baumkuchen

Jacksonville, FL
Updated on Dec 27, 2012

In a small town in German some guy had an amazing idea back over 500 years ago. He was like "Hey, I can make a cake with many many thin layers by cooking each layer at a time really fast." My only guess is that the original experiments he made probably wasn't that great, but it was a recipe that had over 500 years to be perfected, so it obviously got better! This cake takes 2-3 hours just to bake off, and you have to wait 6 hours before garnishing it off, so devote a free night to it basically. Adapted from a recipe by Sasha Martin. http://globaltableadventure.com/about/

prep time 6 Hr 15 Min
cook time 3 Hr
method Broil
yield 12-16 serving(s)

Ingredients

  • FOR CAKE
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 3/4 cup corn starch
  • 14 tablespoons unsalted european style butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 14 ounces almond paste
  • 10 large eggs, separated (yolks in one bowl, whites in another)
  • 20 ounces jar of apricot, or orange preserve.
  • FOR CHOCOLATE GLAZE
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup, light
  • 2 tablespoons spiced rum
  • 2 teaspoons orange extract
  • 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped
  • FOR GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • - chocolate curls

How To Make baumkuchen

  • Step 1
    Be sure all ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. Set oven to broil. Adjust wracks in your oven so that the wrack you will be using isn't too close to the heating unit of the oven.
  • Step 2
    Whip the egg whites in a large mixing bowl into peaks. Basically until it looks like whipped cream.
  • Step 3
    With a standing mixer or hand mixer, cream almond paste together with cream, about one tablespoon at a time. Fully incorporating each bit of cream before adding more.
  • Step 4
    Cream butter into almond paste mixture until it is very fluffy. Scrape down sides.
  • Step 5
    Beat sugar into batter until completely incorporated. Scrape down sides.
  • Step 6
    Beat in one egg yolk at a time.
  • Step 7
    Beat in vanilla extract.
  • Step 8
    In a separate large mixing bowl, sift flour together with cornstarch.
  • Step 9
    Add flour to the almond paste batter in thirds, completely incorporating the flour with each addition
  • Step 10
    Gentle fold the egg whites into the batter until completely incorporated.
  • Step 11
    Now for fun! Grease a 9 inch spring form pan and lay a parchment paper circle at its bottom.
  • Step 12
    Spoon about 3/4 cup of the batter evenly on the bottom on the pan. Side note: A trick for spreading batter evenly, simply let gravity do it for you. Put batter in your pan and tip your pan to the side and rotate until the entire area is coated. Super flat and super even that way.
  • Step 13
    Bake pan for 40 to 120 seconds, or until batter turns a nice golden color. The darker the layer the more visible it will be when you cut into the cake. But do NOT burn anything. Any burning will ruin the entire cake!
  • Step 14
    Every other layer of the cake will only be about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of batter. The first layer was more to provide a base and so the parchment wouldn't burn or curl.
  • Step 15
    Every 2 or 3 layers spread an even layer of preserve on the cake before pouring in more batter. It'll sweeten and moisten the cake.
  • Step 16
    Repeat broiling instructions until you run out of batter. Will make between 20 and 30 layers.
  • Step 17
    Once you are done broiling(not baking), cool cake completely then refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
  • Step 18
    Once cake is refrigerated start working on your glaze. Firstly by heating a small sauce pan on medium-low heat.
  • Step 19
    Melt butter in pan then add chocolate and corn syrup. Stir continuously to keep from burning.
  • Step 20
    Once chocolate is completely melted add rum and extracts. Mix well.
  • Step 21
    Coat entire cake with apricot preserves, as much as you wish or have left. Spread evenly.
  • Step 22
    Pour chocolate glaze over cake and spread evenly with a spatula. Glaze will set as it cools.
  • Step 23
    Garnish cake with almonds and chocolate curls if desired.

Discover More

Category: Cakes
Category: Chocolate
Keyword: #Christmas
Keyword: #orange
Keyword: #swedish
Keyword: #german
Keyword: #Holidays
Keyword: #Apricot
Keyword: #Almond
Keyword: #Belgium
Keyword: #tree
Keyword: #curls
Culture: German
Ingredient: Flour
Method: Broil

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