Hungarian Esterházy Torte Recipe
A rich Esterházy torte consists of four sponge cake layers filled with chocolate buttercream and adorned with a decorative fondant glaze.
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Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350F.
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Line four 8-inch round baking pans with parchment, or prepare one pan to split later.
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Beat egg yolks with sugar until light and lemon-colored.
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Fold ground almonds and flour into the batter.
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Gently fold in egg whites and lemon juice or vanilla.
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Divide batter evenly into prepared pans.
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Bake 4 pans for 10-15 minutes, or 1 pan for 30-40 minutes, until golden. Cool cakes in pans.
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Melt 10 oz chocolate, stir, and set aside to cool.
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Beat butter with a mixer: 2 minutes on low, 3 minutes on medium, 5 minutes on high. Transfer to a large bowl.
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Heat egg whites and sugar in a double boiler to 120F, whisking gently.
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Transfer to a mixer and beat on high until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes).
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Fold melted chocolate into butter, then fold in the beaten egg whites.
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Layer sponge cakes with 1/4 chocolate buttercream, repeating twice. Top with the final cake layer. Reserve the remaining 1/4 buttercream for the sides. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
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Mix melted apricot jam with hot water, strain, and brush over the cake top. Let dry for 15 minutes.
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Combine all fondant ingredients in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until dissolved, ensuring temperature does not exceed 100F. Adjust opacity with powdered sugar.
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Combine 2 oz melted chocolate with 1/4 tsp vegetable oil and transfer to a squeeze bottle.
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Pour warm fondant over the torte top, tilting to coat completely. Apply a second coat if needed after the first dries.
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Before the fondant dries, draw 4-5 concentric circles with the chocolate squeeze bottle. Create a chevron pattern by dragging a skewer from the center to the edge 8 times.
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Frost the torte sides with reserved buttercream and press in sliced almonds. Refrigerate until serving. Slice cold, but allow torte to reach room temperature before enjoying.