Blitz Torte: a birthday cake for the cake-challenged baker.
My goal was to make a yellow birthday cake with chocolate icing. I tried. I really did. But I failed. And I’m not unhappy about failing, not one little bit.
The test kitchen here at King Arthur Flour is a bastion of failure. Like baseball players, our theoretical goal is to bat 1.000, but it’s an impossible dream (like the ’67 Sox, for all you members of Red Sox Nation out there). Once in a blue moon does any of us think up a recipe, write it down, bake it, and WOW—instant success!
To continue with the baseball metaphor, we have a “three-strike rule” in the test kitchen, as in “Try a recipe three times and if you’re not pretty darned close, forget it and move on.” So the process is usually something like this: “Man, that was pretty bad,” followed by “Better, but it could still use…” followed by “Pretty good. Now, if I just increase the (cinnamon, butter, yeast…) a teeny, tiny bit…” And the fourth time should be—SHOULD be—perfect. (Sometimes we cheat and go to bat a fifth and sixth time, but we try to sneak such efforts past our fellow test bakers, lest they consider us truly lame.)
Thus did I start honing in on a really great yellow cake recipe iced with perfect fudge frosting. First attempt: dry and crumbly. I tried to salvage it by brushing vanilla syrup on top, but the result was “dry and crumbly with a 1/8” soggy layer of vanilla syrup on top.” I tried another recipe: better, but still kind of dry. I went back to the first recipe, subbing in some sour cream, tinkering with the sugar, the eggs… blecchh, worse than the first attempt.
So now I’d tried three times and “struck out.” But yellow cake—c’mon, EVERYONE can make yellow cake. Why can’t I? I researched my cookbooks, looking for something different; an old-fashioned, oil-based chiffon cake, perhaps. Tried it: moist, but dense and heavy. Tried a hot milk cake; OK, but too spongy. On and on it went, as I fussed and fussed and FUSSED with this project, covering my futile attempts with chocolate ganache and leaving them in the lunchroom for unsuspecting fellow employees (whose standards might not be as high as those we set in the test kitchen—cake is cake, after all).
And then finally—at last!—I gave up.
Why? Because my fellow test baker/blogger, Susan Reid, started working on the very same project (yellow cake) for a new recipe section, Guaranteed Classics, we’ll be posting online this summer. And Susan, being 20 times the cake baker I’ll ever hope to be, will no doubt nail this sucker in about 35 minutes (in a preheated 350°F oven) flat.
Thus, emotionally sucking my thumb and pouting, I retreated back into my safe haven of yeast bread. But first, I assuaged my feelings by going into the test kitchen and baking my favorite cake, a recipe my mom gave me years and years ago, one that never fails to elicit raves, one that’s simple to make, utterly delicious, and is my default office birthday party cake… Why was I fooling around with yellow cake when I could make a Blitz Torte?
When you want to make absolutely, positively certain that your cake won’t stick in the pan, line the pan with parchment paper, the baker’s best friend. First, put your cake pans on a sheet of parchment, and trace their bottoms with a felt-tip marker.
Like this.
Cut the circles out, and put them into the pans, which you’ve first sprayed with non-stick vegetable oil spray. My favorite is Everbake, since it doesn’t leave that annoying brown, sticky goo on your baking sheets. Spray the parchment, too.
This recipe calls for four eggs, separated. That means you have to separate the yolks from the whites. The easiest way is to crack the eggshell in half, and pour the yolk and white from one side to the other.
As you pour, the white will separate itself from the yolk, and fall into the bowl below. Set the bowl of whites aside; you’ll use them later.
Mix the butter, sugar, salt, and egg yolks, then beat in the vanilla, milk, baking powder, and flour.
Divide the stiff dough between the two parchment-lined pans.
Spread it towards the edges of the pans. Don’t be too fussy; it’s OK if the batter doesn’t quite reach the edges.
Next, go back to that bowl of egg whites. Beat them, gradually adding the sugar, till they’re glossy and starting to mound. There’s no need to beat them till they’re stiff; they just need to be pillowy. Hey, how do you like that? You’ve made meringue!
