Baumkuchen (Tree Cake)

The January 2014 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Francijn of “Koken in de Brouwerij“. She challenged us all to bake layered cakes in the tradition of Baumkuchen (tree cake) and Schichttorte (layered cake).

Now here is an interesting challenge! A cake made of many layers, with nothing to separate them. Is that an oxymoron?!

No! A thin layer is spread into the baking vessel, then cooked for a few minutes until it browns. Then, another thin layer of batter is placed on top, and the process is repeated until all the batter has been used, leaving you many individual layers (in my case, eight) of cake, all within one solid piece of cake!

Baumkuchen, also called tree cake because it resembles the wood grain (and if you were to make a round version that was cooked on a spit in rotisserie fashion, it would resemble the cross section of a tree trunk – HOW NEAT IS THAT?) requires that you stand there waiting for each layer to brown just enough so that you can then spread another layer of batter atop it. In other words, no, you cannot go do something else while the cake is in the oven, as you’ll need to stand there watching each layer intently for an hour or so (depending on how many layers you have). And make sure the top layer gets some golden brownness, otherwise you won’t be able to see the lines that separate the layers (which is the coolest part)!

This recipe was actually quite interesting in that it called for marzipan to be crumbled into and creamed with the butter. I decided to use almond paste as I often find marzipan to be too sweet, and went to my local co-op (PCC, which I love ), where they make it in house. And oh my, it was delicious! I was originally planning to make it myself but I was low on sugar and so grudgingly dragged myself to the store to buy a TUBE of who-knows-how-old almond paste from a manufacturer that likely uses glucose and corn syrup, etc. At the last moment, I decided to just pop into PCC on the off chance that they would have it, and they did. FRESH! I was so happy. J

And the almond paste really brought a delicious flavor to the cake. The taste was very good, although I found it to be a little heavy. I am not sure if I would make it again. I don’t mind the work, and I loved the flavor, but the weight of the pastry made ME feel heavy after eating a half piece. That didn’t stop me from eating more and more, but for my own sake, perhaps I will reincarnate these flavors into something a little lighter. All in all, it was a very interesting and fun challenge!

Baumkuchen

Adapted from Koken in de Brouwerij

Batter
6 large eggs (room temperature)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 ml) (4-1/4 oz) (120 gm) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (5-1/3 oz) (150 gm) almond paste
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons (1-3/4 sticks) (7 oz) (200 gm) softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup (180 ml) (3-1/2 oz) (100 gm) confectioner's (icing) sugar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) (1 package) (8 grams) vanilla sugar (or use regular sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
2/3 cup (160 ml) (3-1/2 oz) (100 gm) all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour blend, sifted

Glaze
1/3 cup (80 ml) (3½ oz) (100 gm) orange marmalade
2 tablespoons (30 ml) orange liqueur (optional)
1 cup (240 ml) (7 oz) (200 gm) dark chocolate couverture chunks
2 tablespoons pure coconut oil

Oil to grease your pan
Parchment paper
10-inch (25 cm) spring form pan / 8x8 inch (20x25 cm) cake tin

1. Preheat your oven to hot 450°F/230°C/gas mark 8.

2. Line your cake tin with parchment paper, grease both paper and tin.

3. Divide the eggs. Beat the egg whites with the salt until medium peaks form, add the sugar and beat until really stiff.

4. Crumble finely the marzipan in another bowl with the powdered sugar. Beat in with the softened butter, confectioner's (icing) sugar and vanilla sugar until soft and creamy. Add the egg yolks one by one and beat well between each addition. Add the stiff egg whites and flour and gently fold it into the batter, trying not to lose too much air.

5. Smear a thin layer of the batter on the bottom of the pan, keep the sides of the pan clean, and bake for (about) 4 minutes* in the oven, until it is cooked and brown. Take the pan out of the oven, smear the next portion of batter carefully over the first, and bake for another 4 minutes or until cooked and brown. Repeat until all batter is used. If you need to flatten a bubble insert a tooth pick or similar to deflate the bubble. 

6. Let the cake cool down for a few minutes, take it out of the pan, remove the parchment paper and let the cake cool completely on a wired rack. Trim the edges if you need to, to make a nice uniform shape. 

7. Heat the jam a little, pass it through a sieve, and add the orange liqueur (optional). Cover the cake with the jam and let it cool.

8. Melt the couverture with the coconut oil in a bowl above warm water. Pour it over the cake to cover completely, move the cake to a cool place and wait until the glaze is dry.

*The actual cook time will vary greatly depending on the thickness of your layer of batter, so just make sure you get some browning on top before smearing on the next layer.

Freezing and storage:  The tree cake tastes better when you wait one day before eating it. Eat within a week. Store in an airtight container. If you refrigerate it, bring to room temperature before eating. To freeze, cut into portions, wrap tightly in cling wrap and freeze up to two months.