Golden honeydew Melon Torte

by Lora Wiley-Lennartz

I have been holding on to this German melon torte recipe for awhile now. Good thing I did because golden Honeydew melons are everywhere here in the markets now. It was time to give this baby a test drive.

Speaking of markets. Yesterday I was in Aachen and did a quick lap through the farmer’s market by the Dom. In addition to lots of honey melons, white asparagus is everywhere this time of year. I came upon a long line of people waiting to have their white asparagus shelled. 

The vendors provide free access to the machine. Everyone buys their asparagus and then politely lines up and waits their turn. I had never seen this before so I thought it was interesting.

Back to the star of today’s post: 

This torte is not too sweet, tastes fresh and is designed to showcase the honey melon flavors.

Golden Honeydew Melon Torte
(Slightly adapted from Großmutters kleine Gebäcke, Garant Verlag 2010)


For the Cake Layers:
Ingredients:
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour sifted 
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 pinch salt
Directions:

  • Preheat oven to  350 degrees F.
  • Line two 9 inch spring form pans with parchment paper and grease the paper and 1/3 up the sides of the pan. 
  • Beat the eggs and sugar together until thickened.
  • Add extract and mix through.
  • Remove the bowl from the mixer, add the sifted flour and salt and mix in by hand.
  • Evenly divide the batter between the two pans creating a thin layer.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes or until slightly golden and a knife inserted in the middle comes out dry.
  • Remove from oven, let stand for 5 minutes before removing from pans.
  • Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

For the melon Cream

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 ounces honey
  • 5 sheets of white gelatin
  • 2+3/4 cups whipping cream
  • 1 Honeydew melon cut in half and deseeded
  • 1 teaspoon lemon sugar 
Directions:
  • Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate and encase it with a torte ring.
  • Over a double boiler beat egg yolks and honey together until thick.
  • Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water until soft and squeeze excess water from them.
  • Add gelatin leaves to egg mixture and beat until dissolves.
  • Transfer pan to cold water and beat until cool.
  • Beat the cream until stiff and fold 2/3 of it into the egg mixture.
  • Take one half of the melon and cut it into sections. 
  • De-rind the sections and cut the melon into little pieces.
  • Add the pieces to the egg whipped cream mixture and pour on top of the cake layer surrounded by the torte ring.
  • Top with the second cake layer.
  • Gently whisk in the lemon sugar to the remaining whipped cream and spread it on the top cake layer.
  • Take the other half of the melon and cut out melon balls with a melon ball cutter. I didn’t have one so I improvised with a metal coffee scoop.
  • Arrange the melon balls on top of the torte.
  • Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
Yield = 8-10 slices

You may also like

7 comments

Katie Schmeising August 1, 2015 - 8:44 pm

I just made this – haven't tasted it yet; it's chilling. Looks beautiful. Each separate element tasted nice. Questions though: first, I thought the cake layers were perhaps a little light on flour as they were basically two very thin omelets with no visible crumb like your pics except at the very edge where it was crispy. Is it possible the 1/4 cup flour was incorrect? Second, after I cooled the egg mixture it became thick and root then upon adding some whipped cream it curled. I whisked over warm water until it smoothed again then added the remainder of the cream. Hope it sets up ok. Thoughts?
Katie, Seattle

Reply
Lora August 2, 2015 - 8:10 pm

Hi Katie: Thanks for reaching out. I'm away and wont have access to the recipe book I adapted this recipe from for a couple of weeks, I will double check the flour or if I mistakenly left out baking powder. It's been four years :-). In the meantime, did the filling set up ok after your fix?

Reply
Anonymous January 13, 2014 - 6:30 pm

Great blog here! Additionally your website rather a lot up very fast!
What host are you the usage of? Can I get your affiliate hyperlink to your host?
I want my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol

my web page :: best muscle supplements

Reply
Angie's Recipes May 13, 2011 - 6:32 pm

A perfect torte! I haven't tried making cakes with melons….looks so delish!

Reply
Joanne May 12, 2011 - 11:25 am

Honeydews are my favorite melons yet I don't think I've ever found a way to bake with them! This looks so delicious!

Reply
The Vanilla Bean Baker May 12, 2011 - 2:13 am

Oh boy! It looks like it would just melt in your mouth. First time I've ever seen a torte recipe using honeydew melons!

Reply
Butter Hearts Sugar May 11, 2011 - 11:51 pm

What a luscious looking tort! the asparagus shelling machine sounds like fun 🙂

Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.