Berry Blitz Torte Recipes

BERRY BLITZ TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two round 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Grease the paper, then lightly flour the pans.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt.
• Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or electric beaters, beat 1/2 cup softened butter and sugar until fluffy and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating, until well combined. Add half the cake flour mixture, then half the milk to the butter mixture, beating until smooth. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk, then beat in vanilla and nutmeg. Scrape batter evenly into prepared pans and smooth the tops.
• To make meringue topping, whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt in an electric mixer until cloudlike and very foamy. Continue whipping while adding sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Whip until meringue is smooth and glossy, and stiff peaks form.
• Cover cake batter with meringue, dividing it evenly between pans. Swirl the tops, and sprinkle with pecans. Bake until meringue is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center all the way down to the cake emerges clean, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer pan to a wire rack. Cool for 30 minutes; turn cake out of pan and place on rack right-side up. Let cakes cool completely.
• To assemble, whip the cream with as much of the sugar as you like, and vanilla. Place one cake layer on a serving plate with the meringue side down. Spoon whipped cream on top, then cover with berries. Place second cake layer on top of whipped cream with meringue side up. Serve cake as soon as possible after filling, preferably within 3 hours, and use a serrated knife to cut.

BERRY BLITZ TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease 2 8" round pans.
• In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, salt, and egg yolks together.
• Beat in vanilla, milk, baking powder, and flour.
• Spread the mixture in the prepared pans. The batter will barely cover the bottom of the pans; that's OK.
• Beat the egg whites until light; gradually add the 3/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until the meringue is smooth, glossy and somewhat stiff. Do NOT beat until there are stiff points.
• Spread the meringue on the batter in the pans and sprinkle with the almonds, cinnamon and sugar.
• Bake for 30 minutes, until lightly browned.
• Remove from oven and cool in pans for 15 minutes. Loosen edges and gently turn them out onto racks with the meringue on top. If some of the almonds fall off, just sprinkle them back on top.
• Mix pudding, vanilla, and cream together until thick.
• Place one of the cake layers, meringue side up, on a serving plate.
• Spread with all the pastry cream.
• Add a layer of berries.
• Top with second layer, meringue side up.
• Decorate top with berries if desired.
• Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.