Divide the meringue atop the cake batter in the pans. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and sliced almonds.
The cakes will rise high as they bake…
…then gently settle down as they cool. Use a spatula or table knife to loosen the edges of the cakes from the pan.
Now, you’re going to take the cakes out of the pans without losing too much of their topping. Lay a piece of parchment atop one pan, then set a cooling rack, feet-side-up, on top of the parchment.
Flop pan, parchment, and rack over; lift the cake pan off the cake, and peel off the parchment that it baked on. The bottom of the cake is now facing up. Place the rack on the cake…
…and flop it over again, so the cake is right side up.
Put one layer on a serving plate, and spread it with your favorite filling. Mine is instant vanilla pudding, enhanced with extra vanilla extract and made with half and half (or even heavy cream) instead of milk. Tastes just as decadently rich as the best pastry cream, and it’s a whole lot easier to make.
You can add fresh berries or cut-up fruit at this point, but the fellow whose birthday cake this was loves apricots. So apricot jam was the counterpoint to the vanilla pudding.
Here it is, ready for the candles…
And here are the remains, post-singing, post-celebrating, and post “Who wants cake? I do I do!”
March 24th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
My question concerns the Zojirushi bread machine (It’s getting more use now with the high ready-made bread prices!).
HOW do you people get loaves of baked bread out of the Zojirushi without the two beaters tearing holes in the botton of the loaf?
Will sure appreciate your help! Birthday cake recipe and all the others are a ‘treat’ to observe. WGR
March 24th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Yhis cake doesn`t look to good ,but I bet it tasts good.
March 24th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Wouldn’t it make more sense to use a springform pan or cheesecake pan to keep the cake upright when removing it from the pan? Your top wouldn’t get crushed and the appearance would be maintained. Even if people do not have a cheesecake pan–most bakers have a springform for cheesecake and flourless cake baking.
March 24th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
I would like the recipe for the above shown cake. it’s my wifes birthday soon and I want to make this for her. I have your cookbooks, that are sold as a grouping of 3, is it in one of these books? Please let me know how to get this recipe, Blitz Torte. It looks great.
Thanks
Grant Kolnes
March 24th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I use a terry cloth dish towel, hold on to both ends of the pan and bounce the bread to loosen the loaf. This doesn’t completely do away with the ‘holes’ but usually lets the beaters come out easier and neater.
The cake must be absolutely delicious!!
March 24th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
This looks wonderful! However, I don’t see the list of ingredients for the cake! Am I just overloking ? Love your website/catalog. Our supermarkets are beginning to have some of the mixes, they have had the flour for a long while.
Thanks so much,
Shirley Garies
March 24th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Hi everyone: Please click on Blitz Torte up where the photos begin. It takes you to the recipe in our online recipe archive. I can see I’m going to have to make that link more clearly visible, huh? Sorry ’bout that - technology is still somewhat of a challenge for me at times!
Linda, if you have two springform pans (one for each layer), yeah, you could certainly use them. Or bake one layer, cool, take out, then bake the next. But since most people don’t have two springforms, I thought I’d show how to do it in two regular cake pans.
Wanda, the best solution (if you’re around) is to set a timer for when the Zo does its “punch down” midway through the rising prior to baking. Just take the dough out, paddles out, shape the dough into a log, and plop it back in and let the machine finish doing its thing. Or, if you don’t want to do that, be sure you grease the paddles well once its finished its initial kneading; that seems to help.
And Lorrie, yes - the cake is delicious. Maybe my photos didn’t do it justice, but it also looks pretty good, too!
Thanks for the comments, everyone-
March 24th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Re: Separating Eggs. I was watching some of the old Jacques and Julia at Home videos. One of them separated eggs this way: Crack the egg. Hold your (clean) left hand over the bowl. Pour the egg into your left hand and let the whites ooze down into the bowl between your fingers. Take the now separated yolk and put it into another bowl. They swore the yolk would never break (unless you squeezed it!)
I haven’t had the guts to try that yet. It make sense, but… ewww!
