Recipe: Kaesesahne Torte

 In my mind I'm already at Easter Sunday.  I have to play organ and I'm hosting at my house.  Lots to prep.  Anyone want to come to church or my house, let me know.

This is why finally, there is a long expected post on the cake that I get the most compliments on.  The well-known "Kaehsesahnetorte".  After this will come also variations on the theme.  This is what it looks like:

However, whoever posted the picture of this cake to the internet, did not do it quite right.  The top layer is very thick and if you tried to cut the cake, you will inadvertently squish the quark-gelatin layer beneath it.  MY MOTHER taught me to cut the top layer into 16 little wedges and place the top on pre-cut. Plus, the top layer should not be this thick to start with. 

Found this other picture.  It should look more like this, but make 16 pieces.

To shop ahead:  make sure that you have a spring form, some wax paper, 600 gr of quark (deli section) and whipping cream and gelatin.  Also vanilla sugar (should really be a staple), and 2 cans of mandarin oranges, if desired.  Then you can get started.  At first it seems all a little involved.  But with practice it is not a difficult cake and it is always appreciated for it's light, creamy composition.  It never flops.  A perennial winner.  (However, never cut back on gelatin;  then it would flop for sure.)

Cake portion:

125 gr butter
125 gr sugar
125 gr flour
2 eggs
1.5 teaspoons baking power

make a regular stirred dough, bake in round spring form;  if possible bake the day ahead for easier cutting in half.

For Americans:  get a little kitchen scale that measures grams and ounces, or else remember that 30 gr. is an ounce.

Cream portion:

In a pot on the stove on lower heat and stirring:

heat 1/2 liter of milk
with 4 stirred egg yolks and 200 gr sugar,
1 package vanilla sugar
2 packages of gelatin.

You do want to bring this to a boil, so you want some heat, or else you'll be there all day, but you don't want to scorch anything, so be careful and stir.  I usually start out very gently and let the gelatin dissolve then add the remainder and increase the heat.

After it has boiled, you need to let it cool down.  I usually put it in a cold water bath, so it goes more quickly.  If my quark is frozen, I can put it in and let it help cool down the mix.

Once it has cooled, you want to add in total
600 gr quark
250 ml of whipped whipping cream.

You can now put the torte together.

1.  Slice your cake portion in half with  knife or with the proper thread method (make a groove all around, lay the thread around the perimeter, cross over in the front and then pull.  Let the thread cut the cake.) (My mother, of course, always used the thread method.  My mother was a bit of an expert.  She already had a Bosch kitchen machine in the 50's, which especially was used to knead her yeast doughs.)

2.  Cut some wax paper so you can line the perimeter part of the spring form with it.

3.  Lay the bottom layer of your cake on the serving plate and put the spring-perimeter part of your form around it.  Put your fruit of choice on the bottom layer.  This is traditionally canned mandarin oranges or fresh strawberries, but theoretically you have your choice.  A little tang is nice, as the rest is quite delicate.  If you are using mandarin oranges, get two of the little cans.  Mandarin oranges are VERY nice in this.

4. Put your entire cream layer on top of this.  The wax paper spring form will hold it all together.

5.  Cut your top layer of the cake into 16 wedges (half it, quarter it,...)  Put your wedges on top.

6.  Put in the fridge for TOMORROW, as the gelatin has to set.  I'd say, give it at least 10 hours to set.

7.  Serve with dusting of powdered sugar.

Make the day ahead for any occasion.