Original Linzer Torte

Original Linzer torte, the famous Austrian cake with shortcrust pastry and redcurrant jam. Easy to make and sure to please anyone.

This original Linzer torte is a simple but unbelievably tasty cake made with shortcrust pastry, covered with redcurrant jam, and topped with a pastry lattice or stars. Really, can it get any simpler? Yet the taste is rich due to the almond pastry, sweet while still refreshing thanks to the sweet and sour redcurrant jam.

I have always liked the Linzer or Spitzbuben cookies, and I have been making them every December for years now. And it was time to bake the original Linzer torte again, the Austrian classic cookie cake.

I wanted to bake a cake a few weeks ago, and while searching for something in the cellar, I noticed that I still have 3 large jars of redcurrant jam I made 2 years ago.

I immediately thought of making the cookies but then thought that October was definitely too early to start making cookies. So, I settled to make the Linzer torte instead, and this was the result. I hope you like it!

How to make an original Linzer torte?

Shortcrust pastry

• I recommend weighing the ingredients on a kitchen scale (the Amazon link opens in a new tab); it yields the best result when baking.
• A twist from the regular shortcrust pastry, which is made with only flour, butter, and sugar.
• For this Linzer pastry, you will also need ground almonds and some unsweetened cocoa powder.
• You will need 4 egg yolks to make the pastry, more than a regular shortcrust pastry, but it is the yolks that make this recipe so deliciously rich and satisfying.
• Make sure that the butter is unsalted and it is very cold. Cut it into small pieces and add them to the dry ingredients.
• Process everything shortly until the pastry resembles breadcrumbs.
• Turn this mixture onto the working surface and knead very very shortly until you obtain a smooth dough.
• Cover the pastry in plastic foil and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Tips for rolling the dough

• It is preferable to use a loose-bottomed pie dish (the Amazon link opens in a new tab); it will be easier for you to remove the pie from the form. I bought mine almost 10 years ago, and I use it all the time. It still looks as good as new, so I guess it was a good investment.
• Roll ⅔ of the dough between two sheets of baking paper (or with the help of a little extra flour on the working surface and on the rolling pin).
• Roll the pastry about 1 cm/0.4 inch thick and slightly larger than the pie dish.
• Remove the baking paper on top and use the lower piece to turn the cake into the pie form. Remove the second piece of baking paper as well.
• Press the pastry into the form and remove the excess hanging over the edges of the form.
• Roll the remaining dough about 5 mm/0.2 inch thick and either cut out stripes to form the lattice or cut out shapes using star cookie cutters of different sizes (or heart/flowers/teddies cutters, whatever).
• Instead of the usual lattice on top of the cake, I went for the stars. I found it prettier, and the children were able to help me make the Linzer torte this way.
• Cutting stars instead of making a lattice is so much easier, so I definitely recommend it!
• But if you like to make the traditional lattice instead, please do, it will not change anything but the look of the cake.

What to do with leftover pastry?

• There will be some dough left over; in the end, I used that to make more stars and bake them as well.
• We ate those as cookies over the next few days.
• If you don't feel like making cookies, you can freeze the extra pastry and use it another time for making cookies.

Original Linzer Torte

Try this original Linzer torte, an Austrian cake with shortcrust pastry and redcurrant jam. Easy to make and sure to please anyone.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Cakes

Cuisine: Austrian

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 473kcal

Author: Adina

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Ingredients 

• ▢ 250 g all-purpose flour 9 oz/ 2 cups
• ▢ 250 g ground almonds 9 oz/ 2 cups
• ▢ 250 g granulated sugar 9 oz/ 1 ¼ cup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon unsweetened raw cocoa powder
• ▢ a pinch of cinnamon
• ▢ 250 g very cold unsalted butter 9 oz/ 1 cup
• ▢ 4 egg yolks
• ▢ 1 tablespoon water
• ▢ 300 g redcurrant jam 10.5 oz/ 1 cup
• ▢ 1 extra egg yolk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons milk

Instructions

• Make the pastry: Place the flour, almonds, sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon in the food processor and process shortly to mix everything. Cut the cold butter into small pieces, add them to the flour mixture together with the egg yolks and the tablespoon of water, and process until you obtain rough crumbs. Turn this mixture onto the working surface and knead very shortly until you get a smooth dough.

  250 g all-purpose flour/2 cups + 250 g ground almonds/ 2 cups + 250 g granulated sugar/ 1¼ cup + 1 teaspoon unsweetened raw cocoa powder + a pinch of cinnamon + 250 g very cold unsalted butter/ 1 cup + 4 egg yolks + 1 tablespoon water
• Refrigerate: Cover the pastry in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes
• Roll pastry: Butter and flour a 26 cm/10-inch pie form (preferably one with a detachable bottom, it makes things easier in the end). Shake to remove the excess flour. Place the dish in the refrigerator.

  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Roll⅔ of the pastry between two sheets of baking paper. The pastry should be rolled about 1 cm/0.4 inch thick and slightly larger than the pie form so that you can press the pastry onto the walls of the pie dish as well.

  Remove the baking paper on top of the pastry and use the lower parchment paper piece to turn the pastry into the pie form. Remove the second piece of baking paper as well. Press the pastry into the form and remove the excess pastry hanging over the edges of the dish.
• Decoration: Roll the remaining pastry about 5 mm/0.2 inch thick and either cut out stripes to form the lattice or cut out shapes using star cookie cutters of different sizes (or heart/flowers/teddies cutters, whatever).
• Assemble: Stir the redcurrant jam very well and distribute it evenly on top of the pastry. Arrange the lattice or the stars on top. Mix the extra egg yolk and the milk and use this mixture to brush the stars/lattice and the edges of the pie.

  300 g redcurrant jam / 1 cup + 1 extra egg yolk + 2 teaspoons milk
• Bake for about 40 minutes until the lattice/stars are golden brown. If you want to bake the extra cookies as well, bake them for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

Always use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) in baking; it ensures the best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 243mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 25g

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