Esterházytorte

The Esterházytorte was named after the diplomat Paul III. Anton Esterházy. It’s a cream cake which was originally created by confectioners in Budapest at the beginning of the 20th century, but soon found its way into Viennese dessert cuisine. It consists of a light yellow buttercream, usually between five layers of sponge cake base, and is covered by white sugar glaze as well as brittle, candied fruits and chocolate. You just have to help yourself and enjoy it, layer by layer.

Serves: ingredients for 1 cake form

Ingredients:

8 egg whites
200 g (2 cups) icing sugar
rind from 1 lemon, grated
a pinch of powdered cinnomon
150 g (0,35 lb) almonds, grated finely with skin
40 g (1/3 cup) flour (fine)
300 ml (0,5 pt) milk
150 g (2/3 cup) sugar
pulp from 1 vanilla pod
40 g (1/8 cup) vanilla custard powder
3 egg yolks
2 cl (0,03 pt) cherry brandy
300 g (1 1/3 cup) butter
80 g (0,2 lb) apricot jam
2 cl (0,03 pt) rum
300 g (1 1/3 cup) fondant (thick, white sugar glaze)
cocoa
2-3 tbsps shaved almonds (roasted)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350F).
Whisk the egg white with 2/3 of the icing sugar until half stiff, then add the lemon rind, cinnamon and the rest of the sugar, and keep whisking until the mass is stiff and glossy. Carefully fold in the almonds and the sifted flour. Draw 6 circles about 24 cm Ø on baking paper. Spread each of them thinly with the cake mixture. In batches, bake each one light brown in a hot ovenwith the door partially open for 8-10 minutes. Loosen the bottom of each cake from the paper with a spatula and then allow to cool. For the cream filling, beat the butter until creamy. Heat about 2/3 of the milk with the sugar and vanilla pulp. Use the rest of themilk tomix with the custard powder, egg yolks and cherry brandy. Stir until smooth, then combine with the milk mixture. Allow to cool. Spoon the cooled custard into the creamy butter mixture, and stir until it becomes a smooth butter cream.
Spread the cream over five of the cake layers and place them on top of each other, keeping some cream for the end. Put the 6th layer upside down on a bench surface. Heat the jam and rum and spread over the bottom. Warm the fondant to body temperature (no hotter than 40 °C) and pour, slightly cooled, over the layer spread with jam (6th layer), keeping about 2-3 tablespoons for the decorative pattern. Quickly smooth over with a spatula. Place this layer on top of the cake and spread the sides of the cake with the rest of the butter cream. Apply the shaved almonds to the sides of the cake. For the typical Esterházy decorative pattern, stir some cocoa into the fondant and
fill into a pastry bag. At a distance of about 2 cm, squeeze out semi circles and quickly take the back of a knife and pull it across perpendicularly from alternate sides. (See photo for pattern).
Allow to stand for a while before cutting.

Baking time: 8-10 minutes

Oven temperature: 180 °C (350F)