Schwarzwälderkirschtorte. The cake of cakes!

Yes that is all one word in the title and it translates to Black Forest Cherry Torte or what we call the Black Forest cake.  This is a particular favorite and we are big aficionados! Scratch that - we're experts!  On the most recent trip to Freiburg, Germany  - the capital of the Black Forest - we spent every day in a different cafe trying out the various offerings and they were all great. Then to top if off the Colombi hotel, as the conference caterer, featured a giant black forest sheet cake - true to the recipe no less.  Alas in the United States the cake is usually not true to the recipe. The closest thing we found was at Ursula's European pastry but alas that bakery has closed. We miss it because Black Forest cake aside we don't know anyone else who make a good Dobosz Torte. But we digress..

Today's version was courtesy of Dr. Zhang and was made to order at the Vienna Bakery in Barrington, RI.  It is very good though not quite up to European snuff. The critical element however - a whipped cream frosting - was there.   Thank God!  It was filled with the requisite layer(s) of cherries and the shaved chocolate on top is also de rigeur. Other important ingredients of the real thing are a cookie type layer on the bottom, then a single layer of SOUR cherries that are soaked in Kirschwasser (cherry brandy), and then a layer of whipped cream. This one used a double layer of sweet cherries and the lack of the Kirschwasser is understandable because here they would probably require the bakery to have a liquor license to pull that off. But make no mistake, this is a great cake.It is not too sweet, the cake portion was very fresh and with the whipped cream it is much lighter than it looks. Kudos to the Vienna Bakery for one of the best adaptations in the US!

When we were almost done with the cake, Vicki, who has been haunted by Peeps since Easter imagined the cake had become one.

With the upcoming DDW we discussed who was going and staying and where and why? Suggestions of what to do in New Orleans included drinking and more drinking. We also clarified conference couture. Of course one should dress nicely but to be able to tell everyone apart we advocate researchers dressing slightly more casually then the blue suited physicians if for no other reason to figure out who might be more fun.

One of our participants we think is trying to set a record for the largest DDW poster having made one that is 4'x8'. That's one big poster.  One person in the group, familiar with New Orleans, mentioned that there were security cameras all around Bourbon Street. The person then remarked to another one headed for the conference that with the camera there she would probably want to go streaking. If anyone can figure out how the presence of security cameras would incite someone, not particularly inclined to it, to go streaking please explain it to us.