Esterházytorte
Esterházytorte: Viennese almond meringue layer cake with vanilla buttercream and feathered icing
Named after a Hungarian noble family and claimed by both Budapest and Vienna, this torte is a showpiece of Viennese pastry shops, where it sits in the glass counter beside richer chocolate cakes. Five or six crisp-chewy almond meringue layers are stacked with a vanilla custard buttercream, then topped with white icing and the famous feathered chocolate lines. It has no flour at all, so it suits gluten-free guests. A common mistake is baking the layers too pale; they should be light golden, or they go soft and sticky in the cream. Chef's tip: draw the circles on baking paper first and spread the meringue to the line with a palette knife, so every layer matches.
- Total time
- 140 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the meringue layers
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 oz caster sugar
- 7 oz ground almondslightly toasted and cooled
- 1 tbsp cornflour
For the buttercream
- 1 ¾ cups milk
- 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- 1 ¼ oz cornflour
- 1 vanilla podsplit, seeds scraped
- 8 oz unsalted buttersoft
For the top
- 3 tbsp apricot jamwarmed and sieved
- 7 oz icing sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ⅜ oz dark chocolatemelted
- 1 ¾ oz flaked almondstoasted
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Make the custard first: heat 1 ¾ cups milk with 1 vanilla pod until steaming. Whisk 4 egg yolks, 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar and 1 ¼ oz cornflour, pour in the hot milk while whisking, then return to the pan and stir over a medium heat until it boils and turns very thick, about 2 minutes. Press cling film on the surface and cool to room temperature.
10 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Draw six 24 cm circles on sheets of baking paper and turn them over onto baking trays.
5 minStep 3: Whisk 8 egg whites with 1 pinch salt to soft peaks, then add 7 oz caster sugar gradually and whisk to a stiff, glossy meringue. Mix 7 oz ground almonds with 1 tbsp cornflour and fold in gently until even.
8 minStep 4: Spread the meringue thinly and evenly over the six circles, about 4 mm thick. Bake two at a time for 10–12 minutes, until light golden and dry to the touch. Slide the paper onto a rack, trim each layer round with a knife while warm, then peel off once cool.
40 minStep 5: Beat 8 oz unsalted butter for 4 minutes until very pale, then beat in the cooled custard a spoonful at a time. Both must be at the same room temperature, or the cream curdles.
8 minStep 6: Stack the layers with an even spread of buttercream between each, keeping the best layer for the top, upside down so it is flat. Spread the rest of the cream thinly round the sides. Chill for 1 hour.
15 minStep 7: Brush the top thinly with 3 tbsp apricot jam. Mix 7 oz icing sugar and 3 tbsp lemon juice into a thick, smooth icing that flows slowly, and spread it over the top.
5 minStep 8: Straight away, pipe parallel lines of melted 1 ⅜ oz dark chocolate 2 cm apart across the wet icing. Draw a skewer through the lines at right angles, alternating direction each time, to make the feathered pattern.
5 minStep 9: Press 1 ¾ oz flaked almonds round the sides. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before cutting with a hot knife.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 49 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does esterházytorte take?
- About 140 minutes in total: 70 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
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