Berry Blitz Torte

Submitted by Nancy G.

"This cake may look difficult to make but it's easy! If I can make it, so can you! You can use any berries that you want and you can use your own recipe for pastry cream instead of the cheater's version. I leave the almonds off. A King Arthur Flour recipe."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• Cake

• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup flour

• Topping

• 4 large egg whites
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup sliced blanched almond
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar

• Filling

• 1 (3 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 3⁄4 cups light cream or 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
• fresh berries, of your choice use as many as you would like

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease 2 8" round pans.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, salt, and egg yolks together.
3. Beat in vanilla, milk, baking powder, and flour.
4. Spread the mixture in the prepared pans. The batter will barely cover the bottom of the pans; that's OK.
5. Beat the egg whites until light; gradually add the 3/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until the meringue is smooth, glossy and somewhat stiff. Do NOT beat until there are stiff points.
6. Spread the meringue on the batter in the pans and sprinkle with the almonds, cinnamon and sugar.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, until lightly browned.
8. Remove from oven and cool in pans for 15 minutes. Loosen edges and gently turn them out onto racks with the meringue on top. If some of the almonds fall off, just sprinkle them back on top.
9. Mix pudding, vanilla, and cream together until thick.
10. Place one of the cake layers, meringue side up, on a serving plate.
11. Spread with all the pastry cream.
12. Add a layer of berries.
13. Top with second layer, meringue side up.
14. Decorate top with berries if desired.
15. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.