About Nut Tortes and Chocolate Tortes

In Austria and Germany, the word torte refers to any round cake, plain or fancy, regardless of its ingredients or method of production. In America, torte is used to describe any cake that seems European or otherwise imported, or almost any cake that is considered 'fancy.' Yet a third definition refers to cakes from the Austro-Hungarian tradition that are made of ground nuts and crumbs in place of all or most of the flour.

Classic nut tortes are high in eggs, like sponge cakes, and are often made without dairy fat such as butter or cream, though we may serve them up with mountains of whipped cream. They are normally moist and not too sweet. The technique for preparing them resembles that of sponge cakes:  Egg yolks and sugar are beaten until thick and pale yellow before flavorings and nuts are added. Stiffly beaten egg whites are folded in, often providing the only leavening, as opposed to baking soda or baking powder.

Chocolate nut tortes (with very little or no flour), and flourless and nutless chocolate tortes too, are related in method to nut tortes, in that leavening is usually provided by beaten egg whites. Without the structure provided by flour, all these cakes tend to sink in the center and remain moister than other cakes. They are ultrarich, not only in eggs but also in butter, chocolate and nuts. Although chocolate nut torte recipes look similar to those for other nut tortes, there are marked differences in texture and crumb depending on whether the recipe contains small amounts of both flour and nuts, a larger amount of nuts with just a little flour, or a large quantity of nuts only. At the extreme, chocolate tortes with neither nuts nor flour actually resemble cheesecakes more than anything else.

Tortes are baked in springform or solid pans, usually with ungreased sides; the cakes rise and cling to the sides of the pans like sponge cakes. Let them cool right side up in the pan, then detach the cake from the pan after cooling.

How to Level and Unmold a Torte

To unmold, slide a thin flexible knife or small metal spatula around the edges of the cake, pressing it against the pan to avoid tearing the torte. With the cake still in the pan, level it by pressing down and compacting the raised edges with your fingers, so the center and edges of the torte are the same height. Invert and remove the paper liner, if using.

We often serve nut tortes right side up, without leveling them, simply sprinkled with powdered sugar. The natural depression in the center is inconsequential when served in this informal manner. You can pass a bowl of whipped cream separately. Or pipe or heap the cream dramatically in the center of the torte to cover the depression. For a more formal presentation, level the top of the torte before unmolding, then invert and stencil it, using a doily or hand-cut stencil, or glaze with a chocolate glaze.