Prinzregententorte is a popular layer cake from Bavaria, Germany, consisting of thin sponge cake layers with chocolate buttercream filling and a chocolate glaze. Its origin and inventor are disputed, but it is often associated with Prince Regent Luitpold. The cake is typically served with coffee and can be decorated with apricot jam, whipped cream, and shaved chocolate.
Prinzregententorte is a layer cake originating from Bavaria, Germany. It consists mainly of layers of thin sponge cake, covered with a chocolate glaze which usually hardens, giving the cake a glossy and smooth appearance. The cake usually has 6-9 layers and is often served with a cup of coffee. Prinzregententorte is a very popular cake in Bavaria and is sold and bought throughout the year, regardless of the occasion.
The name “prinzregententore” literally means “Prince Regent’s Cake”, in reference to the prince regent of Bavaria, Luitpold, who reigned from 1886 to 1912. The inventor of the cake, however, is still not certain; some sources claim that the Prince Regent’s personal chef, John Rottenhöfer, invented and dedicated the cake in honor of the Prince Regent. Other sources mention the inventor of a famous baker named Anton Seidl, who baked a nine-layer chocolate-coated cake, which represents the nine children of King Ludwig I, father of Luitpold. Another baker named Heinrich Georg Erbshäauser is also credited by some sources as the inventor when he was assigned to bake a cake for Luitpold’s 90th birthday in 1911. His cake consisted of eight layers, symbolizing the eight administrative districts of Bavaria at that time.
The main ingredients for the cake layers of the prinzregententorte are eggs, butter, flour and sugar. Other ingredients used for texture and flavor include some baking powder, vanilla, salt, and some warm water. The batter is usually divided into separate pans and cooked in one go, resulting in thin, smooth-topped sponge layers. A thinner layer of chocolate buttercream is spread between the cake layers. The ingredients in chocolate buttercream filling usually include cocoa powder, butter, egg yolks, and powdered sugar.
Assembling the prinzregententorte begins when the sponge cake layers are cold enough for the buttercream not to melt. The base and top of the cake should be the sponge layers, so the cake is stable enough to stand on its own. When all of the cake layers and buttercream filling are assembled together, the entire cake is covered in chocolate frosting, mostly made from dark chocolate and butter or whipped cream.
Some versions of the prinzregententorte have an apricot jam coating on the top layer and a chocolate buttercream coating spread around the edges of the cake, before the chocolate icing is generously applied. For final embellishments, shaved chocolate is drizzled over the cake, or dollops of whipped cream can be added using a pipe. The cake is usually served cold or at room temperature to keep the hardened chocolate shell out.
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