Passover Carrot Walnut Torte Recipes

NON-TRADITIONAL PASSOVER CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with 1 -1/2 to 2-inch sides, place a piece of parchment on the bottom (cut to fit) and grease the parchment.
• Lightly toast the almond flour and the chopped nuts in the oven (in separate pans), stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
• Put the almond flour in a medium-sized bowl and stir in 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, the matzo cake meal, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the margarine or butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of granulated sugar for several minutes with an electric hand or stand mixer until they are light and fluffy. Then add the egg yolks, vanilla, almond extract, and the lemon zest, beating all those ingredients into the margarine or butter and sugar mixture until well combined.
• Add to that mixture the dry (almond flour mixture) ingredients.
• Mix in the shredded carrots, raisins, coconut, and chopped nuts. The batter is stiff and combining these ingredients is best done with a rubber or silicone spatula, rather than by continuing to use the mixer.
• In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until they are just stiff. At the end, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
• Gently mix in 2 large dollops of the egg whites into the batter. Then fold the rest of the egg whites in, just until the ingredients are combined. Do not be concerned if bits of the egg white remain visible; combining ingredients without deflating the egg whites means that the batter will not look totally uniform.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack and run a knife around the edge of the pan before inverting the pan on a platter.

PASSOVER CARROT WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Set oven rack at middle of oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9 inch springform pan and dust with matzo cake meal.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until thick and pale, add sugar gradually, beating. Beat until very thick.
• Add carrots, nuts, vanilla and ¾ cup matzo cake meal. Beat until combined well.
• In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks.
• Stir ½ cup of the beaten egg whites into the carrot mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly.
• Pour into pan. Bake about 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
• Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Run a knife around edge of pan; remove side of pan.

TRADITIONAL SWISS CARROT CAKE (AARGAUER RUEBLI TORTE)

Steps:

• Combine carrots and nuts in a mixing bowl.
• In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs with the spices and baking powder, then blend into the carrot mixture.
• Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemony.
• Gradually beat the granulated sugar into the yolks, along with the lemon rind and the Kirsch (more authentic) or lemon juice (if you don't like to use alcohol in your cooking).
• Beat this mixture until thick, then stir into the carrot mixture.
• Beat egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form, then fold them gently into the carrot mixture- do not overmix.
• Line an 8" springform pan with waxed paper or parchment.
• Grease pan (including the paper lining) and dust with a very light sprinkling of fine dry breadcrumbs.
• Shake pan to make sure breadcrumbs coat evenly.
• Pour batter into the pan and bake in a preheated moderate oven at 350 F for 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Let cool.
• Mix together glaze ingredients.
• Remove sides from pan and set cake on a wire rack that has been set over wax paper to catch the drips.
• Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake and sides, using a spatula to even out the glaze as you prefer.
• Garnish with some candied fruits, if desired.
• Store in a tightly covered cake box.
• This cake improves with age.

MOROCCAN PASSOVER TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with 1/2 cup sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
• Without washing the beaters, beat the eggs yolk in a small bowl with the rest of the sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the yolks to the whites but do not stir.
• Add the walnuts and gently fold the ingredients together.
• Do the same with the coconut, one cup at a time.
• Pour the cake batter into a greased 9-inch spring form pan, and bake for 45 minutes until lightly brown on top.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Mix together the orange juice and orange liqueur. Pour over the cake while it is still in the pan.
• When the cake has cooled, place it in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.
• Just before serving (add whipped cream here, if desired) garnish with bittersweet chocolate shavings.
• Store in the refrigerator.

WALNUT-DATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously grease a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan with softened butter or vegetable oil and dust with some matzo meal, knocking out excess.
• Pour hot water over dates in a large bowl and let stand 15 minutes to soften.
• Pulse walnuts in a food processor until chopped, then add 1/4 cup sugar and pulse until nuts are finely ground. Add matzo meal (2/3 cup), zest, cardamom, and salt and pulse until combined.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a slow stream, beating until whites hold stiff glossy peaks.
• Whisk yolks into date mixture. Fold one third of yolk mixture into whites, then fold in remaining yolk mixture gently but thoroughly. Fold all of nut mixture into batter.
• Spoon batter into cake pan and bake until golden and springy to the touch and cake just begins to pull away from side of pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.

PASSOVER CARROT ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease bottom of 8" springform pan; dust with cake meal, shaking off excess.
• Using electric mixer, beat yolks and brown sugar in large bowl until slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in carrots and vanilla.
• Using clean, dry beaters, beat whites with salt until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add sugar and beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Gently fold in yolk mixture.
• Combine almonds, 3 tablespoons cake meal and cinnamon.
• Fold gently into egg mixture.
• Turn into prepared pan, smoothing top.
• Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Immediately run knife around edge.
• Cool completely in pan onrack.
• Remove springform before serving.

PASSOVER ORANGE WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Set oven rack at middle of oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until thick and pale, add sugar gradually, beating. Beat until very thick.
• Beat in orange juice, lemon juice and rind. Add matzo cake meal and potato starch gradually, beating. Beat until combined well. Fold in walnuts gently.
• In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks.
• Stir 1 cup of the beaten egg whites into the orange mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly.
• Pour into an ungreased 9 inch tube pan (3 ½ inches deep) with a removable bottom. Bake about 55 to 60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
• Invert pan over the neck of a bottle, let it cool upside down.
• Run a knife around edge of pan; remove side of pan. Run a knife under bottom of torte to release it.
• Transfer carefully with two spatulas to a serving plate. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar.