From Mödling to the Monterey Peninsula: Topfen-Obers-Torte #SundayFunday
- Culinary Cam
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
This week I am hosting the Sunday Funday bloggers. I prompted: July 20th is International Cake Day. Let's share a favorite recipe for a cake from anywhere in the world. If you don't have a favorite, I'll take a cake from America.
The Sunday Funday Cake Parade...
Apple pola by Mildly Indian
Carlota De Limon by A Day in the Life on the Farm
From Mödling to the Monterey Peninsula: Topfen-Obers-Torte by Culinary Cam (you're here)
Kirsebærkage - Danish Cherry Cake by Food Lust People Love
Kyiv Cake by A Messy Kitchen
Madeira Cake by Sneha's Recipe
Persian Love Cake by Mayuri's Jikoni
Taiwanese Castella Cake by Karen's Kitchen Stories
Mödling
Last summer we did an amazing family trip to Central Europe. I wrote about it, for one of our wine pairing groups in this post: Our Central European Whirlwind - Prague, Vienna, and Budapest - Paired with Wine. One of our stops in Austria was Mödling which R picked as the staging area for our early morning hike to Schloss Lichtenstein in the Urach Forest.
After the hike, we headed back to our rental house, packed up, and went into town for breakfast. We stumbled across Bruder & Schwester on our way back to the train station. We offered to sit outside since all of the tables were taken inside; but the owner asked some tables to shift so that he could seat us inside. It turns out he had gone of university in the Seattle area and was excited to welcome us into his restaurant. I asked him his name; he said that everyone just called him "Brother."
He guided us through the menu, getting us a traditional Austrian breakfast, explaining that any coffee shops worth their salt will always bring you a glass of water with your Melange, which is basically their version of a cappuccino. Then, at the end of our meal, he brought us a slice of cake. Yes, dessert with our breakfast. What the heck...we were on vacation.
Let me tell you: this is a cake I have been dreaming about for almost a year! But since I hadn't ordered it, I never knew what it was called. So, in preparation for this event, I sent a message to the shop. I sent them two photos, thanked them for the inspiration, and asked for the name of this delicious. Topfen-Obers-Torte was the response. Fantastic. A starting point...
Topfen-Obers-Torte
I did a bunch of research and came up with my version of this cake! When I served it, both Jake and R couldn't place it; but they both said it tasted familiar. So, I knew I had gotten it mostly right. When I reminded them of this cake's introduction into our lives, they both remembered Brother fondly and said that I had done a good job. Hooray!
Note: I did make this gluten-free so Jake could enjoy. If you are making this with regular flour, you can reduce the number of eggs to 4. And I do weight measurement when I bake for more accuracy. Topfen is an Austrian farmers' cheese. I used large curd cottage cheese as a substitute.
Ingredients
Cake
5 eggs
100 grams organic granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Pinch of salt
120 grams gluten-free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
Topfen Cream Filling
500 grams large curd cottage cheese
100 grams organic granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
zest and juice of half an organic lemon
2 teaspoons gelatin
1 cup organic heavy whipping cream
Garnish
organic powdered sugar
Procedure
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of a baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides of the pan. I used two smaller pans and one individual-sized pan.
Beat eggs, sugar, pinch of salt and vanilla on the highest speed of an electric mixer until light and airy, approximately 7 or 8 minutes. Sift the flour over the egg mixture in batches, gently folding it in until there are no visible streaks of flour. Spread the batter in the prepared pans and bake for about 20 minutes. The cake should be golden brown and the top springs back when gently pressed with a finger. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then invert onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Topfen Cream Filling
Place the topfen or large curd cottage cheese in a blender along with the gelatin, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Blitz until smooth. Move the mixture to a small mixing bowl. Beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the topfen mixture.
Assembly
Use a serated knife to split the cake horizontally in the middle. Place the bottom cake layer on a serving platter with the cut side up. Spoon a generous amount of the filling on the cake, then place the top cake layer on top and press it down gently. I used more of the filling along the sides, like a frosting. Let chill for at least an hour so the filling sets. Before serving, dust the top with powdered sugar.
And that's a wrap on my International Cake Day offering. The group will return next week to celebrate bagels. Stay tuned!