The oldest recipe for Linzer Torte dates from the 17th Century, making this perhaps the oldest known cake recipe in the world. Its ongoing success is no surprise: the dough is made primarily from either hazelnuts or almonds, subtly flavoured with cinnamon, and filled with red currant jam. ‘Ribisel ‘ as the red currants are called in Austrian German, are a very popular fruit in Austria and southern Germany, and different dialects have different words for it: we call them ‘Träuble’, as in the Träubleskuchen I made in the summer.
Although this cake is thought to have originated in the Austrian city of Linz, which explains its name, it exists in various forms all across the region. On our side of the border, the Linzer Torte is filled with raspberry instead of red currant jam, and the question of whether to use hazelnuts, almonds or any other nut has not yet been officially decided. I’m sitting on the fence on this one, using a mix of both 😉
The combination of nuts or almonds and cinnamon in itself makes this a perfect cake for an Advent tea party, as well as for any other occasion that requires cake. My recipe is intended for a 26cm /11 in flan tin or similar; I used a smaller, 20cm / 8 in one and made three little Linzer tartlets on the side, as well as some small cookies. Waste not, want not 😉
Linzer Torte (for a 26cm/11in flan tin)
- 200g plain sugar
- 150g whole almonds
- 100g whole hazelnuts
- 180g flour
- 1 generous tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 egg
- 2cl rum
- 250g slightly softened unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 280g raspberry jam or red currant jam
If you can get whole ground hazelnuts and almonds, lucky you. Everybody else needs to start by by grounding the nuts and almonds to a fine powder. You can used ground almonds to give the cake a finer texture, as these are blanched and don’t contain the brown skins. I fancied it a bit more crunchy so I went for whole almonds instead.
Mix the ground almonds, nuts, sugar, cocoa, flour, cinnamon, and cloves. Add the egg, rum and the butter and knead it to a firm dough. Cover and rest it in the fridge for an hour or two.
Grease your flan tin and preheat the oven to 180C
Roll out 2/3 of the dough and line the flan tin.
Cover the bottom with the jam.
Roll out the remaining dough. Using a fluted dough wheel, cut out thin strips of the rolled out dough and place them in a lattice pattern on top of the jam. 
If you have leftover dough, why not grease a few empty jam jars for some Linzer tortelets:
Or go even smaller, by making some Jammy Dodgers!
Glaze with the remaining egg yolk and bake for 50 minutes. The jam jars need no more than 25-30 minutes, I baked the little biscuits separately for 12 minutes before assembling them with the remaining jam.
Apparently Linzer Torte is one of the most popular Old World-type cakes in the United States, having been introduced there by a Franz Hölzlhuber in the 1850s. With a name as Austrian as Hölzlhuber I wouldn’t be surprised.
Ginger&Bread 
How interesting, I’d never heard of this. Sounds like a delicious torte (and you’ve made it look very pretty) xx
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Linzer, on my time-table for after christmas- lucky it’s not that christmas-y . I will try “Hägenmark” as filling as I imagine this will be as fine as in the “Spitzbuben” -recipe.
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Sounds delicious! Have you made your own rosehip jam or are you using the bought variety?
Spitzbuben I haven’t made before, either … So much to do …
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bought- from the farmer’s market.
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One of my favorites! So beautiful, Ginger. Perfection.
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So they DO exist on the other side of the pond – I was wondering!
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I subscribed to get your new posts in my email, and I’m so glad I did. You are prolific! I have been really, really enjoying your christmas posts. I just wanted to pop in and say that Linzer Torte looks GORGEOUS! Nice job. Thank you for all the lovely morning reads 🙂
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Thank you! I’m glad they cheer you up 🙂
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It looks like I’m lucky because I can get whole ground almonds oh yay! I buy them in Lyon for macarons 🙂 Would you like some? I’m going there next Friday for Christmas and I’ll be shopping like crazy, so I can get some for you too. Your Linzer Torte looks fantastic Ginger. I tried something similar in Maastricht this year, and it was yummy 🙂 will email you tomorrow about you know what 😉
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OMG I am sooooo excited! Can you believe it, I have never tried macarons …
We used to go to Maastricht a lot from Aachen, as well as to Liege
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Whaaaat??? You’ve never tried macarons?? You mean you’ve never tried to make them or like you have never eaten not even one? In any case we have to fix it!! I will be sending to you a full set of all necessary accessories girl! Oh my 🙂
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What a beautiful dessert! Thanks for sharing the history behind it! 🙂
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I’m reading a book on the history of food at the moment – it’s just too fascinating not to write about it …
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My mom has been making linzer torte as a Christmas treat since I was a child, and I do hope she makes it again this year, as it is absolutely delicious! She uses raspberry jam in hers. Great story, I knew nothing about it!
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I didn’t either, especially the bit about it being popular in the States! It’s one of the first cakes I’ve ever made: I really liked it an my mum didn’t fancy it, so off I went. I do like the raspberry jam anyway, because of the bits, so it’s the perfect excuse to eat it 🙂
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Such a beautiful torte and it sounds delicious with the raspberry jam and the nuts! Wow 🙂
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It is delicious, very earthy flavours!
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Wow looks amazing Ginger…:)
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That looks damn well delicious. Nice work my friend 🙂
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Ta!
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I love Linzer torte, and yours looks like a damn fine one! I like your suggestions for leftover dough too 🙂
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Thanks! I find I’ve always some dough left over, whatever the cake.
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