At the beginning of 2022, the Cottbuser Baumkuchen Manufaktur was transformed into GROCH & ERBEN. Where did this name come from and what does the transformation mean for the future of our manufactory? First let’s look back at the past.
The creation of the Cottbuser Baumkuchen Manufaktur
It was in the year 1819 when our Maria Groch baked her first Baumkuchen on a cold winter’s night in the immediate vicinity of today’s manufactory, and by doing so laid the foundations for today’s manufactory. Her daughter Wilhelmine became an Imperial purveyor to the court, countless manufactories followed and made the region Germany’s go-to destination for the “King of Cakes”.
On 2nd December 1900, the master confectioner Max Lauterbach opened his eponymous “Conditorei & Café Lauterbach“” in Cottbus. From the first day onwards, he baked his “Original Cottbuser Baumkuchen” according to Maria Groch’s original recipe, became a royal court purveyor and even delivered as far as New York.
The legacy of Maria Groch and Max Lauterbach is now in the hands of the Hajek family. Recalling the old tradition, we founded the “Cottbuser Baumkuchen Manufaktur – Max Lauterbach” in 2006. She continued the production of the classic Baumkuchen of the “Conditorei & Café Lauterbach” at the new location, using the classic recipes and the same high-quality craftsmanship. Little by little, we’ve continued to develop year after year, gaining fans all over the world and becoming one of the go-to destinations for Baumkuchen in Germany.
On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the start of the production of Baumkuchen in Cottbus in 2019, we had the idea of creating a special monument to our founder, Maria Groch, and of showing her our thanks and respect by renaming to GROCH & ERBEN. From the founder of the tradition to her artisanal heirs, who continue the Baumkuchen tradition of the city of Cottbus and make it known far beyond the borders of the city.
Goals for the future
With the takeover of the manufactory by the second generation of the family and its renaming to GROCH & ERBEN at the beginning of 2022, we, as a German-Danish junior couple, would like to bring a new breath of fresh air to our Baumkuchen manufactory. Building on the success of the past years, we’ve set ourselves the goal of challenging ourselves again and again and creating new unique products.
At the same time, however, we also attach great importance to baking our traditional Baumkuchen with the same unchanged high quality using traditional handwork. To ensure that this remains the case, we at GROCH & ERBEN continue to avoid any frills and to reduce our ingredients to the essentials. We’ll continue to use only sustainable and honest raw materials. Artificial flavours and preservatives are prohibited in our manufactory.