The Linzer cake or Linzer Torte is an Austrian dessert, commonly prepared also in Trentino and typical of the Christmas holidays. One of the oldest cakes in the world, originating from the city of Linz, this Christmas cake is very simple to prepare.
It is a low cake, similar to a tart, whose shell is made from a very soft shortcrust pastry, prepared with ground hazelnuts, scented with cinnamon and cloves. This tart is usually filled with currant or raspberry jam and closed with a lattice of dough and flaked almonds as decoration.
Once baked in the oven, this Linzer Torte will win you over with its particularly spiced rustic flavor, well contrasted by the tart taste given by the jam. With a soft texture, it literally melts in your mouth.
A dessert that is generally prepared during the Christmas period in Austria, Switzerland, and Trentino-Alto Adige, but it can also become a delicious treat to prepare even in the autumn and winter period. As with all recipes, there are various versions, and today I share mine. Curious to discover how to prepare it? Let’s head to the kitchen together, because the Linzer cake will be ready in a click!
If you are interested in other Christmas dessert recipes, also read:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 5 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Austrian
- Seasonality: Christmas, Autumn, Winter
- Energy 688.91 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 79.35 (g) of which sugars 46.91 (g)
- Proteins 11.04 (g)
- Fat 38.44 (g) of which saturated 15.08 (g)of which unsaturated 17.47 (g)
- Fibers 3.69 (g)
- Sodium 106.57 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 103 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cups toasted hazelnuts
- 10 1/2 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- cloves (to taste)
- ground cinnamon (to taste)
- 2 tsp tsp white rum
- 1/2 lemon zest
- 1 packet vanillin
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- salt (to taste)
- 3/4 cup raspberry jam (or currant)
- 2 oz sliced almonds
- powdered sugar (to taste)
Tools
- Mixer
- Bowl
- Tart Pan 22 cm with removable base
- Piping Bag
- Blender
Steps
First, prepare the shortcrust. This time the dough will be a sort of whipped shortcrust, with a soft consistency. Therefore, a rolling pin will not be necessary to roll it out, but a simple piping bag or, alternatively, you can help yourself with the back of a spoon.
But let’s get to the recipe immediately. Work the soft butter very well with the sugar using an electric mixer. Once you have obtained a cream, add the eggs, one at a time. Continue to work the mixture with the beaters until they are well blended.
Separately, blend the hazelnuts with the cloves, cinnamon, salt, and lemon zest until you obtain a sort of flour. If you find hazelnut flour at the supermarket, it will work anyway. However, I recommend using my method because you will still need to blend the cloves. Blending them alone would become a bit complicated, and you probably wouldn’t even manage.
At this point, add the flours with the baking powder and rum to the egg and butter mixture. Continue to work the dough with the electric beaters until you obtain a very wet mixture.
Subsequently transfer the hazelnut shortcrust dough into a piping bag and make a cut with scissors at the tip with a diameter of 1 cm (about 1/2 inch). Then cover the bottom of a 22 cm (about 9-inch) tart pan previously buttered and floured, creating concentric circles and starting from the perimeter of the pan.
Subsequently distribute the raspberry jam over the entire surface, leaving 1.5 cm (about 1/2 inch) of space from the edge. Transfer the remaining dough to another piping bag and make a small cut with scissors with a diameter of 15 mm (about 3/5 inch). Do not cut it too large because the tart will tend to increase in volume during baking. Then create the decorative lattices and the edge of the tart. Distribute the almond slices along the edge and bake the cake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 50 minutes, or until the surface is golden.
After the baking time, remove the tart from the oven and let it cool before removing it from the pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
Storage and Advice for the Linzer Cake
The Linzer Torte can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 or 3 days, covered with a glass dome.
FAQ Questions and Answers for the Linzer Cake
What can I substitute for raspberry jam?
Alternatively, you can use currant jam. This tart is made with these two types of jams, and it’s one of the characteristics of this cake.
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