Prinzregententorte

I have another European cake for you. It’s a Bavarian and German torte that uses 6 thin layers of genoise sponge, frosted with a dark chocolate creme mousseline.

Creme Mousseline is made up of pastry cream and whipped butter.

The cake is was traditionally topped with a chocolate glaze but I wanted a little change in texture so I made the chocolate a little more firm which created a fun magic-shell-like experience.

This cake is VERY similar to the Hungarian Dobos Torte but that one has a caramelized sugar topping. The sponge and cream are very similar though.

What is prinzregententorte?

Prinzregententorte is a torte that’s famous in Bavaria and Germany. It consists of 6 or 7 (I did 6) thin layers of genoise sponge and layered with a dark chocolate creme mousseline (german buttercream made with chocolate custard).

The cake is named after Prince Regent Luitpold from Bavaria in 1886 because it was developed for him (unknown by exactly who). The cake was originally made with 8 layers of genoise to represent its 8 districts but then reduced to 7 after WW1 because they lost a district. Today I’ve often seen it made with 6 layers instead of 7 and I did it that way because it’s easier to trim two large layers into 6. 

Occasionally I’ve seen it topped with a layer of apricot jam on top, underneath the glaze. I’m sure if that was the original way or not since I’ve only randomly seen it and most people don’t add the apricot. If that sounds like something you’d like, feel free to add a layer of apricot jam on top or just serve with a dollop. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Flour: I use all purpose flour in most of my recipes and I HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as flour is so often over measured. Cake flour also works well here. 
• Sugar: I used granulated sugar and I don’t recommend reducing it or swapping it. The cake is not very sweet and I have not tested a genoise or creme mousseline with any other sugar. 
• Butter: I like to use salted butter in my cakes but unsalted butter also works. I do recommend unsalted butter in the buttercream though. 
• Cocoa Powder: I used dutch processed cocoa powder because I like the dark chocolate and flavor. My favorite brands are rodelle and ghirardelli. Natural cocoa powder also works.
• Chocolate: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips for the topping because the cake is already dark. Using a high quality chocolate will be easier to work with since it melts better chocolate chips but either is fine.
• Coconut Oil: I like to mix my chocolate with a little coconut oil so when it solidifies again it’s not super hard – I’ve also made this using canola oil, it just sets slightly softer since coconut oil is solid at room temperature and canola oil isn’t.  

How To Make It

Chocolate Pastry Cream

1. Make the pastry cream by whisking together the eggs, sugar, cornstarch, salt and cocoa powder. 
2. Gently heat the milk on the stove until it’s simmering, then temper the eggs with the hot milk and then return the whole mixture to the pot. 
3. Cook on medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens. Remove and stir in the butter and vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and allow it to cool completely (if refrigerating, make sure to stir it often). 

Genoise Sponge Cake

1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Beat the egg whites with the sugar until it’s super thick and fluffy and holds stiff peaks. 
2. Add the egg yolks, vanilla and melted butter and beat at medium-high speed until it’s combined, just a few seconds.
3. Sift in the flour and salt and beat at medium-low speed, just until the flour is mixed in. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture a couple of times to scrape the edge of the bowl.
4. Distribute the batter evenly among un-greased pans lined with parchment paper, about 10 ounces each, and bake for 20ish minutes. The tops will be golden brown, no longer wet and spring back when you press on them gently.
5. Remove from the oven, run a knife along the edge to release the cakes from the edge of the cake tin and let it cool in the pan until it’s easy to remove, about 10-20 minutes. Once the cakes have cooled completely, use a large serrated knife or a cake leveler to slice into three equal parts (about ½ an inch thick). 

Chocolate Creme Mousseline

1. Beat the butter at full speed until it’s super pale and fluffy.
2. Add in the pastry cream in 4-5 batches, mixing well between each one.
3. Fold the buttercream with a rubber spatula to smooth it out.
4. Assemble the cake by placing the first layer of sponge onto a flat surface. Spread a thin layer of the creme mousseline and then place the next layer of cake on top and repeat.
5. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes and then frost the outside of the cake. Refrigerate for at least an hour so the cake is firm when adding the chocolate. 

Chocolate Glaze

In the photos I made the glaze to set harder like a magic shell. I love that texture with the cake but it does make it more difficult to serve. You can double the amount of oil in the recipe to make it set less firm.

1. Gently heat the chocolate and oil over a double boiler or in the microwave on 15 second intervals, stirring between each interval.
2. Once it’s completely smooth melted, pour over the chilled cake.
3. The chocolate sets pretty quickly so to make slicing easier, I like to score the chocolate on top before it sets completely.

PRO TIP: Try to pour evenly across the top so it drips on its own, as opposed pouring it in the center and spreading it out with a spatula. If you touch the chocolate with the spatula too much, it can lose its shine. 

Making Ahead & Storing

The cake and frosting can be made ahead of time. Just wrap the cake in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature. The frosting would need to be chilled and then brought back to room temperature before whipping again.

The finished cake can sit out at room temperature for a while but refrigerate overnight, for up to a week or freeze for up to a couple of months. 

Bring it back to room temperature by thawing at room temperature for a few hours before serving. 