The cake looks totally yummy!
March 24th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
I was thrilled to see this recipe. About 25 years ago I had a similar one and it was filled with lemon curd. Lost the book it was published in during a move. Guess what we are having this week-end???
Love all the products I have purchased from “The King”. (that is the term now used by the family when they discover a box left on our porch) Living in a community that is ” baking supplies lacking” it is wonderful to get on the computer and order up knowing that in a few days I am back in the kitchen.
Thanks,
Teri Einan
Kennewick,Washington
March 24th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Susan, I’ve actually separated eggs that way, simply using my fingers. It’s not “ewwww,” exactly; just kind of jello-y, slurpy, weird feeling. But yeah, it definitely works if you keep your hands relaxed, your fingers just the RIGHT distance spread apart - and don’t squeeze!
March 24th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Teri, glad you found your long-lost recipe here! Lemon curd sounds like the perfect filling. enjoy it this weekend. and glad “the King” could help you out1 thanks for connecting-
March 24th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
PJ, have you tried coconut milk with your pudding mix? I usually use the no-sugar cooked version of the pudding mix-vanilla or chocolate-and 1 can of ‘light’ coconut milk (14 oz of tasty liquid coconut instead of the 16 oz of milk that is recommended, so the filling is just a bit thicker). It makes a lovely, coconut flavored filling for many things–also great pudding!
March 25th, 2008 at 5:14 am
Jan, what a fabulous idea! No, I hadn’t thought to use coconut milk in the pudding mix… but I’m definitely going to try it. We have a coconut thing going on around the test kitchen lately, what with one of our new best friends in the kitchen, coconut milk powder; Susan Reid, another baker/blogger here, has been trying it in tons of stuff, with very tasty results. Next time I make this Blitz Torte, though, it’s getting shredded coconut in place of the almonds on top, and coconut filling. I’ll bet lemon pudding with coconut milk would be good too, huh? See, now you’ve got me going! THANKS-
March 25th, 2008 at 6:36 am
Hi everyone, Love you website, love the blog. I had contacted you a few months ago about a recipe for Portuguese Sweet Bread. I have tried a few of them, with the same results–dry, crumbly ‘but tasty ,” Hockey Pucks”.!! I am still trying to find that recipe that will give me a fluffy, light, lemony traditional Portuguese Sweet Bread. Any suggestion would be appreciated.
Also, where can I find the ingredient list and recipes for the Blitz Torte and other recipes on the blog. Thank you for a great website..
Sincerely,
Mary Witkowicz
March 25th, 2008 at 7:25 am
Susan–YES! to the easy separating of eggs, by holding the yolk in the palm of your clean hand (a la Jacques and Julia). Works like a charm.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Mary, click on the words Blitz Torte just above the series of photos; that will take you to the recipe online. And that’s true with all the blog recipes; the “clickable” recipe name is just above where the series of photos starts. Sorry it’s not more evident… we’ll work on fixing that, design-wise.
As for the Portuguese Sweet Bread, we have several recipes online you might enjoy. I recommend the Portuguese Sweet Rolls, in particular; make them into a large loaf rather than individual rolls, if you like. I know exactly what you mean: soft, sweet, pillowy, a touch of lemon. YUM!
March 25th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Two of my baking friends and I attended a class on baking with chocolate, taught by guest chef Susan Gold Purdy. A version of the Blitz Torte, using one vanilla layer and one chocolate layer, was one of the gems I collected from that class, along with some great memories. Thanks for reminding me.
FYI, a tasty low fat version of the blitz torte, using vanilla layers with a creamy berry filling, is in Susan’s book ‘Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too’. Susan told us she developed these blitz torte recipes because she wanted to cut out the added step of frosting, and was looking for a cake that baked it’s own topping. Works every time!
March 25th, 2008 at 10:16 am
An old family recipe that I could never get right, but with these instructions, I am more than willing to try it again - I have always loved Blitzt torte, but our version just had a few chopped pecans on top of the meringue and was always frosted with tons of whipped cream.
Thanks for giving me the incentive to try again.
