Linzer Heart Torte
Ingredients
Batter
- 1 3/4 cups finely chopped, toasted hazelnuts, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 2 cups seedless raspberry preserves
Cream Cheese White Chocolate Icing
- 24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 6 ounces good quality white chocolate (such as Lindt)
- 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F; grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch
heart-shape cake pans.
- Batter: Finely
chop toasted hazelnuts in a food processor and combine
1 cup chopped nuts with dry ingredients; set aside. Reserve
remaining nuts for decorating the side of the cakes.
- Beat egg whites until stiff
peaks form; set aside. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer
until well mixed. Beat in egg yolks and extracts. Add milk, alternating
with dry ingredients, beating until just combined. Fold in 1/3 of the
egg whites to lighten batter, then fold in remaining egg whites. Divide
between the two prepared cake pans and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes
or until tops are golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool pans on rack for 10 minutes, then turn out on wire rack to cool
completely.
- Frost and decorate with preserves
and Cream Cheese White Chocolate
Icing.
- Split each cake in half, making
two heart-shaped layers out of each one. A long serrated knife makes
quick work of this, or you can use a piece of dental floss as a saw to split the
cake in half. Prepare icing recipe below; assemble cake.
- Place first layer, cut side down,
on the cake plate and cover with a layer of icing. Top this with a layer
of raspberry preserves and top that with the second cake layer. Frost
tops and sides of cake. Press remaining nuts onto sides of cakes with fingers.
Leaving a 1/4-inch border on all edges, top cakes with a layer
of raspberry preserves. Put remaining icing into a pastry bag
and pipe a decorative icing border around top edge of cakes.
- Cream Cheese White Chocolate Icing:
Stir white chocolate in the top of a double boiler, set over
simmering water, until just melted. Cool to lukewarm. Using
an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until light
and fluffy. Beat in cooled, melted white chocolate and vanilla
extract; gradually beat in sugar and continue beating until
smooth. Frosting should be light and spreadable. It is helpful to chill a bit before piping.
Yield: two 8- or 9-inch tortes