Krantz cake with walnut layers

Name: Krantz cake with walnut layers
Ingredients: 10 egg whites; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 250 g powdered sugar; 300 g ground walnuts; 6 tablespoons flour; 10 egg yolks; 200 g powdered sugar; 1 packet Dr. Oetker vanilla pudding mix (40 g); 350 ml milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 400 g butter; 100 g sugar; 100 g walnuts

Dessert - Krantz cake with walnut layers by Celia K. - Recipia

The egg cream is cooked over a bain-marie; straight on the heat, it can turn into an omelet. Krantz cake with walnut layers has three walnut layers and vanilla cream, topped with walnut Krantz made with caramelized sugar. I cut it cold into narrow slices so you can see the layers. Preparation: 50 minutes. Cooking: 62 minutes. Resting: 3 hours. Total time: 4 hours and 52 minutes. Servings: 20. Approximately 450 kcal and 7 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the layers

10 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
250 g powdered sugar
300 g ground walnuts
6 tablespoons flour

For the cream

10 egg yolks
200 g powdered sugar
1 packet Dr. Oetker vanilla pudding mix (40 g)
350 ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
400 g butter

For the Krantz

100 g sugar
100 g walnuts

Preparation

1. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon salt until foamy, then add the powdered sugar and beat until you have a stiff, glossy meringue. 2. Fold in the ground walnuts with a spatula. Add the flour one tablespoon at a time, folding from the bottom up, then divide the mixture into three equal parts. 3. Heat the oven to 180°C. You must line a 25 × 35 cm pan with baking paper. Spread one part of the mixture in an even layer and bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Leave the layer to cool on the paper, then bake the other two layers in the same way. 4. Beat the egg yolks with the powdered sugar until foamy. Cook them over a bain-marie for 15 minutes, stirring, until thickened like pudding. 5. Take the egg cream off the bain-marie and stir in the vanilla extract. Make the vanilla pudding with 350 ml milk, following the packet instructions, and leave it to cool along with the egg cream. 6. Beat the softened butter until fluffy. Gradually add the cooled egg cream, beating after each addition, then fold in the cooled pudding. Divide the cream into three equal parts. 7. Melt the sugar for the Krantz in a pan over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until golden and no crystals remain. Add the walnuts and stir, then spread the mixture on baking paper and leave it to cool. 8. Remove the Krantz from the paper, break it into pieces and grind it in a food processor. If you don’t have one, put the pieces in a bag and crush them with a meat mallet. 9. In a pan, layer one cake layer, some cream, the second layer and more cream, then the last layer and the remaining cream. Sprinkle the Krantz on top and chill the cake for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Notes

The ground walnuts for the layers must be fresh; a rancid smell remains even after baking. In the 25 × 35 cm pan, spread the mixture right to the edges; if the layers are thicker, browning may take another minute. The butter should be soft, not melted, and the egg cream and pudding should be cooled before mixing. The first time I made the cream, I cooked it straight on the heat and it turned into an omelet; now I make it the night before and keep it over a bain-marie only. A slice goes well with black coffee, which cuts through the sweetness of the Krantz. Keep the cake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. For a similar variation, use hazelnuts instead of walnuts, keeping the same amount in both the layers and the Krantz. Contains nuts, eggs, dairy and gluten.

Frequently asked questions

Why did the egg cream turn into an omelet?

If the bowl sits directly over the flame, the yolks set too quickly. Keep the cream below about 80°C and stir constantly.

What should I do if the cream is still too soft?

Put the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes, then beat it briefly. If the butter has melted, let the cream cool before beating it again.

How do I chop the Krantz without turning it to dust?

Break it into pieces of about 2 cm and use short pulses in the food processor, checking the texture after each pulse.

Why do the layers break when I peel them off the paper?

Let them cool completely and peel the paper away gradually, starting from one corner. If they crack, put the pieces back in place under the cream, where they won’t show.