March 25th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Well, I must be technically challenged also since I have tried clicking on eveything and still can’t get the recipe to come up.
March 25th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I have tried and tried clicking on the words Blitz Torte to get the recipe but it does not take me to the recipe. I then tried going to the web site, then recipes, then cakes. I could find some torte recipes but not this particular one. What am I doing wrong?
March 25th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Glad we could help, Virginia. We love restoring old recipes to life again!
March 25th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Betty Anne and BeverlyJean: When you double click on the words Blitz Torte in this sentence:
Why was I fooling around with yellow cake when I could make a Blitz Torte?
It should take you to the recipe. If it doesn’t, please write back. Sorry for your troubles with this! I’m not sure what’s happening, because the link seems to be working fine…
March 25th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Where do you keep the recipes for your blogged items? I do think this site needs to be redesigned so that readers can find the recipes quickly and easily. I know that I found one the other day, but I have forgotten how I pulled that feat off.
March 25th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Just tried the link. Found the recipe. Hubba hubba.
March 25th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
I love that idea of using coconut milk with pudding!
PJ - I’m happy to see you guys opened up the site to comments! I hope you’ll be able to share more pictures of the test kitchen - I can only imagine how fun it would be to play around in there!
March 26th, 2008 at 6:36 am
JA, check out the paragraph just before where the step-by-step photos start. You’ll see the recipe title in brick-red color and, if you don’t have a color monitor, it’s also underlined. This means it’s a link - to the recipe. However, we talked about this here yesterday, and going forward I’ll provide a very clear link to the recipe at the bottom of the photos. We’re also thinking of linking the large blog title at the very top to the recipe - anyone have any thoughts about that? Would it be confusing?
March 26th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
PJ, what about a “recipe button” somewhere near the top of the blog entry like the ones used under our screen names on the BC?
Glad you like the coconut milk idea. I have used it with chocolate and vanilla pudding (unfortunately, those are the only flavors they make in the cooked sugar-free version of the pudding). I have not tried it with instant pudding mix, but I think it might work there too.
March 27th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Clicked and double clicked “Blitz Torte” everywhere I saw it and still haven’t gotten to the recipe. Help! Also, how do I get the recipe{s} for Portuguese Sweet Bread?
March 28th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Madeline, don’t know why it isn’t working for you. If nothing else, try cutting and pasting this URL into your browser:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=1179766091864
And here’s the link for the Portuguese Sweet Rolls, which you can make into bread:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=R162
Hope this finally works for you!
March 28th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Why, oh why do people keep teaching people to separate eggs by dumping them back an forth? First, this is a great way to introduce our pal Sal (salmonella) into a dish. Second, it is just so much easier to keep your eggs cold and then crack them into your (clean) hand letting the white drain through your fingers while you cup the yolk in your palm. After separating the eggs, let them warm up to room temperature.
Thanks
March 28th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Thanks for giving us the links for these 2 recipes, which are clickable for me. Earlier when I clicked on the Blitz Torte words above the pictures I had ‘the little hand’, but the words are not underlined, and the page would “blink”, green bars would appear on the status bar at the bottom of my monitor, but nothing would change on your page, and I’d still be at the pictures. I do have a question about printing the pictures and postings from Baker’s Banter. I printed the whole thing on Strawberry Shortcakes, including postings because they are so interesting, but it takes a lot of paper. I want to print the Blintz Torte as well, does it require changes to one’s IE for margins? Mine is set so I can print full pages on most web sites, but you have such wide margins I wouldn’t know what to change on my settings. Thanks for your help!
March 28th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Found the Blitz Torte recipe! Piece of cake!! I was clicking on the words at the very top of the picture of the cake with the candles lit. Wrong!
When are the postings updated? I’m anxious to print this whole thing with the pictures, but hoping you’ll comment about how to do it in less pages. Thanks!
March 28th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
My mother had a Tupperwear egg separator she always used when I was growing up. In fact, I’m sure she still has it! I can only find them these days in EBay type auctions; here’s a picture: http://www.wagglepop.com/auction/images/imgupld/38538_1.jpg
Myself, I use the drip-through-your-fingers method to separate eggs. It’s messy, but I never get bits of shell in the whites, and I never break the yolks!
