This delicious almond torte is made by stacking layers of light & nutty almond cake with creamy almond-flavored custard. And a simple topping of sliced almonds and sugar adds an irresistible crunch!
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What is a Traditional German Torte
Traditionally, a torte in Germany is a fancy multilayered cake with rich fillings. For example, Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte or Black Forest cake is filled with whipped cream and dark cherries.
And I've seen a lot of almond "tortes" here in the U.S. that are really just cakes topped with almonds or cakes made with marzipan. However, I wanted to uphold the nostalgia of traditional German tortes, so I made this almond torte is made by stacking multiple thin layers of soft almond cake with creamy custard. Full disclosure: my Mokkatorte with mocha buttercream on the other hand features huge, fudgy layers of cake. What can I say, when it comes to chocolate, go big or go home!
The custard filling in this layer cake uses egg yolks for a rich flavor and creamy, thick texture, similar to my German bee sting cake. And I have to add in a little food waste prevention PSA: save those egg whites and add them to scrambled eggs or vegetable quiche.
Growing up in Germany, I especially loved the German cakes and German pastries that were topped with nuts and sugar. The nuts get roasted as they bake, so they become extra crunchy and flavorful. And the sugar adds a sweet crunch in each bite, similar to German butter cake.
This layered almond torte is great for dessert, and I especially love it with a scoop of ice cream. But it's also great for an afternoon snack with coffee or tea for Kaffee und Kuchen. 🙂
Ingredients
- Milk
- Granulated sugar
- Egg yolks
- Cornstarch
- Almond extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
- All purpose flour
- Almond flour
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Salt
- Sliced almonds
How to Make this Recipe
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, almond extract, and cinnamon until it forms a smooth, thick paste. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, combine the milk and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
3. While quickly whisking the egg yolk mixture, slowly pour about ½ cup of the hot milk from the saucepan into the mixing bowl.
5. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap so it touches the top surface of the custard. Refrigerate until it's cold.
7. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar.
9. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix with a large spoon or spatula until you no longer see dry pockets of flour.
11. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely, for at least 1 hour.
13. Stack the cakes with the custard spread in between. The top layer should be the cake with the almond and sugar topping.
4. Immediately pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and turn on the stove to medium heat. Continue whisking until it thickens.
6. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
8. Mix in the eggs, almond extract, and milk.
10. Divide the cake batter evenly between two greased 8 inch cake pans. Sprinkle the sliced almonds and granulated sugar on top of one of the cakes.
12. Using a serrated knife, trim the sides of the cakes and level the top of the cake without the topping. Slice each cake in half so you have four equal-sized round cakes.
14. Place the assembled cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes, so the custard can become firm. Slice and enjoy!!
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
By slowly adding just a small amount of the hot milk to the egg yolks while whisking, we are tempering the eggs.
This is a process of gradually raising the temperature of the eggs so they don't cook or curdle. If you combine everything all at once, you'll end up with scrambled eggs in your custard!
Recipe Tips
- Almond Flour: I recommend using blanched almond flour, which will make your cake light and soft. Almond meal is different because it'll make your cake a little darker in color and a little more dry.
- Custard: If you add all the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, it could scramble them, so watch out! That's why I recommend "tempering" the egg mixture. However, if you notice scrambled lumps in your custard, strain it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Cake Pans: I recommend using cake pans with removable bottoms or springform pans. This will make removing your cakes from the pans much easier.
Variations
- Streusel: Instead of sliced almonds and sugar, you can top one of your cakes with crunchy homemade streusel.
- Vanilla: You can flavor your custard with vanilla extract for a less-nutty flavor. Or experiment with other flavors like orange zest or coconut extract.
- Sugared Almonds: Instead of raw sliced almonds with a little sugar, you can take the topping another mile and add sugared almonds, inspired by Prantl's Bakery's Burnt Almond Torte.
Storage
Store leftover cake in the fridge covered with plastic cling wrap for up to 5 days.
I don't recommend freezing this cake, because custard can split when it's frozen.
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious layer cake recipes like this almond torte? Try these:
Almond Torte
Ingredients
ALMOND CUSTARD
- 2 cups milk
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
ALMOND CAKE
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup milk (at room temperature)
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
TOPPING
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
PREPARE THE CUSTARD
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, almond extract, and cinnamon until it forms a smooth, thick paste. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, combine the milk and sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Once the milk starts to bubble and boil, remove it from the heat. Set aside.
- While quickly whisking the egg yolk mixture constantly, slowly pour about ½ cup of the hot milk from the saucepan into the mixing bowl. (This will help slightly increase the temperature of the egg yolks without cooking them.)
- Immediately pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and turn on the stove to medium heat. Continue whisking everything in the saucepan for another minute, until it thickens.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour the mixture into a clean bowl and immediately cover with plastic wrap so the plastic touches the top surface of the cream. (This prevents a skin or crust from forming on top.)
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until it's cold, for at least one hour.
MAKE THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar until it is pale and fluffy, after 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, almond extract, and milk. Beat the mixture again on medium speed until it's well combined. (The mixture may look a little lumpy and split at this point, but don't worry if that happens; the cake batter will come together once we add the dry ingredients.)
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix with a large spoon or spatula until you no longer see dry pockets of flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula or spoon to ensure everything is well mixed.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the two greased cake pans.
- Sprinkle the sliced almonds then the granulated sugar on top of just one of the cakes.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely, for at least 1 hour.
ASSEMBLE THE TORTE
- Remove the cooled cakes from the cake pans. Using a serrated knife, trim the caramelized sides of the cakes and level the top of the cake without the almond topping. Slice each cake in half so you have four equal-sized round cakes.
- Place one cake on your serving plate or cake stand. Spread one third of the custard on top. Place the second cake on top and spread another one third of the custard on top. Repeat with the third cake and the remaining custard. Finally, add the top cake layer which should be the cake with the almond and sugar topping.
- Place the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes, so the custard can become firm again. Slice and enjoy!!
Notes
- Almond Flour: I recommend using blanched almond flour, which will make your cake light and soft. Almond meal is different because it'll make your cake a little darker in color and a little more dry.
- Custard: If you add all the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, it could scramble them, so watch out! That's why I recommend "tempering" the egg mixture. However, if you notice scrambled lumps in your custard, strain it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Cake Pans: I recommend using cake pans with removable bottoms or springform pans. This will make removing your cakes from the pans much easier.
- Storing: Store leftover cake in the fridge covered with plastic cling wrap for up to 5 days. I don't recommend freezing this cake, because custard can split when it's frozen.
Lina
Love it!!