Spanische Windtorte facts for kids
Spanische Windtorte mit Obersschaum
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| Alternative names | Spanish Windcake |
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| Type | Cake |
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Austria |
| Main ingredients | Meringue, whipped cream, fresh berries (usually strawberries), chocolate shavings or currants |
| Variations | Pavlova |
The Spanische Windtorte (say "Shpah-nish-uh Vind-tor-tuh") is a fancy and historic dessert from Austria. Its name means "Spanish windcake." This dessert is known for being quite tricky to make and serve. It's mostly made from meringue and whipped cream. People believe it became very popular during the Baroque period in the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. Recipes for it even showed up in Austrian cookbooks from the 1800s.
What is Spanische Windtorte?
A Spanische Windtorte looks like a tall, round cake. It's made from rings of light, crispy meringue. These meringue rings are baked to form a cylinder, like a hollow tower. It also has a meringue bottom and a top lid.
How is it Made?
Making the meringue shell needs a lot of care and patience. The baker has to pipe the meringue carefully. Then, it's baked slowly until it's firm and dry. If it's not done just right, the cake might not be perfectly shaped.
Once the meringue shell is ready, it's filled with yummy ingredients. These usually include fluffy whipped cream and fresh berries. Strawberries are a common choice. Sometimes, it also has chocolate shavings or currants.
It's important to serve this dessert right away. This is because whipped cream and meringue can become soft quickly. You can freeze the torte to keep it firm, but its taste might not be as good.
Why "Spanish Windcake"?
The "Spanish" part of the name might come from the Austrian royal family, the House of Habsburg. They were very interested in Spain. Another idea is that the name connects to Catholic travelers following the Way of St James pilgrimage route.
The phrase "Spanischer Wind" is still used today. It refers to small, baked meringues. These are also known as meringue kisses in English.
Famous Appearance
The Spanische Windtorte became even more famous recently. It was featured on a TV show called The Great British Bake Off. This happened in episode 4 of series 6. It was a "technical challenge" for the bakers. After the show, many more people wanted to try making or eating this dessert. A newspaper article about the show even said it was once called "the fanciest cake in Vienna".
