In my mind, the princess torte is one of the most elegant looking traditional cakes you can find. Looking at the finished cake as a whole, it looks very simple and unassuming. Almost innocent even. But the pastel coloured marzipan is hiding a cake that is so decadent and unique that you cannot hep but sit in (at least a little) awe at this confection.
I have attempted this odyssey of a cake twice now and while the taste of both of the cakes was different (I used a completely different cake base for each), they both turned out tasting creamy and delicious. However, I have to admit that my second attempt looked much much better!
As has been the trend lately, "simple" does not in any way mean "easy" (although with any luck, this will hopefully change with time). Traditionally, the princess torte has three layers of genoisie cake and in between the layers is strawberry jam and custard folded with whipping cream topped with a heaping (HEAPING) mound of whipped cream on top of the cake to give it a domed look when it's draped with the pastel green marzipan. The first time I made this, the only major problem that I had was in colouring the marzipan--I wanted it pink, but it turned this bloody-orange colour that wasn't very appetizing at all. Other than that, it received good reviews and I was eager to try it again. The only thing holding me back was the extremely high cost of marzipan, and the fact that my 14 year old brother likes to eat it by the pound it turns out (how NEITHER of us have ended up morbidly obese is completely beyond me!). So after being gifted a 3 lb log of marzipan from my grandparents, I just had to wait for my first full day off to pull this off.
I mentioned earlier how this cake was an odyssey. Well, this particular cake a grueling one. For a bit of an experiment I used Martha's White Cake recipe for the cake because when I made the first one, it didn't rise quite like I needed it to and when I cut it there was cake everywhere. Hopefully, this cake wouldn't be quite as fussy. Luckily the cakes turned out great and I would be able to pull off a four layered one this go 'round.
Making the custard was... in a word, soul-crushing. Never have I ever been so tormented by something so simple that I have been able to pull off in the past without any problems. It took me three tries, 11 eggs, and two recipes to get a custard that was not curdled to the point where it looked like scrambled eggs in water. Gross. The first time I thought it might have been the milk I was using, 1%. Changed the milk to half and half and tried it again. Same thing. This time though, before dumping the whole lot down the toilet, my mom tasted the glorpy substance and said that the vanilla tasted a bit off. So on my final try (although I have to admit, I would have kept trying until I got it right!) I used vanilla extract in lieu of a real vanilla bean and had sweet success. Praise the Jesus! Even though I would have kept on trying until I got it right, I'm pretty sure there would have been tears and possibly the throwing of an egg or two if that third try had flopped.
Whipped Cream: check! I can do that one no problem.
Arranging the cake went without incident, which was a nice change of pace for me. I was even able to mix in the right food colouring and roll out the marzipan without any major drawbacks! Although I feel I should note that if you have a silicone rolling pin, use that for the marzipan in stead of a marble or wood one. I will only make that mistake once... marzipan is very sticky.
When it was all finished, it looked (for me) nearly perfect. The taste was even pretty awesome too. What I like about this cake the most is how you think at first that it's kind of plain. The same vanilla tastes replaying layer after layer. But that's not the case at all! The strawberry jam is so tart that it compliments both the custard and the cake and then with the added zing of the marzipan, the whole cake comes together nicely with a very unique flavor that is neither bland nor predicatble. When it's been sitting for a while, all the creams and custards combine to make the cake almost seem like one big custard (and after it's been in the fridge for a while, it almost seems like a big slab of decadent ice cream cake).
The only thing I would go so far as to change with this cake, is to return to the genoisie cake base and forgo Martha's white cake. Because the cake is so custard-heavy, the added dryness from the genoisie is necessary to hold the whole thing together, while the white cake is too soft and dense for a cake that is already going to be quite dense.
Recipe:
White Cake
(Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cooking School)
1 c unsalted butter (room temperature, plus more for pans)
3 c sifted cake flour (plus more for pans)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 c granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
1 c milk (room temperature)
8 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees (f). Butter two eight in round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Butter paper and dust both pans with flour. Tap out excess.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients.
3. Cream the butter and 1 1/4 cups of sugar until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Scrape vanilla seeds into the bowl.
4. With the paddle attachment on and the mixer on "low", add dry ingredients in three batches alternating with the milk and starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
5. In a separate clean bowl, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, beating on medium-high until stiff glossy peaks form. Whisk 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to lighten, then carefully fold in the rest of the whites.
6. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. Allow to rest in pans for 10 minutes after they have come out of the oven, then transfer to a cooling rack and wait until cooled completely before proceeding.
Pastry Cream
(Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cooking School)
2 c whole milk
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
pinch of salt
3 large egg yolks
3 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1. Bring milk, 1/4 cup of sugar, vanilla seeds and salt to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking to disperse seeds.
2. Whisk egg yolks and remaining sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in cornstarch, one tablespoon at a time. Ladle 1/2 hot milk mixture into yolk mixture, whisking. Add remaining milk mixture. Pour mixture back into pan and heat over medium-high, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil and is thick enough to hold it's shape when lifted with a spoon (about 2 minutes). Stir in butter.
3. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface (to prevent a skin from forming) and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
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