We bake the most beautiful layered cakes in the world using the finest handcraft.
GROCH & ERBEN has always stood for the history of passionate traditional craftsmanship and high-quality Baumkuchen all year round. We combine our proud tradition with a passion for sustainability and exceptional enjoyment.
The roots of our Baumkuchen factory go back to 1819, when Maria Groch laid the foundation for GROCH & ERBEN with her first Baumkuchen. More than 200 years later, this legacy is in the hands of the Hajek family. In the second generation, we produce unique Baumkuchen in our factory in both classic and new, modern flavors.
Using honest raw materials, our focus has always remained the same: to offer people all over the world an extraordinary taste experience with our typically German and timeless product.
The mix of our Baumkuchen combines tradition and modernity. We not only create our traditional Baumkuchen with sugar glaze and a subtle lemon note using traditional handcraft according to Maria Groch's original recipe, but at the same time we take our products on a taste journey around the world.
The focus of our young team is always to create timeless products that capture our emotions and convey them to the outside world, making our Baumkuchen a unique taste experience.
It is the full flavor with a light and airy structure that is the trademark of our Baumkuchen and makes it so popular. To ensure that it stays that way, we at GROCH & ERBEN do without frills and reduce our ingredients to the essentials. We therefore only use sustainable and honest raw materials and the finest chocolate. Artificial flavors and preservatives are not allowed in our house.
History & Motivation
Our home in the city of Cottbus is one of the most exciting regions in Europe. Always characterized by change and diversity, the people here are constantly on the move. Just like Maria Groch once did, who laid the roots for GROCH & ERBEN with her first Baumkuchen on a cold winter night in 1819, right next to our current factory. She formed the rings with a wooden comb and, after they had cooled, covered them with a thin layer of sugar glaze and a hint of lemon. The Cottbus Baumkuchen with fondant had seen the light of day.
Her daughter Wilhelmine became a purveyor to the Imperial Court, and countless manufacturers followed suit, making the region Germany's best place to buy the "King of Cakes". In 1900, the Dresden confectioner Max Lauterbach came to Lusatia for the pastries, delivered as far as New York and became a purveyor to the Royal Court.
The legacy of Maria Groch and Max Lauterbach is now in the hands of the Hajek family. Founded in 2006, our factory has developed into one of the best places to buy Baumkuchen in Germany. With the second generation taking over in 2020, the German-Danish junior couple is bringing a breath of fresh air to the factory.
In the new chapter of the family-run company, the preference for Scandinavian lightness and reduced design not only meets new innovative product ideas. It also meets the topic of sustainability, which will be a central core theme for everyone in the coming decades. We at GROCH & ERBEN know that we cannot and are not yet completely sustainable, but this spurs us on even more to achieve this goal in the medium term through new processes, packaging materials and especially new products.
Our bestsellers
Baked traditionally and with lots of love by hand, each of our Baumkuchen is unique.