SACHERTORTE

As Valentine's Day approaches, Smiltenes piens and cookbook author Signe Meirāne are offering a recipe for a Sachertorte very much suitable for this occasion. It was found in old books, where one recipe has butter in the cream, the other does not; one has more flour, the other less. For extra texture, Signe used half fine and half wholemeal flour, lots of spices and plum jam. It is worth remembering here that it is better to bake the Sachertorte two days before the event, since the special taste of the cake can be best enjoyed the day after. And it is divine!

Ingredients

For sponge

200 g Smiltene Piens butter, room temperature
110 g light brown sugar
pinch of sea salt
a little vanilla extract or seeds from the pod
1 bio orange zest, grated
3 medium eggs, room temperature
80 g wheat flour
80 g wholemeal flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

For apples

300 g peeled apples, in pieces
40 g sugar
10 g butter
pinch of salt

For cream

200 ml of milk
100 ml Smiltenes Piens heavy cream
1 tbsp flour
3 egg yolks
80 g light brown sugar
a little cardamom
1/3 tsp crushed rose petals
1/2 bio lemon zest, finely grated
160 g Smiltene Piens butter, room temperature

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees, line a 35 x 25 or 30 x 30 cm baking tray with baking paper.
For the sponge, put the butter, sugar, salt, orange zest and vanilla in a bowl and whisk for 3-4 minutes until airy. Then, with the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time, beating well before adding the next. If the mixture seems to be separating, add 1 tbsp. flour. Beat in all the eggs in this way to make an airy mass. Sift the flour with the baking powder and stir. Place in the pan, level and bake for 15 – 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

While it is cooling, prepare the cream and apples. Place the apples in a pan with the butter and sugar and sauté over a medium heat until soft, about 20 min. Cool completely.

For the cream, pour the milk and heavy cream into a saucepan, add the cardamom, orange, salt and rose leaves. Heat until the milk mixture starts to steam. Meanwhile, mix the eggs, sugar and flour in a bowl, with a hand whisk. When the egg, sugar and flour mixture is whisked, slowly pour the heated milk and cream mixture into it in a small stream, stirring with a whisk. Then pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan. Heat the cream over a medium-high flame, stirring, until it is thick, like a cooked cream should be. When ready, pour into a bowl and place in cold water to cool.

Put the butter in a bowl and beat for a minute, until fluffy. Add 1/4 of the cream, beat it, and then repeat three more times – in the end beat the whole mixture again for 1 minute.

Cut the cake into pieces the size you want. Carefully cut each cake in half horizontally (thinner layers are preferable). Layer the cake by placing the cream, apples, plum jam; cream, apples and plum jam, or in any order you like. Spread with cream and sprinkle with nuts, which you will crush with the leftover sponge crumbs.

End result