If you’re on a diet, stop reading. No good will come of it.

The topic under discussion is the Black Forest‘s premier export. Some might contend that we should be talking about the cuckoo clock. But in terms of popularity and global reach, there’s no contest. The Black Forest’s greatest gift to the world is a huge confection drenched in alcohol, smothered in cream and chocolate shavings, and topped with cherries.

The Black Forest cherry cake — Schwarzwalder Kirtschtorte in German — is so well-established in America that it even has a day dedicated to it, March 28. On that day, you could argue, eating a generous slice is not an indulgence, it’s an obligation.

Although the origins of the Black Forest cake are not entirely certain — some foodie historians claim it was invented by Josef Keller near Bonn in 1915, and got its name from the Black Forest cherry kirsch that he liberally incorporated in the recipe — it was the cafés of the Black Forest that made it famous, and from there it spread across the country, becoming Germany’s favorite cake.

Café Schaefer in Triberg claims to use Josef Keller’s original recipe, thus providing another credible excuse for you to tuck in to a piece of cake. It’s not indulgence, it’s historical research.