I love, love, LOVE your blog, PJ!!
March 29th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Kim, looks like they don’t sell the egg separators any more. I seem to remember those being one of the ‘give-aways’ at the Tupperware Parties. You can, however, purchase Tupperware online from http://order.tupperware.com/pls/htprod_www/home.
March 29th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
What fun to see this recipe! My mom made blitz torte frequently when we were growing up in the 50s and 60s and we loved it. We always thought of it as a celebration cake, but she told me recently that she made it often because she always had all the ingredients on hand. She never thought of it as a special dessert, just an everyday one. She did make her own pastry cream with milk, sugar, egg and cornstarch (instant pudding probably hadn’t been invented yet!), and she always put the meringue side down on the bottom so that when the cake was cut there was meringue on the outside of both layers. Sure, it got squished, but it still tasted wonderful.
March 29th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
All right, Mary, now I’m going to have to try it with the meringue on the bottom… who knew? ; }
March 30th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Blitz tort has been my dad’s birthday cake since I was a little girl (and I’m 43). My mom thinks it’s really old fashioned, and I didn’t know anyone who’d ever made one except my mom!!!!
April 1st, 2008 at 9:01 am
What would happen if I substitued potato starch for this small amount of flour? I’d love to serve this on Passover. Thanks!
April 1st, 2008 at 10:01 am
Gosh, Jayne, I don’t know…. Give it a try and let us know! I would think it might be a little gummy, as you’d be using only starch with no protein. But, since it’s a fairly thin layer of batter, it might translate OK? Just guessing here…
April 4th, 2008 at 11:30 am
I want to make this cake for April birthdays at work. I need to do a 13 x 9 cake in order to have enough for everyone. I’m thinking I can double the recipe and bake it in two 13 x 9 pans. However, I’m wondering if this would work if I used a half-sheet pan (with a double recipe). So two questions:
One: Is there enough batter for one 13 x 9 pan (in the recipe as published)?
Two: Are the sides of a half sheet pan too short if the recipe is doubled?
Also, really like the different ideas for filling!
April 4th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Hi David: This would be barely enough batter for a 13 x 9 pan… you could just simply not spread it close to the edges, though,a nd not stress about getting ALL the way to the edges. As for a half-sheet, no, it would be too short - needs to be about 1 3/4″ tall. Sounds good - have fun!
April 11th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Your blog is getting better and better! Previous posts were good, but this one is just FABULOUS.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Read the blog comments and had to try it. Now my husband wants it for his birthday cake. My brother-in-law had just shipped us 2 dozen ripe Meyer lemons, so…lemon zest added to the cake batter, made lemon curd and folded in some whipped cream for the filling, didn’t have sliced almonds so used coarsely chopped. It was excellent. The meringue with the toasted almonds was good on its own! I used my layer cake pans with removable bottoms as suggested and that worked very well. Next flavor trials will be espresso/chocolate and hazelnuts on the meringue. It is a great cake because it is so easy.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I took this to our end-of-season x-country ski potluck a couple weeks ago and it was a MAJOR hit. There were three desserts on the table and there was nothing but crumbs left of this one. One of the guys said, “Dana, you can bring that dessert ANYTIME!” It really was a snap to make, and I used sliced strawberries on mine since they’re getting more plentiful in the stores. Thanks KAF for another winner recipe.
April 19th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Hi PJ,
I made the Blitz Torte a few weeks’ ago for my son and daughter-in-law and they just loved it. I will definitely try all the variations but I’m sure that they will all be delicious. I especially liked the instant pudding filling and I think it tasted just like an eclair filling. I will definitely make it again. Our son and daughter-in-law live in Vermont and I have them shopping for me at King Arthur every time they come for a visit.
April 19th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Gert, the instant pudding trick is one of my favorites… and they have so many flavors to choose from, so don’t limit yourself to vanilla. Pistachio in chocolate cake is umm-UMMM GOOD!