Thanks so much for reading today’s post, if you have any questions just comment down below.

If you make this super gorgeous prinzregententorte, I’d love it if you left a 5-star rating or a review for me 🙂

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

Recipes

Layer Cakes

Prinzregententorte Recipe

5 from 8 votes

prep 1 hour hr

cook 20 minutes mins

Additional Time 3 hours hrs

total 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Serves 16 servings

Prinzregententorte is a traditional Bavarian and German torte made from 6-7 thin layers of genoise sponge and frosted with a dark chocolate creme mousseline. It’s generally topped with a chocolate glaze that I turned into a chocolate magic shell for a nice change in texture!

Author: Bernice Baran

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Servings 16 servings

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Equipment

• ▢
  stand mixer with whisk attachment
• ▢
  offset spatula
• ▢
  Rubber Spatula
• ▢
  small saucepan
• ▢
  medium bowl

Metric(US) Imperial

Ingredients

Chocolate Pastry Cream

• ▢ 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 200 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 60 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 42 grams cornstarch
• ▢ 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ 480 mL whole milk
• ▢ 84 grams salted butter, unsalted is fine too
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract

Genoise

• ▢ 8 large eggs, room temperature, separated
• ▢ 300 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 113 grams salted butter, melted (or oil or heavy cream)
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 180 grams all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Chocolate Crème Mousseline

• ▢ 340 grams unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 800 grams Chocolate Pastry Cream

Chocolate Glaze

• ▢ 170 grams dark chocolate, chopped
• ▢ 30-60 mL coconut oil, I used 30 in the photos – use 60 if you don't want it set as firm.

Method

Pastry Cream

1. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt. Whisk them together until the mixture is smooth; set aside.
   2 large eggs room temperature, 200 grams granulated sugar, 60 grams unsweetened cocoa powder spooned and leveled, 42 grams cornstarch, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2. In a medium saucepan, over low-medium heat, bring the milk to a simmer and then slowly stream the milk mixture over the egg mixture, while whisking continuously.
   480 mL whole milk
3. Return the whole mixture to the pot and over low-medium heat, whisk continuously for about five minutes, until the pastry cream starts to hold a streak from the whisk.
4. Whisk more aggressively for about 30-60 more seconds and then pour it into a bowl (large shallow bowl will cool quicker). 
5. Add the butter and vanilla and continue whisking for another minute, until the butter is fully combined and then cover with a lid or plastic wrap to cool completely. 
   84 grams salted butter unsalted is fine too, 1 tsp vanilla extract

Genoise Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (177C) convection and line the bottom of two 8 inch (20 cm) round pans (or three if you have them).
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, use a whisk attachment to beat together the egg whites and granulated sugar.
   8 large eggs room temperature, separated, 300 grams granulated sugar
3. Beat for a few minutes at full speed, until the meringue is fluffy and holds stiff peaks.
4. Add the egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla extract and beat at medium speed, just until they’re combined.
   113 grams salted butter melted (or oil or heavy cream), 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. Sift 1/2 of the flour into the egg mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it into the batter.
   180 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
6. Sift the other half of the flour and salt over the batter and fold just until it’s combined. 
   1/2 tsp fine sea salt
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, about 10 ounces each (or  6.5 ounces if making in three pans) and bake for about 20 minutes (maybe about 5 minutes less if baking in three pans). The tops should be golden brown and spring back when you gently press on the center. 
8. Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the cake to release it from the pan. Allow it to cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then remove the cakes and place them onto a cooling rack or a tea towel. 
9. Allow the cake to cool completely and then use a large serrated knife to slice each layer into threes (or if you baked three shorter cakes, slice them each in half). 

Crème Mousseline

1. Beat the softened butter for 5 minute at full speed, until it’s pale and fluffy.
   340 grams unsalted butter softened
2. Add in the pastry cream in 4-5 increments, mixing fully between each addition. 
   800 grams Chocolate Pastry Cream
3. Use a rubber spatula to smooth out the cream when it’s finished.

Assemble

1. Place the first layer of cake onto a flat surface and spread a thin layer of buttercream on top. Layer the next cake and repeat until it's all stacked.
2. Refrigerate the cake for 30-60 minutes and then use the rest of the buttercream to cover the outside of the cake. Smooth it out the best you can and then refrigerate the cake again for about another hour, until the buttercream feel pretty firm.

Chocolate Glaze

1. Microwave together for 10 seconds, stir the chocolate and coconut oil and repeat until the mixture is completely smooth. Let it cool for just a couple of minutes so it's not hot.
   170 grams dark chocolate chopped, 30-60 mL coconut oil I used 30 in the photos – use 60 if you don't want it set as firm.
2. Pour on top of the chilled cake by moving your hand around while pouring it. Then tilt the cake so the chocolate spreads all over the top and drips off the edge.
3. You can also use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate but you'll lose the sheen and end up with a matte finish on the chocolate instead if you touch it.

Nutrition

Calories: 558kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 7gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 178mgSodium: 245mgPotassium: 239mgFiber: 3gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 1041IUCalcium: 76mgIron: 3mg

Course: Layer Cakes

Cuisine: German

Keyword: 6 inch chocolate cake, bavarian cake, chocolate vanilla cake