Esterházy Torte (Esterházy Cake)

  • Total time (excluding chilling) - 120 minutes
  • Prep and baking layers - 60 minutes
  • Cream prep - 30 minutes
  • Layering and chilling - 30 minutes + 12 hours chilling
  • Servings: 12
  • Country: Austria
Esterházy Torte with white glaze, decorated with a chocolate spiderweb pattern and edged with chopped almonds.

Esterházy Torte is a masterpiece of confectionery art. The base consists of almond meringue layers, which are moister than classic meringues due to the nuts. To ensure the layers remain crisp but don't overbake, they are baked at a low temperature.

The traditional cream is an egg yolk butter-cream, often flavoured with a touch of cognac, rum, or vanilla. The cake is best when allowed to rest overnight so the cream can moisten and soften the nut layers.

Ingredients

For the Nut Layers (5 pieces, 24 cm diameter)

  • 7 pieces (room temperature) egg whites
  • 250 g granulated sugar
  • 200 g ground hazelnuts or almonds
  • 1 packet vanilla sugar

For the Cream

  • 7 pieces egg yolks
  • 100 g granulated sugar
  • 200 ml milk
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (or cornstarch)
  • 250 g butter (room temperature)
  • 2 tbsp cognac, rum, or vanilla extract

For the Glaze and Garnish

  • 200 g sugar glaze (fondant, or sugar + water/lemon juice)
  • 50 g dark chocolate (melted)
  • 50 g chopped almonds (for the sides)

Instructions

Step 1: Baking the Nut Layers

Preheat the oven to 140 °C (284 °F). Prepare 5 pieces of parchment paper, drawing a circle on each (24 cm diameter).

Whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla sugar until you get a shiny, firm meringue.

Gently fold in the ground nuts. Divide the mixture into 5 parts and spread them into the prepared circles.

Bake in the oven at 140 °C (284 °F) for about 40–50 minutes (the layers should be dried rather than browned). Allow to cool completely and carefully peel off the paper.

Step 2: Preparing the Cream

In a saucepan, mix egg yolks, sugar, milk, and flour/starch. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool completely (you can cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming).

Whip the butter (room temperature) until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the cooled custard base. Finally, mix in the cognac/rum.

Step 3: Layering and Glazing

Alternately spread four layers with the cream (use most of the cream). Brush the fifth (top) layer with only a very thin layer of cream or apricot jam (if you prefer a more classic version that isn't covered by cream).

Spread the entire cake, especially the sides, with the remaining cream. Cover the sides with chopped almonds.

Spread the top with warm but not hot sugar glaze (if it's too thick, thin it with a little water/juice).

Step 4: Decoration (Spiderweb)

Immediately after applying the white glaze (while it is still wet), decorate it with melted dark chocolate (ideally in a paper cone). Create concentric circles, starting from the centre.

Use a toothpick or thin knife to create the spiderweb pattern: draw lines alternately from the centre to the edge and from the edge to the centre.

Allow the cake to set (ideally 12 hours) in the refrigerator so the layers can absorb moisture and soften.