baumkuchen can be large: skilled pastry chefs have been known to create cakes with 25 layers and weighing over 100 pounds.  When cooked on a spit, it is not uncommon for a finished baumkuchen to be 3 to 4 feet tall.
  Baumkuchen ingredients are typically butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour. Baking powder is not considered a traditional ingredient. The ratio of flour, butter and eggs is typically 1:1:2 respectively (i.e., 100 grams of flour, 100 grams of butter, and 200 grams of eggs). The recipe can be varied by adding other ingredients, such as ground nuts, honey, marzipan, nougat and rum or brandy, to the batter or filling. Additionally, baumkuchen may be covered with sugar or chocolate glaze. With some recipes, the fully baked and cooled baumkuchen is first coated with marmalade or jam, and then covered with chocolate.
caption: Gâteau à la broche, Market of Rodez, Aveyron, Midi-Pyrénées
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