Prinzregententorte is a Bavarian torte consisting of several thin layers of sponge cake with chocolate buttercream filling and a topping of apricot jam upon the very last. The exterior is covered in a dark chocolate glaze. Prinzregententorte was created in the honor of Luitpold, the Prince Regent. Luitpold is rather revered by the Bavarians and his reign as Regent is looked back on as a Golden Age. So a certain Heinrich Georg Erbshäuser who was a baker by profession is said to have created the cake in the year 1886 honoring Luitpold.
Prinzregententorte usually consists of 8 layers. It is interesting to note that the number 8 also carried certain significance. The figure 8 represented the eight Bavarian districts – Swabia, Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria, Middle Franconia, Lower Franconia, Upper Franconia, Upper Palatinate, and Rheinpfalz or the Rhenish Palatinate. Today, however, Bavaria has only seven districts and the very last in the above list – Rheinpfalz or the Rhenish Palatinate is no longer considered as a district. It is a part of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. Therefore the cake can have 7 layers now.
Ingredients:
Cake
1 cup of butter
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 1/2 cup flour
1 2/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
100 g apricot jam (optional)
Buttercream
250 g butter
170 g icing sugar
3 egg yolks
100 g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
Ganache
100 g semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream, boiling
Preparation:
For cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C. Let the eggs and butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
2. Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl for 1 minute.
3. Add sugar and beat for another minute.
4. Add one egg at the time, beating after each addition.
5. Beat in vanilla.
6. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt.
7. Add milk, beat well for about a minute.
8. Divide the dough into 7 equal parts, either by weighing or by simply eyeballing it. Spread each of the seven parts of dough onto a sheet of baking paper. To make it easier, draw a circle on a piece of paper, then put baking paper on top and spread the dough using the circle shape under the baking paper. Bake for about 10 minutes, do a toothpick check, bake a couple minutes longer if needed.
9. Cool for a few minutes then take the layers out of the baking pans and cool completely.
For Chocolate Buttercream filling:
1. Warm the chocolate in a double boiler until melted and allow to cool slightly.
2. Beat the butter until it is fluffy (about 3-5 minutes) and then fold in the icing sugar and the egg yolk alternately, beating after each addition.
3. The mixture should be very fluffy.
4. Gradually fold in the melted chocolate drop by drop.
5. Spread the cream on five (not the top one) of the cake layers and place them one on top of the other.
Chocolate Frosting:
1. Bring the heavy cream to boil, be careful not to let it actually boil or it will rise.
2. Pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Cool to a little warmer than room temperature.
3. Spoon the chocolate frosting on top of the cupcake and let is slowly spread. If it does not spread too easy, help it with the edge of the rubber spatula very carefully. Make sure the sides and the top are perfectly smooth. Let the cake sit at cool room temperature for at least an hour before serving.
