Baumkuchen /Schichttorte or Tree cake :|Baking|

 I always liked the idea of The Daring Bakers’ Challenge since my blog hopping days and when I had my own blog, the first thing I wanted to do was to join the group. Though I have been a member for little more than a year now, this is the first challenge I have undertaken. Last year due to various reasons I could not take up the challenges regularly, though I tried few at home but never blogged about it. Today’s challenge recipe is Baumkuchen!

So my first step in this brand new year was to take up this challenge and I was very excited about it.

The January 2014 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Francijn of “Koken in de Brouwerij“. She challenged us all to bake layered cakes in the tradition of Baumkuchen (tree cake) and Schichttorte (layered cake).

First the recipe seemed to me a bit intimidating with all the layers and baking at a very high temperature but with the final results I was very happy and glad that I took the challenge.

Baumkuchen which in German means a ‘tree cake’. Traditionally, Baumkuchen is made on a spit by brushing on even layers of batter and then rotating the spit around a heat source. Each layer is allowed to brown before a new layer of batter is poured.When the cake is removed and sliced, each layer is divided from the next by a golden line, resembling the growth rings on a crosscut tree.

Whereas Schichttorte is a simple version of Baumkuchen, with horizontal layers. The Schichttorte is baked in a pan and the layers are smeared on top of each other resulting in a flat multi-layered cake.

It is a traditional dessert in many countries in Europe and also popular in Japan.

I have followed the recipe given in the challenge and made no variation except for using butter instead of coconut oil and orange extract in place of orange liqueur. I have also used the home made marzipan.

The cake was soft, moist and very spongy and had the right amount of sweetness. Loved it.

Thank you Francijn for the challenge which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Tips:

The tree cake tastes better when you wait one day before eating it. Eat within a week. Store in an airtight container, but not in the fridge. Freezing is possible: cut into portions, wrap tightly in cling film and freeze up to two months.

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BAUMKUCHEN OR TREE CAKE

• YIELD: 10 inch cake (8-10 Servings)
• PREP: 15 mins
• COOK: 60 mins
• READY IN: 1 hr 30 mins

It is a layered cake with a unique technique of smearing thin layers of batter on top of each other and baking them one by one thus creating a layered structure.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup marzipan
• 1-3/4 sticks of butter softened
• 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour sifted
• 1/3 cup apricot jam
• 2 table spoons orange liqueur optional
• 1 cup dark chocolate couverture chunks
• 1 tablespoon pure coconut oil can be replaced with butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Preheat your oven to hot 450°F/230°C/gas mark 8.
   2. Line your cake tin with parchment paper, grease both paper and tin.
   3. Divide the eggs. Beat the egg whites with the salt until nearly stiff, add the sugar and beat until really stiff.
   4. Crumble finely the marzipan. Beat it with the softened butter, confectioner’s (icing) sugar and vanilla sugar until soft and creamy. Add the egg yolks one by one and beat well between each addition. Add the stiff egg whites and flour and gently fold it into the batter. Trying not to lose too much air.
   5. Smear 1/12th to 1/10th of the batter on the bottom of the pan, keep the sides of the pan clean, and bake for (about) 4 minutes in the oven, until it is cooked and brown. Take the pan out of the oven, smear the next portion of batter carefully over the first, and bake for another 4 minutes or until cooked and brown. Repeat until all batter is used. If you need to flatten a bubble insert a tooth pick or similar to deflate the bubble. Let the cake cool down for a few minutes, take it out of the pan, remove the parchment paper and let the cake cool completely on a wired rack. Trim the edges.
   6. Heat the jam a little, pass it through a sieve, and add the orange liqueur (optional). Cover the cake with the jam and let it cool.
   7. Melt the couvertures with the coconut oil or butter in a bowl above warm water. Pour it over the cake to cover completely, move the cake to a cool place and wait until the glaze is dry.

• CUISINE: German
• COURSE: Dessert

60

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