Esterhaze Torte a.k.a The Hungarian Dream #Dacquoise #daringbaker

Austro-Hungarian Monarchy is known to many because of many reasons. Thanks to The Daring Kitchen, this January I faced a mammoth challenge and I got to know that for the month of January Jelena from A kingdom for a cake invited us to start this year with a dreamy celebration cake. She challenged us to make the Esterhazy cake a.k.a The Hungarian Dream. What better way to start the year than with a sweet dream?

This cake was named after the Easterhazy dynasty of Austrian Empire as it was first baked in 19th century by a Budapest confectioner for Prince Paul III Anton Esterhazy De Galantha.

Suggestion- It is better if you make the layers and assemble them on one day and do the decoration on next day for better result.

Ingredients for the Almond sponge layers-

• 8 large egg whites
• 1 and 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 2 tbsp vanilla sugar
• 250 gm ground blanched almonds
• 2/3 cup plain flour

Ingredients for Almond Cream-

• 8 large egg yolks
• 1 and 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
• 2 cups butter in room temperature
• 150 gm toasted ground blanched almonds

Ingredients for Apricot jam glaze-

• 2-3 tbsp apricot jam
• 1-2 tsp water

White Icing-

• 350-400 gm dark chocolate
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped blanched almonds
• 1/2 cup hot water

Decoration-

• 50 gm dark chocolate
• 1 tsp oil/butter

Methods 

(Almonds)-

• Heat a non stick pan and put the almonds on it. Let the almonds get light brown. Keep it aside to cool down.
• Once the almonds are cooled you need to chop 1/2 cup almond and keep it aside. 
• Ground the remaining almonds till it become smooth almond powder.

Almond layers/ Dacquoise layers-

• Beat the egg whites (preferably with an electric mixer) and gradually add the sugar and vanilla sugar in it. Keep beating till it starts forming peaks.
• Add the almond powder and flour in this mixture and keep mixing till everything is mixed evenly.
• Cut a baking paper in 5 pieces where you can easily draw a circle of 10-12 inch diameter.
• Places the baking paper in a loose bottom or upside down cake tin.
• Carefully spoon 1/5th of the egg white mixture on the baking paper and spread evenly.
• Preheat the microwave in convection mode in 160 degree and bake the egg white mixture for 14-16 minutes (mine took 16 minutes).
• Repeat the process 4 more times till you get 4 Dacquoise layers ready.

Almond cream-

• You need to have two bowls. One is a bit large than the other so that the small one can fit on the large one without leaving any gap.
• Fill the larger bowl with 2 inches of water and heat it. 
• Beat the sugar and egg yolks in the smaller bowl well and place it on the large bowl. The water should not touch the smaller bowl.
• Cook it for 15-18 minutes and keep stirring and scraping from the sides.
• Stir constantly till you get the dense cream. Let it cool down.
• When the filling is cooled down, beat it for 30 seconds using the electric beater.
• Beat the room temperature butter and mix it with the egg yolk mix and beat again till it becomes a creamy mixture.
• Add the ground almonds and beat again.
• Keep aside 1-2 tablespoon of the mixture and divide the rest in equal 4 parts.

Apricot Jam Glaze-

• Heat the jam and water on low flame till it gets mixed properly.

White Icing-

• Hand mix the confectioners's sugar, lemon juice and oil. Mic 2 tsp of hot water in it. Mix vigorously for a few minutes till it becomes soft and creamy but not runny.

Assemble the cake-

• Remove the baking papers from the dacquoise layers and place them all next to each other.
• The filling is already divided in 4 equal parts. Spread 1 quantity of the filling on one dacquoise layer. Repeat this process 4 times. Place the one layer on another. The 5th layer that has no filling on it will sit on top.
• Brush the apricot jam glaze on it.
• Melt the dark chocolate and oil/butter and put it in a piping bag.
• Spread the white icing on top on the apricot jam glaze.
• Make the Easterhazy design (spider wave) on the cake.
• Add the extra ground almonds on the sides of the cake.
• Have a bite and enjoy the most delicious celebration cake.