Linzer Torte

The Linzer Torte is a traditional Austrian dessert, famous worldwide for its spiced flavor and the characteristic lattice of shortcrust pastry on the surface. The recipe is quite simple, and the main ingredients are wheat or hazelnut flour, butter, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, cloves, and raspberry jam.

If you feel like trying an Italian twist, you could use almond flour instead of hazelnut and perhaps substitute the raspberry jam with a fig or apricot jam, which are typically Mediterranean.

Here’s the basic recipe:

Ingredients

• 200 g of flour
• 100 g of hazelnut or almond flour
• 200 g of sugar
• 200 g of butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground cloves
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 200 g of raspberry jam (or another flavor of your choice)
• Icing sugar for decoration

Preparation

1. Mix the butter with the sugar until you get a creamy mixture.
2. Add the egg and continue working the dough.
3. Combine the sieved flour, the hazelnut or almond flour, cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest, and salt.
4. Work until you get a smooth shortcrust pastry.
5. Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
6. Roll out two-thirds of the dough and line the bottom and sides of a previously buttered and floured cake tin.
7. Spread the raspberry jam over it.
8. With the remaining dough, form strips and create the classic lattice on the surface of the cake.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 40 minutes or until the surface turns golden.
10. Let it cool completely before dusting with icing sugar.

The Linzer Torte is even better if left to rest for a day or two, as this allows the flavors to intensify.

A little-known fact: the Linzer Torte is considered one of the world’s oldest cakes, with recipes dating back to 1653. Its tradition and fame make it a historic dessert that has stood the test of time.