A torte (from German ''Torte'' ( (in turn from Latin via Italian ''torta'')) is a rich, usually multilayered,

cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...

that is filled with whipped cream, buttercreams,

mousse A mousse (; ; "foam") is a soft prepared food that incorporates air bubbles to give it a light and airy texture. Depending on preparation techniques, it can range from light and fluffy to creamy and thick. A mousse may be sweet or savory. as e ...

s, jams, or fruit. Ordinarily, the cooled torte is glazed and garnished. Tortes are commonly baked in a

springform pan A springform pan is a type of bakeware that features sides that can be removed from the base. Springform refers to the construction style of this pan. The base and the sides are separate pieces that are held together when the base is aligned w ...

. Sponge cake is a common base, but a torte's cake layers may instead be made with little to no

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

, using ingredients such as ground

nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

or breadcrumbs.

Origin

A slice of Burnt Almond Torte from Prantl's Bakery 2

The best-known of the typical tortes include the Austrian Sachertorte and Linzertorte, the German

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte Black Forest gâteau or Black Forest cake (American English) is a chocolate sponge cake with a rich cherry filling based on the German dessert (), literally "Black Forest Cherry-torte". Typically, Black Forest gateau consists of several layers ...

, and the many-layered Hungarian

Dobos torte Dobos torte ( hu, Dobos torta ), also known as Dobosh, is a Hungarian sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel. The layered pastry is named after its inventor, Hungarian chef József C. Dobos, a delicatessen own ...

. But other well-known European confections are also tortes, such as the French Gâteau St. Honoré. In Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Russia cakes are usually called tortes without differentiating between ''cake'' and ''torte''. In Polish, as an example, the word ''torte'' is translated into Polish as ''tort'', but ''tort'' can be also translated as '' layer cake'' or '' cream cake''.

Icing

An element common to some tortes is sweet icing (exceptions are several

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

tortes, such as

Gâteau Mercédès A Swiss roll, jelly roll (United States), roll cake, cream roll, roulade or Swiss log is a type of rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream, jam, or icing. The origins of the term are unclear; in spite of the name "Swiss roll", the cake i ...

and

Gâteau Alcazar Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, a ...

). When the cake is layered, a thick covering of icing is placed between the layers, and there is almost always icing on the tops and sides of the torte. An example is the whiskey cake. A number of European tortes do not have layers. Some, for instance German-style "Käsesahnetorte", are unbaked.

Well-known European tortes

Sacher torte Sachertorte (, , ) is a chocolate cake, or torte of Austrian origin, invented by Franz Sacher, supposedly in 1832 for Prince Metternich in Vienna.Michael Krondl, ''Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert'', , 2011, p. 290: "my best guess is ...

* Esterházy torte * Kyiv torte * Linzer torte *

Swiss roll A Swiss roll, jelly roll (United States), roll cake, cream roll, roulade or Swiss log is a type of rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream, jam, or icing. The origins of the term are unclear; in spite of the name "Swiss roll", the cake i ...

* Napoleon torte * Gâteau Pithiviers * Princess cake * Prinzregententorte *

Runebergstårta Runeberg torte ( fi, runebergintorttu; sv, Runebergstårta) is a Finnish torte flavored with almonds and arrack or rum and weighing about 100 grams. It usually has raspberry jam encircled by a ring of icing on top. The torte is named after t ...

* Tarta de Santiago *

(Black Forest cake) *

Smörgåstårta Smörgåstårta (, "sandwich- cake" or "sandwich-torte") is a dish of Swedish origin popular in Sweden, Estonia (called "võileivatort"), Finland (called "voileipäkakku" and "smörgåstårta") and Iceland (called "brauðterta" ). It is not a c ...

St. Honoré cake The St. Honoré cake, usually known by its French name gâteau St-Honoré, and also sometimes called St. Honoratus cake, is a pastry dessert named for the French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, Saint Honoré or Honoratus (d. 600 AD), B ...

References

External links

- Torte.net Official Website
{{Authority control Cakes

Origin

Icing

Well-known European tortes

See also

References

External links