Cylinder Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Baumkuchenspitzen

A true classic which has been exported from Salzwedel all over the world for more than 180 years now.

Dough

  • 2 ¼ sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2/3 cups blanched almonds
  • 1 tablespoon rum
  • pinch of salt

Glaze

  • ¾ cup (9 ounces) apricot preserves
  • 6 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon rum
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with aluminium foil, shaping a ½ inch edge all around, and grease well.
  2. For the dough, beat the butter with the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and egg yolks. In a separate bowl, combine the flour with the cornstarch and add it to the mixture.
  3. Grind the almonds very finely in a food processor and stir them into the mixture with the rum and the salt.
  4. Beat the egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks, and fold them into the dough.
  5. Spread a thin layer of dough evenly on the baking sheet. Bake in the top third of the oven for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Add at least 6 to 8 more very thin layers, spreading each new layer on top of the previously baked layer, until all the dough is used up. Bake each layer for 3 minutes or until golden brown. After the third layer, insert an empty baking sheet of equal size underneath to prevent the dough from getting to dark at the bottom.
  7. Remove the cake from the oven and turn it upside-down on a large board or a clean work surface. Remove the aluminium foil. While the cake is still warm, cut it into 2-inch squares, then cut each square into 2 equal-sized triangles. Place the triangles on a cake rack to cool
  8. For the glaze, warm the apricot preserves in a small saucepan and strain through a fine sieve. Glaze the triangles on all sides. Let dry.
  9. Melt the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a pot with boiling water. Stir constantly until smooth and add the rum. Cool slightly, then spread the glaze evenly over the triangles and set aside for several hours on a cake rack, until the glaze is set. Store the Baumkuchenspitzen in an airtight container in a cool place. They keep for several weeks.

Source: Nadia Hassani: “Spoonfuls of Germany” (Hippocrene Books, 2004)