Prinzregententorte
Prinzregententorte, the Prince Regent cake, is said to have been created in Munich in the late 19th century in honour of Prince Luitpold, regent of Bavaria from 1886 to 1912. It is recognisable by its cross-section: seven wafer-thin sponge layers sandwiched with chocolate buttercream, all under a glossy dark chocolate glaze. The seven layers are often said to stand for the districts of Bavaria, but that is more legend than fact — in Luitpold’s day there were eight, including the Palatinate. It takes patience — each layer is baked separately — but no stage is difficult.
Your own work in that: 1 h 20 min.
- Chocolate custard 15 min
- Layer batter (custard cools) 20 min
- Baking 7 layers 70 min
- Buttercream 15 min
- Assembling 30 min
- Chilling 60 min
- Glaze 15 min
- Setting 60 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneCook the chocolate custard
Take about 100 ml of the milk and whisk the custard powder into it. Bring the rest of the milk to the boil with the sugar, pour in the powder mixture and cook, stirring, for about a minute until thick. Off the heat, stir in the chopped chocolate until melted. Tip into a shallow dish, press cling film onto the surface and cool to room temperature, about 60 minutes — make the batter and bake the layers meanwhile.
Ingredients: 400 ml milk · 40 g chocolate custard powder · 60 g sugar · 150 g dark chocolate · 250 g butter, soft · 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Make the batter
Cream the butter with the sugar until fluffy, add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla. Fold in the sifted flour, cornflour and baking powder. The batter weighs about 1.1 kg — you will divide it into 7 equal parts of about 155 g.
Ingredients: 250 g butter, soft · 250 g sugar · 6 pcs eggs · 250 g cake flour · 50 g cornflour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 tsp vanilla extract
Bake seven layers
Heat the oven to 200°C. Draw a 24 cm circle on baking paper, spread one portion (about 155 g, a layer 3–4 mm thick) thinly inside it and bake 7–8 minutes, until the edges turn golden. Slide each layer on its paper onto a rack and repeat until you have 7 layers — about 70 minutes in all.
Ingredients: 250 g butter, soft · 250 g sugar · 6 pcs eggs · 250 g cake flour · 50 g cornflour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 tsp vanilla extract
Seven thin layers, each baked alone.Trim the layers
Peel the cooled layers off the paper and trim the edges with a knife against a 24 cm plate or tin base.
Ingredients: 250 g butter, soft · 250 g sugar · 6 pcs eggs · 250 g cake flour · 50 g cornflour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 tsp vanilla extract
Make the buttercream
Beat the butter with the cocoa until pale, then add the cooled chocolate custard, first whisked smooth, a spoonful at a time. Both must be at room temperature.
Ingredients: 400 ml milk · 40 g chocolate custard powder · 60 g sugar · 150 g dark chocolate · 250 g butter, soft · 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Assemble
Set the first layer on a cake stand inside a springform ring. Spread a thin layer of cream, cover with the next layer and repeat — 7 layers and 6 layers of cream. Coat the sides thinly with the remaining cream. Refrigerate 60 minutes.
Ingredients: 400 ml milk · 40 g chocolate custard powder · 60 g sugar · 150 g dark chocolate · 250 g butter, soft · 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Thin — as much cream as sponge.Brush with jam
Remove the ring. Warm the apricot jam and brush it thinly over the top — the jam seals in the crumbs, so the glaze sets smooth.
Ingredients: 3 tbsp apricot jam, sieved · 150 g dark chocolate · 30 g butter
Glaze
Melt the chocolate with the butter over a water bath, cool 5 minutes and pour onto the centre of the cake, spreading it over the top and sides with a spatula. Chill 60 minutes before cutting.
Ingredients: 3 tbsp apricot jam, sieved · 150 g dark chocolate · 30 g butter
A glossy glaze over a thin layer of jam.
Before you start
Make the layers ahead
Bake the layers a day ahead and keep them interleaved with paper in an airtight box. The next day they are even easier to stack.
Even layers
Weigh each portion of batter so all layers are the same thickness. With seven layers, a 20 g difference shows in the cross-section.
Storage
Keep the cake refrigerated for up to 4 days. Take it out 30 minutes before serving so the cream softens.
