My mother and grandmother used to make this cake. My grandmother came to America in 1904 from the Burgenland in Austria, and she called this Viennese Plum Cake, so that’s what we call it. It has a firm, almost dry texture, but is rich with butter and eggs. I often make this cake with fresh sliced peaches. While sliced apples also work, I think plums, peaches, and apricots are the better complement with this particular cake.
This is from Bittman’s book, The Best Recipes in the World”, in which he says that in Rome, it would typically be made with bass or turbot. However, he also said it can be made with any fillet you like and chose to write up the recipe with cod. There are also variations in the notes for using some vegetables with it too, along with making it in a covered baking dish.
This came from another website and I adapted it for my tastes. It is a great dish to serve along side bratwurst and cabbage salad or any number of other things 🙂 The farmer’s cheese I used is a mild semi-firm cheese (not the cottage cheesey type). You can substitute Gruyere or other similar Swiss type cheese. The spätzle can be made ahead through step 5 (boiling); refrigerate until ready to fry.
This lovely dessert would have been the featured pastry at “Jause” –a lovely old German/Austrian custom of pausing in the afternoon for cake and coffee and conversation. Prep time does not include time for cooling the torte layers.
This is perfect to have in the freezer as they defrost quickly and go both, for a snack or a light dinner with salad. You can even use them for breakfast or brunch and they are great for picnics or trips to the country side. They are a classic! And it is yeast free!
Your Kitchen Concierge
Recipe finder and budget meal ideas