Esterházy cake: The holiday showstopper from Budapest

Delicate layers of almond cake layered with a creamy custard-butter filling are delightful even before tasting. After the first bite, it gets even better – a true indulgence for the senses. If you want to impress your guests during the holidays and serve them something different from the usual cake or cheesecake, the Esterházy cake is a perfect choice.

The Esterházy cake is a Hungarian dessert named after Prince Paul III Anton Esterházy de Galántha, a member of the Esterházy dynasty and a diplomat of the Austrian Empire. It was created by Budapest confectioners at the end of the 19th century and quickly became one of the most famous cakes in Austria-Hungary.

It's a true legend among cakes. The layer cake consists of crunchy meringue layers and delicate cream. The entire cake is adorned with an elegant chocolate pattern resembling a spider's web. The Esterházy cake is the perfect dessert for the holidays.

Ingredients:

Meringue Layers:

• 9 egg whites,
• a pinch of salt,
• 350g fine sugar,
• 250g ground almonds,
• 2 tablespoons potato flour.

Custard Cream:

• 600 ml milk,
• 7 egg yolks,
• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or 1 vanilla pod,
• 100g sugar,
• 30g sugar for beating butter,
• 30g plain flour,
• 30g potato flour,
• 250g soft butter,
• 2 tablespoons rum or cognac (optional).

Decoration:

• royal icing,
• royal icing mixed with cocoa.

Preparation:

1. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
2. Towards the end of beating, gradually add sugar while continuing to mix.
3. Add the sifted flour and mix.
4. Add the ground almonds and gently combine the mixture.
5. Prepare 5 layers with a diameter of about 23cm. You can bake them in a springform tin or draw circles of the appropriate diameter on baking parchment.
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius.
7. Remove the browned, flat layers from the oven and let them cool.
8. Pour half a cup of milk into a bowl and mix the egg yolks and flours in it. The mixture should be smooth.
9. In a saucepan, bring the remaining milk with vanilla and sugar to a boil.
10. Add the mixture from the bowl and cook until a custard forms. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from burning. Set aside to cool.
11. Cream the butter with sugar to make a fluffy, light mixture.
12. Gradually add the custard to the whipped butter, mixing continuously. Finally, pour in the rum.
13. Layer the meringue layers with the prepared cream.
14. Decorate with white icing. Use cocoa icing to create the spiderweb pattern.

Chill the prepared cake in the fridge for several hours. Enjoy!