Schichttorte

What is a Schichttorte? I’m glad you asked! It is derived from a German cake called a Baumkuchen (“tree cake”) that is cooked on a spit, with thin layers of batter added as it rotates over a heat source, resulting in a round cake with a hole in the middle and multiple vertical layers that look like growth rings on a tree. Because most people don’t have a spit at home on which to bake a cake, the Schichttorte (“layer cake”) was developed. This adaptation uses a common oven broiler to bake thin layers — each layer of batter brushed on top of the previous one — until the cake has up to 20 horizontal layers that are visible when the cake is cut.

There are problems inherent in this process, the biggest one being the possibility that the bottom layers get overbaked as the upper layers are added. Unfortunately, this leads to a dry, rubbery texture which some have likened to a stack of cold pancakes.

Because this was a technical challenge, I couldn’t alter Paul Hollywood’s recipe, but in researching this cake I discovered many recipes for Schichttorte that seem to have solved the problem of dryness by brushing apricot jam or orange marmalade between the layers. Some also add marzipan to the batter, which I think would also make the cake moister.

I encountered the additional problem of the cake pulling away from the edges of the pan as it baked, so my cake was not perfectly round. I ended up trimming off its rougher edges, and the chocolate glaze covered some of the flaws, but I’m sure Paul and Mary would not have been fooled. 

The recipe calls for an 8-inch springform pan, which is not a standard size in the U.S., apparently. I found one at my local baking supply store, but other bloggers have used non-springform pans successfully. Just make sure to line the bottom with parchment paper to make it easier to get the finished cake out of the pan. If you choose to use a 9- or 10-inch springform pan, don’t count on getting all 20 layers, as it will take more batter to cover the pan.

Making the batter was not difficult. It is a typical sponge cake batter, with the egg yolks whisked separately until pale and creamy. The butter and sugar are creamed together with the flavorings, then the egg yolks are added, followed by the dry ingredients. Finally, the egg whites are beaten to soft-peak stage and gently folded into the batter. 

I must say, this recipe uses a lot of bowls. I used all three bowls that go to my stand mixer. (If you only have one or two, be prepared to wash them between steps.) Before I started, I actually had to determine which bowls to use for (1) egg yolks, (2) butter and sugar, (3) sifted flour and cornstarch, and (4) egg whites.  

If you want to make sure your layers are even, you’ll need to weigh the batter. But first, you must weigh the empty bowl. The bowl in which you cream the butter and sugar is the one you need to weigh empty, as it is the one the batter will end up in. (Make sure you write down the weight of the empty bowl, because if you’re like me, you’ll forget what it was by the time you weigh the bowl with the batter in it!) After making the batter, weigh the bowl again. Deduct the weight of the empty bowl from the weight of the full bowl and divide by 20. This will tell you how much batter to use for each layer. (I did this, but I may have forgotten to remove the spatula when weighing the batter in the bowl, because as I was nearing the finish line I could tell I wouldn’t have enough batter, so my layers got smaller and smaller toward the end.)

To weigh out the batter for each layer, place the cake pan on your scale, tare it and spoon in the batter a little at a time until it reaches the desired weight. (Mine was around 50 grams.) Because I didn’t know if my scale could withstand the heat of a pan that had just come out from under the broiler, I placed two small canning jars on the scale and rested the hot pan on those. This also raised the pan away from the surface of the scale so I could read the weight better.

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Another problem with this technique of baking under a broiler (or “grill” as it’s called in the UK) is that every oven is different. Paul’s recipe says to “Preheat the grill to high.” My oven gives me the choice of broiling on high or low, but some ovens don’t have that option. And I have no idea what temperature each setting is. Paul’s recipe also says to place the shelf 10 cm/4 inches below the heating element. When I did that, my pan didn’t fit below the heating coil, so I had to drop the shelf to about 6 inches below the coil. I knew this would affect the baking time for each layer, so I had to watch carefully. 

Speaking of baking time, the recipe says to cook the first layer for two minutes, the second layer for three, and then alternate between two and three minutes to create alternate dark and light layers. This is tricky. It worked for me for awhile, but as the cake grew taller, I found that each layer needed less time. (This may have also been because I was reducing the amount of batter on the upper layers since I was running low!) So you must keep an eye on this cake at all times. The layers are so thin they really don’t need any color at all to be done, so the darker layers just need a hint of gold for them to be done.

One more tip the bakers didn’t have in the Great White Tent: Use a pastry brush to spread the batter. This is easier than trying to use a spatula or tilting the pan to get it to spread on its own. 

When the final layer is done, let the cake sit in the pan for a few minutes before releasing it onto a wire rack to cool. Rather than turn it upside down, like I do for most cakes, I decided to keep mine right-side up to glaze it. I liked the look of the top layers better and, as I found out later, the bottom layers were a bit overcooked and tough.

To glaze the cake, mix together butter, golden syrup, rum and vanilla, and bring them to a boil on the stove, then pour the mixture over chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts, and then let it cool until it’s the right consistency to coat the cake. You then make a simple vanilla icing to drizzle over the chocolate glaze. I tried one of those spiderweb designs, with mediocre results.

Once you get past the texture of the cake, the flavors — vanilla with a hint of lemon in the sponge, chocolate in the glaze — go well together; some say they taste even better a day or so after it’s made. In the tradition of European cakes, this cake is not overly sweet. My husband, who doesn’t care for sweet desserts, has gone back for more, so I know it wasn’t a total failure!

Having researched many different recipes for Schichttorte since making this cake, I’ve decided that next time I make it I will use Jamie Oliver’s recipe, which he calls a Baumkuchen. If you want to read about another blogger’s experience making Schichttorte, I recommend BeneathTheCrust.com’s post. She has made it several times and actually created her own recipe combining elements of both Paul’s and Jamie’s.

You can find Paul Hollywood’s recipe here, but I have adapted it for American bakers below. If you do decide to make this, please let me know in the comments section how it turned out. I’d love to hear your opinion, and if you made any changes to Paul’s recipe!

Next week: Entremets