Traditional Authentic German Austrian Linzer Cake

The Linzer cake is to be said to be the oldest-known in the world. For a long time a recipe from 1696 in the city library of Vienna was the oldest one known. But in 2005 the library director of the upper Austrian Museum found an older recipe from 1653 of Verona.
There are numerous legends of how that recipe came about.
One is that a confectioner of Vienna named Linzer invented it. Another one is about the sugar baker Johann Konrad Vogel of Linz (1796–1883) who started in 1823 the a mass production of the cake that made it famous around the world. Some claim that the cake started its popularity at a traditional cafe of Budapest, the Ruszwurm cukrászda.

How did this Cake make it to the USA?
Supposedly by the Austrian Franz Hölzlhuber who brought the Linzer Torte in the 1850s to Milwaukee, from where it spread over the United States. In Germany the Linzer cake is a typical Christmas cake but that does not mean you cannot bake it throughout the year. SEE THE VIDEO AT THE END – Happy Baking!

Ingredients Linzer Cake

250 g flour and 250 g sugar
250 g ground hazelnuts or ground almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cocoa (natural without added sugar)
1 dash of clove spice (per the German measure it is a “Messerspitze” = point of a knife)
250 g butter
2 eggs
250 g raspberry jam
3 tbsp Himbeergeist (raspberry Schnaps), Kirschschnaps or Brandy/ Cognac (optional)
2 tbsp powdered sugar

Baking Instructions Linzer Cake

– Mix sugar and butter and beat until foamy, add 1 egg and the egg white of the second egg. Set the egg yolk aside.
– Combine hazelnut/almond flour and flour, sugar, cocoa and all spices. Mix well.
– Add 1 egg and the egg white of the second egg. Set the egg yolk aside. Add the butter that is cut into smaller pieces.
– Knead until you get a smooth dough. Form a ball, wrap into plastic foil.
– Keep it cool for at least 1 hour.

– Grease a round cake pan (10 inches) and sprinkle bottom with some flour.
– Cut the dough into 2 same pieces. On a smooth surface roll the dough 8mm (1/4 inch) thick – set aside the other half of the dough, this will be the decorative pattern on the top.
– Place dough into the cake pan up to the edges.

– Mix jam with Schnaps (optional); spread jam all over the dough (2mm thick).
– Take remaining dough, roll it. Either cut star cookies, or place dough stripes like a grid on top of the jam.
– For the wash: Whisk the other egg with a fork in a bowl. Brush it over the stripes.
– Pre-heat oven.
– Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes on 175°C or  347 F.

Before serving add powdered sugar on the grid; let the cake sit at least at a cool place for 1 day before serving!

You can store the Linzer Cake for 2-3 weeks; just keep it at a cool place and covered.

TIP
Ground hazelnuts are not so popular in the USA as in Germany hence they are more costly. You can purchase hazelnuts and grind them in the coffee grinder. I saw hazelnuts at my local super market for a good price.

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VIDEO for MAKING A LINZER CAKE – in English ( Ingredients are not the ones from the recipe but the steps are the same)