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The original Sacher-Torte is the most famous Austrian cake. It is a classic, layered chocolate sponge cake that is thinly coated with high-quality apricot jam and topped with chocolate icing. Sacher-Torte is said to taste the best when accompanied by a small cloud of unsweetened whipped cream on the side.
It was invented in 1832 by Franz Sacher, a pastry chef for Prince Clemens Lothar Wensel Metternich, the State Chancellor of Austria at the time. The prince wanted a new cake, and Sacher, 16 years old at the time, obliged him by creating something new from ingredients that were readily available in the kitchen.
MOST ICONIC Sacher-Torte
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Cremeschnitte is a vanilla-flavored custard cream cake and an absolute classic among central and eastern European desserts. It is known by many names, most of which have stemmed from the German cremeschnitte, and literally translate to either cream slice or, in some cases, cream pie. According to Historical Sociolinguistics, it is believed that the origins of the cremeschnitte date back to the blend of two cuisines in the Austro-Hungarian empire.
However, its Polish name Napoleonka indicates that this dessert might have possibly originated from the French mille-feuille, which is also known as the Napoleon - another pastry whose exact origin is unknown, even though its modern form was said to be influenced by improvements of Marie-Antoine Carême, the famous French chef-extraordinaire.
VARIATIONS OF Cremeschnitte
MOST ICONIC Cremeschnitte
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Marillenfleck is a traditional apricot cake originating from Austria, where it's a coffeehouse staple. Although there are slight variations, the cake is usually made with a combination of apricots, butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, lemon juice and zest, salt, and vanilla extract.
The butter is beaten and mixed with sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon juice and zest in order to make the batter. It is spread evenly in a buttered baking pan, and the apricots are arranged on top of the batter. The apricots are usually cut into quarters or halves for a uniform appearance.
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Donauwelle is a German and Austrian sheet cake. It consists of two pound cakes, one on the bottom, flavored with vanilla, and one on top of it, flavored with chocolate. Cherries, buttercream, and chocolate ganache are then added to the top, and as the cake bakes, the tart cherries will fall down through the batter, making a wavy pattern (maybe reminiscent of the Danube river?) in the cross-section of the cake.
It's also known as Schneewittchenkuchen and Schneewittchentorte, which means Snow White cake, referring to the colors – black, white, and red.
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Topfentorte is an Austrian-style cheesecake made with topfen or quark cheese as the main ingredient. Apart from topfen, the cake is made with eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest, whipping cream, and gelatin. The tangy topfen filling is typically sandwiched between two layers of sponge cake.
Once baked, the cake is usually chilled in the fridge before serving. If needed, topfentorte can be dusted with powdered sugar before consumption.
Named after the Austrian city of Linz, Linzertorte is a short cake with a crumbly, buttery pastry shell that is accentuated by lemon juice, cinnamon, and either almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts. It's also the oldest cake named after a city. This sweet delicacy is ideally filled with redcurrant jam, but it can be replaced by raspberry or apricot jam.
On the top of the cake is a lattice crust, carefully arranged in a criss-cross design, giving it a unique visual appearance. The cake can be traced back to 1696, according to Jindrak, an Austrian confectioner famous for their Linzertorte, but whoever named the recipe or invented the cake will remain a mystery.
MOST ICONIC Linzer Torte
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Kardinalschnitte is a layered meringue-based dessert, typically associated with the city of Vienna. Its name, translated as cardinal slice, alludes to the colors of the Catholic church - white and gold - which are the result of the soft meringue and the genoise sponge mixture.
The interior is made with a thick cream that is usually flavored with coffee and topped with fresh berries or jam, while the interplaced walls are made with cornmeal batter. The texture of the cake is light and airy, with the slightest crunch on the outer layers.
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Hiding underneath the adorable pink fondant are cubes made from two rum-soaked biscuit sponges that have been layered with a combination of nougat and jam. Once assembled, they are typically drizzled with chocolate or topped with a cocktail cherry.
Punschkrapfen or punch cakes have been enjoyed for centuries in Austria, and although the origins of the cake are still a subject of debate, some believe that they can be traced all the way back to the Middle Ages. Today, these iconic Viennese cakes come in many shapes and sizes and are sold in pastry shops and bakeries throughout Austria.
MOST ICONIC Punschkrapfen
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Panama torte is a traditional chocolate-almond cake originating from Austria. It was invented to commemorate the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, and usually consists of breadcrumbs, almonds, dark chocolate, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, butter, almond extract, and blanched and toasted almonds.
The yolks are beaten with sugar, chocolate, vanilla, and almond extract. The whites and sugar are beaten into stiff peaks and then folded into the chocolate batter along with the nuts. The batter is spread in a buttered baking pan, baked, and left to cool.
Prügeltorte is a famous Austrian variety of a spit cake that is commonly found at festive events such as christenings, weddings, and Christmas. It is made by pouring liquid dough onto a spit. The dough is made with eggs, butter, sugar, flour, and a bit of lemon zest.
Its hollow center can be filled with cream or decorated with flowers, while its sides are sometimes covered in icing. Although prügeltorte has a very long shelf life, it is extremely odor-sensitive. When the late Queen Elisabeth visited Tirol, she was served this royal cake that is also known as the cake of Kings.
MOST ICONIC Prügeltorte
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