Esterhazy cake with almonds
8 servings
120 minutes
The Esterhazy cake is an exquisite dessert from Hungarian cuisine, named after Prince Paul Anton Esterházy. Its elegance lies in the thin nut layers, light airy cream, and signature decoration resembling a chocolate web. Almond flakes add a crunchy texture while apricot jam provides a subtle fruity tang. The cake's flavor is rich and harmonious with barely noticeable hints of vanilla, cinnamon, and butter. It is used as a dessert for special occasions, enjoyed for its complex layered structure and delicate creamy consistency. This confectionery masterpiece delights not only with its taste but also with its elegant appearance.
1
Whip the chilled egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Continue whipping, gradually adding sugar one tablespoon at a time. Whip until a shiny, stable meringue forms that doesn't fall out of an inverted bowl.
- Egg white: 8 pieces
- Salt: pinch
- Sugar: 0.8 glass
2
Grind the nuts in a blender to flour. If the crumb is too coarse, place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet and dry at 150 degrees for 10 minutes, then grind again. Gradually add the nut flour to the egg whites along with the cinnamon and flour, gently folding with a silicone spatula from bottom to top.
- Walnuts: 200 g
- Cinnamon: pinch
- Wheat flour: 3 tablespoons
3
Using a round shape with a diameter of 24 cm, draw 6 templates on parchment, spacing them 3-4 cm apart.
4
Spread the protein mass evenly in a thin layer on the circles using a long knife or a metal spatula. Bake the layers in a preheated oven at 140–150 degrees until light brown, for 18–20 minutes. Then remove from the oven, trim the edges with a knife if necessary, and cool.
5
For the cream, mix coconut and cow's milk thoroughly with a mixer to avoid lumps of coconut milk. Whip 1/3 of the milk alternately with sugar, yolks, and vanilla sugar until smooth.
- Coconut milk: 0.5 glass
- Milk: 0.5 glass
- Sugar: 0.8 glass
- Egg yolk: 4 pieces
- Vanilla sugar: 3 teaspoons
6
Bring the remaining milk to a boil over low heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Carefully introduce the yolk mixture prepared in step 5 into the boiling milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil again, remove from heat, cool, and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
7
Beat softened butter with boiled condensed milk, gradually adding one tablespoon to the cream, add cherry vodka or liqueur, and whip until smooth. Chill.
- Butter: 300 g
- Boiled condensed milk: 0.3 glass
- Cherry vodka (kirsch): 2 tablespoons
8
Spread chilled cream on 5 layers, and cover the sixth layer with a thin layer of jam heated in a water bath. Melt white chocolate in a water bath, mix with cream until smooth, and cover the cake over the jam while the chocolate is still hot. Let it cool slightly.
- Apricot jam: 2 tablespoons
- White chocolate: 200 g
- Cream 35%: 2 tablespoons
9
When the surface is slightly set, melt dark chocolate in a water bath or microwave, pour it into a parchment cone, cut the tip of the cone, and draw a spiral with the chocolate on the white top of the cake, working from the center to the edge.
- Dark chocolate: 50 g
10
Immediately run the tip of the knife in a spiral from the center to the edges of the cake. Repeat this action 8 times, dividing the cake into 8 segments. Again divide each segment, but now move from the edge to the center. You will see 'feathers' on the cake.
11
Coat the sides of the cake with almond flakes, slightly lifting and tilting it; place the cake in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Remove 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Almond flakes: to taste