Sekt Torte for Your New Year’s Celebration

Adapted from Großmutters kleine Gebäcke, Garant Verlag 2010

 

Ingredients:

For the Cake Layers

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1+1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 1+1/2 cups flour
• scant 1/2 cup corn starch
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1+1/4 cup apricot marmalade

For the Sekt Cream

• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup quark
• 3/4 cup sekt
• 6-7 leaves of white gelatin
• 1+3/4 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup of red and white grapes sliced in half

For the Covering

• 1+1/3 cups whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• Brittle to sprinkle on top (you can use chocolate shavings, chopped nuts, sprinkles or whatever you like)
• Red and white grapes for decoration sniped into small bunches
• Simple sugar and white granulated sugar for dipping and coating grapes

Directions:

• Line two 9 inch spring form pans with parchment paper. Preheat oven to  350 degrees F.
• Beat the eggs, extract and sugar together until foamy.

• Lightly whisk together the flour, cornstarch and baking powder.

• Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and fold in.

• Evenly divide the batter between the two pans and bake for about 25 minute or until slightly golden and a knife inserted in the middle comes out dry.

• While the cake layers are cooling, heat up the apricot marmalade and strain out the big pieces.

• When cake and marmalade have cooled, brush both layers with the marmalade.

• Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate and encase it with a torte ring.

• Soak the gelatin leaves in water according to the directions on the package, usually 5-7 minutes.

• Beat together the quark and sugar, then add the sekt and mix until combined.

• Remove gelatin leaves from water and add a little hot water to totally dissolve them and add gelatin to the quark mixture combining thoroughly.

• Whip the cream and fold it into the quark mixture.

• Add the quark/cream mixture to the torte ring and sprinkle the cut grapes evenly throughout.

• Lay the second cake layer, marmalade side down on top of the quark/sahn mixture.

• Refrigerate until firm.

• Whip the cream with the cream of tarter until stiff.

• Cover the torte sides and top with the whipped cream.

• Sprinkle the brittle on the torte.

• Dip the grapes in simple syrup and roll in granulated sugar and drape them on the torte for further decoration.

• Chill until ready to serve.

Yield = 8-10 slices