Berry Blitz Torte

Name: Berry Blitz Torte
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), softened, plus more for greasing the pans; 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons/80 grams cake flour, plus more for dusting the pans; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar; 4 egg yolks, at room temperature; 1/4 cup/60 milliliters whole milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 4 egg whites, at room temperature; 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar; Pinch of fine sea salt; 6 tablespoons/75 grams granulated sugar; 1 cup/120 grams chopped pecans; 1 1/2 cups/360 milliliters heavy cream; 1 to 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, to taste; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 pints/490 grams fresh raspberries or other berries

Recipe from Patricia O’Neal

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Berry Blitz Torte — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour, plus cooling
Rating: 4(348)
Comments: Read comments

Blitz means “lightning” in German, referring to the lightning-quick way this old-fashioned cake comes together, at least compared with the more ornately frosted tortes popular a century ago. Buttery, nutmeg-scented batter is swirled with meringue and sprinkled with pecans before baking. The meringue, which browns on top but stays soft inside, takes the place of icing while the nuts add flavor and crunch. A whipped cream and berry filling makes the whole thing incredibly soft and rich. You can bake the cake layers up to 12 hours ahead, but it’s best to fill them with cream and berries within 3 hours of serving so they don’t get soggy. This recipe is adapted from my friend’s mother, Patricia O’Neal, who got it from her mother, Genevieve Lehmont. —Melissa Clark

Featured in: A Cake With Old-Fashioned Charm

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

For the Cake

½cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), softened, plus more for greasing the pans
½cup plus 2 tablespoons/80 grams cake flour, plus more for dusting the pans
1teaspoon baking powder
¼teaspoon fine sea salt
½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
4egg yolks, at room temperature
¼cup/60 milliliters whole milk
1teaspoon vanilla extract
¼teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the Meringue Topping

4egg whites, at room temperature
¼teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of fine sea salt
6tablespoons/75 grams granulated sugar
1cup/120 grams chopped pecans

For the Filling

1½cups/360 milliliters heavy cream
1 to 3tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, to taste
1½teaspoons vanilla extract
2pints/490 grams fresh raspberries or other berries

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two round 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Grease the paper, then lightly flour the pans.
Step 2
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt.
Step 3
Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or electric beaters, beat ½ cup softened butter and sugar until fluffy and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating, until well combined. Add half the cake flour mixture, then half the milk to the butter mixture, beating until smooth. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk, then beat in vanilla and nutmeg. Scrape batter evenly into prepared pans and smooth the tops.
Step 4
To make meringue topping, whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt in an electric mixer until cloudlike and very foamy. Continue whipping while adding sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Whip until meringue is smooth and glossy, and stiff peaks form.
Step 5
Cover cake batter with meringue, dividing it evenly between pans. Swirl the tops, and sprinkle with pecans. Bake until meringue is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center all the way down to the cake emerges clean, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer pan to a wire rack. Cool for 30 minutes; turn cake out of pan and place on rack right-side up. Let cakes cool completely.
Step 6
To assemble, whip the cream with as much of the sugar as you like, and vanilla. Place one cake layer on a serving plate with the meringue side down. Spoon whipped cream on top, then cover with berries. Place second cake layer on top of whipped cream with meringue side up. Serve cake as soon as possible after filling, preferably within 3 hours, and use a serrated knife to cut.

Ratings

4 out of 5

348 user ratings

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Comments

Merlin5 years ago

We made this cake tonight. For a fast cake, we thought it was delicious. We are a family of bakers and frequently make cakes and pavlovas. The recipe did not say how much sugar to put in the meringue and we used 5 T, which was fine. We thought the cake layer would be too thin but it was just the right amount when assembled. We left out the nutmeg and added a bit more vanilla. We never use confectioner's sugar in whipped cream as it contains cornstarch. We use caster sugar which tastes much bette

CBG5 years ago

This has been (and still is) my summer birthday cake for most of my life, using local strawberries or raspberries and sprinkled with walnuts. My mother baked it from a recipe given to her by a close family friend, and now I bake it for myself. I have never seen it anywhere else, not on anyone’s table or in a cookbook. When I saw the photo, it was immediately recognizable and I shared it with family and friends. We call it “Fairy Cake”!

Chowchap5 years ago

Melissa- You have neglected to include the ingredients and amounts for the whipped cream (cream, sugar and vanilla) and the raspberries and blackberries for this torte.

Christy1 year ago

I made peach blitz torte in high school often, 40 years ago. I did not save the recipe. Thank you so much for bringing it back for me. The recipe had sliced almonds on the meringue instead. The peaches were sliced and sugared, very juicy. The whipped cream was a thin layer on top instead of the inside. I liked the beach better than when I tried berries because it goes so well with the meringue and the juicy texture was nice with it.

CMK2 years ago

Made this exactly per recipe as my "assigned" contribution to a pre-Christmas gala dinner for family (dessert was my choice). Assembled it just before we the coffee was ready and had cleared the table for its grand entrance. A stunner visually (I towered the cream over 2" high) and so crunchy, creamy, rich! It's worth drying each rinsed berry placed upside down on paper towels. I'm making this again for NYE for a different party - not waiting until next Christmas.

anne2 years ago

This cakes looks extraordinarily pretty! But I was underwhelmed with the results it just wan't as delicious as it looks. Not enough 'there' there and the nutmeg came on too strong. A straight-up Pavlova is so much a better bet!

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