Spanische Windtorte (Spanish wind torte) is an Austrian dessert and is one of the most complex to create and serve as it is composed mostly of meringue and whipped cream.
Often called "the fanciest cake in Vienna", it is a dessert that became popular during the Baroque period and the Austrian and the Spanish reference is due to the Austrian House of Habsburg and their fascination with Spain which was very similar to the Russian nobility's fascination with French culture.
A Spanische Windtorte consists of rings of meringue that have been baked into a cylindrical form with a bottom and a top lid. The piping of the meringue and the subsequent baking process require patience and careful attention to detail or the cake will not be symmetrical. When the shell of the torte is done it is then filled with whipped cream, fresh berries (usually strawberries), chocolate shavings and/or currants.
It was featured as the technical challenge in episode 4 of season 6 of The Great British Bake Off and is now the theme for the 17th edition of the Sweet World.
I confess that straight after we (Susana and myself) chose the theme, I started feeling very nervous and full of butterflies in my tummy..., Specially when I started reading the recipe.
The more I read it, the more nervous and confused I was so, I had to watch a lot of YouTube videos in order to understand the structure of this intricate dessert.
Even if I'm normally ok with meringue due to the amount of Pavlovas I make, this cake really got me all freaked out.
I remember watching the contestants making it on The Great British Bake Off, but I didn't remember the details, specially the part where it needs to go three times into the oven...
Anyway! I tackled it and I think it's an "ok" Spanische Windtorte. Not perfect, but acceptable and once more, I conclude that dainty and delicate bakes are not for me as I'm more of a rustic baker :))).
I admit that this is a real challenge and it requires patience and "meringue making" skills but, if you're like me and love a challenge, don't be scared and make a Spanische Windtorte!
This recipe is from my book, "The Great British Bake Off - Celebrations".
Just another detail...
Don't expect perfectly neat slices because, with meringue, you know that's not possible so, in this case, messy slices are synonymous of "perfection"... :))).
This recipe is from my book, "The Great British Bake Off - Celebrations".
Just another detail...
Don't expect perfectly neat slices because, with meringue, you know that's not possible so, in this case, messy slices are synonymous of "perfection"... :))).