Like other complicated cakes, the challenge of preparing an Esterházy Torte is also the reward. Given the cake’s complexity, there are a lot of details and photos and even a diagram and suggested timeline to follow.  Set aside at least 3 hours of active prep time and more than 24 hours for the cake components to cool or chill in the refrigerator. The timeline below is meant to guide you.

Here are some step-by-step instructions:

Start with the nut meringue cake layers (dacquoise). Measure out the ingredients – egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, sugar and a nut flour of choice.
 

Using a pencil, draw six 15cm (6in) circles on two pieces of parchment paper – I used a bowl to guide my circle drawings. Flip over the pencil drawings on the parchment upside down on the two baking sheets. The circles will serve as your pattern for piping the batter and should be visible, but you don’t want the pencil marks to touch the batter directly. [Note: You will have enough batter to make slightly larger cake layers if you wish.]

In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar on low until soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, andraise the speed to high, and beat until stiff peaks (about 4–5 minutes). For more guidance on this step, check out my page on whipping egg whites.

Gently fold the nut flour(s) into the egg whites with a rubber spatula, taking care not to deflate them by overfolding. Immediately transfer the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a #5 plain tip. I use a glass to hold my pastry bag in place while I fill it. Do not let the mixture sit or it will deflate and become watery. Pipe the batter using the circle patterns on the parchment as a guide. (Alternatively, you can carefully spread the batter using a rubber spatula, offset spatula or spoon.) Be sure to make each disc the same in size and thickness and that there is space between them. The batter will spread during baking.
 

Place the nut meringue cake layers in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 2 hours, or until they feel very crispy and dry, but remain pale. It is important to fully bake the layers at a low temperature and for a long time; otherwise, the meringue will not be fully baked and it will be impossible to peel them off the parchment paper.

After the 2 hours of baking, turn the oven off and let the meringues cool and dry for about 2 more hours in the oven, although it can take longer in some climates. Once completely cool and dry, carefully peel the meringues from the parchment – they are fragile so take care. If you have difficulties peeling them off, try putting a few drops of warm water on the underside of the parchment paper, between the paper and the baking sheet (not on the meringue itself). Use the meringues immediately or store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They should be light and airy with a strong nut flavor.

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When the cake layers are almost half way done cooling, make the light buttercream or crème mousseline, which consists of pastry cream and butter, whipped to a light and airy texture. Vigorously whisking is the key technique used to make this buttercream. Measure out the ingredients – milk, sugar, vanilla bean, yolks, cornstarch, butter and liquor.

Place the milk and half the sugar in a heavy saucepan. Using a sharp knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and place the seeds (and the bean itself) into the milk. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl vigorously whisk the yolks, the remaining sugar and cornstarch together until well blended and light in color. Whisking continuously is critical to avoid having the sugar “burn” the eggs by dehydrating them and making it difficult to incorporate them into the milk in the next step.

While whisking constantly, pour about a third of the boiled milk into the egg mixture – to temper it. Be sure to whisk vigorously or the eggs will curdle and you will need to start again. Then, whisk the tempered egg mixture into the remaining milk in the saucepan.

Place the egg-milk mixture in the saucepan on high heat and whisk constantly, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching. As the mixture starts to thicken it will look lumpy, but if you whisk it vigorously, it will smooth out. Boil (again, while whisking constantly) for 2 minutes until thick and smooth. The 2 minutes is necessary to fully cook and activate the cornstarch.

Remove the pastry cream from the heat and pour it into a shallow bowl or pan, spreading it out with a spatula to aid the cooling process. Remove the vanilla bean from the cream and discard it. Cover the surface of the cream with plastic wrap - directly on the top - to prevent the formation of skin on the cream. Set aside to cool until slightly warm.

Place the still-warm pastry cream in a mixing bowl and whisk it vigorously until smooth. Slowly add the butter, beating until completely incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. The key to making this cream light and fluffy is having the butter and the pastry cream at the same temperature. The butter should not be added if the pastry cream is still very hot or it will melt and separate. If the pastry cream is too cold, the butter will not incorporate. If either of these things happen either refrigerate (if too warm) or heat up (if too cold) until the desired temperature is reached and then beat until smooth.

Then pour the liquor (cognac, kirsch, rum or amaretto will work) into the cream and whip until combined. Don’t skip the liquor as it balances the sweetness of the dessert.
 

It is best to use the light buttercream (crème mousseline) quickly after it has been made.

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Next, measure out the ingredients for the jam glaze. Gently heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan until barely warm. Take off the heat and whisk in the rum until smooth and combined.

Trim the edges of the meringue layers using a small, sharp paring knife and a cutting board to ensure that all layers have an even round shape, if necessary (the layers likely spread during baking). Place a cake cardboard in a 18cm/7in springform pan or cake ring. You may wish to line the pan/ring with plastic wrap as well.

Place some plastic wrap over the torte. Put a small baking sheet or cutting board over the covered torte and then something slightly heavy on the top (as a weight) to help even out the torte and get it to mesh together. Refrigerate for 60 minutes.

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When the cake is almost done chilling, measure out the ingredients for the icing glaze – confectioners’ sugar, a liquid, and oil. Combine the ingredients and stir until smooth in a heatproof bowl. Be sure to start with a small amount of liquid and gradually add more until the mixture is spreadable (but not runny). Heat the mixture over a saucepan of simmering water (i.e. a water bath, double boiler or bain-maire) for a minute or two until the mixture is of a spreadable consistency. If it is too runny, let the glaze stand for a few minutes to thicken. If it is too thick, add a small amount of liquid. The glaze should not be too runny or it will run off the cake.

Finally, measure out the ingredients for the decoration – chocolate, oil, and lightly toasted flaked almonds. (Toast the flaked almonds at 175C (350F) for 5-7 minutes until fragrant and golden in color, stirring often. Make sure to cool completely before using.)

Melt the chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (i.e. a water bath, double boiler or bain-maire) and then transfer to a piping bag or other plastic bag. Cut off a tiny bit of the edge/corner of the bag to act as the tip. Keep the hole very small as you don’t want the chocolate oozing everywhere.
 

Take the cake out of the refrigerator and remove the wrapping and pan/mold. Place the cake with the cake cardboard on a decorating stand (use an inverted shallow bowl in lieu) over a piece of parchment paper. The parchment paper will collect any of the excess decorations.

Spread the leftover light buttercream on the side of the cake using an offset spatula to create an even outer-edge of cream. The cream will serve as the “glue” for the almond decoration later on.

Pour the glaze on top, moving the cake slightly to cover the top to the edges. Let the excess drip over the sides and onto the parchment paper — any dripped icing on the sides of the cake will not be noticeable in the final product. You may have leftover icing.
 

Immediately after the icing, pipe a very thin chocolate spiral on top, beginning from the center and spiraling to the edge of the cake.

Cover the sides with sliced almonds, using your hand to press them in the cream on the sides. The decorated cake ends up being about 18½cm / 7¼in in size.

Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for about an hour before placing in the refrigerator in an airtight container and leaving it there for 18–24 hours until it is set. This is the sort of cake that gets better as times goes by — the crisp cake layers soften considerably from the cream over time. The torte also is much easier to slice when it has had time to rest. I prefer to eat the torte when it has had time to settle and ripen (on the second or even third day after first serving).
 

When ready, serve. Given its richness, cut thin slices – the cake should serve 12.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 days after first serving.

Please see the recipe below for a summary of the detailed instructions.