Food on Fridays looks today at a special kind of dessert from this part of Germany: Der Burgunderpunch Kuchen.

Last month, at the height of the pre-Lent Berliner season, the bakeries were filled with all kinds of special things for Carnival, which is called Fasnet around here. In addition to the Berliners, there were also those Fasnet pastries that I’ve previously mentioned.

One day I noticed this oddly pinkish-glazed cake at a place where we’ve gotten other kinds of cake in the past that have been good:

I decided that research demanded that we try one of these. There were no signs for it in the display case, so I asked the man who was waiting on me what it was, and he told me the name was Burgunderpunch Kuchen, Burgundy Punch Cake.

Since so many other things in the bakeries at that point were treats designed just for the pre-Lent period, I asked if this cake was something that was made just for Fasnet. He said, in all seriousness, that “it is good for any day, all year-long.”

He then paused and appeared to be deep in thought for a moment. He then added, “But it’s also good for Fasnet.”

Again, no intended sense of humor or irony in his delivery. Which somehow made it all the funnier to me.

Anyway, that little experience when ordering it turned out to be the best thing about this cake. It was a plain vanilla bundt-shaped cake, covered in a very sweet, oddly flavored glaze. The cake was tasteless and the icing was sickly sweet with a vague hint of wine and spices that I guess was supposed to be like the punch beverage.

So, Burgunderpunch Kuchen? I don’t recommend it. It’s not a good use of cake or wine, IMHO — at Fasnet or any time of year.