Torta Elvezia

Name: Torta Elvezia
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: Almond flour 2.67 cups; Powdered sugar 2 cups; Egg whites 0.4 cup; Egg yolks 2.375 tsp; Sugar 2 ½ tbsp; White wine still 1 oz; Butter ¾ cup; Powdered sugar ½ cup; Unsweetened cocoa powder ¼ cup; Powdered sugar to taste; Chopped almonds to taste

it es fr de br

394

Calories per serving

Gluten Free
Vegetarian

Energy Kcal 394
Carbohydrates g 31.7
of which sugars g 31.5
Protein g 5.5
Fats g 27
of which saturated fat g 9.58
Fiber g 3.7
Cholesterol mg 81
Sodium mg 31

Difficulty: Difficult
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serving: 12
Cost: High

PRESENTATION

The Elvezia cake is this amazing dessert with a really rich backstory—and I mean, who doesn’t love that? It hails from Switzerland and really took off thanks to the creativity of Swiss pastry chefs back in the late 1700s. You know what makes the Elvezia cake so special? It’s got this incredible mix: layers of tender hazelnut dacquoise, rich and golden zabaione, and smooth cocoa buttercream. Seriously good stuff. Sure, it might not be as famous as other desserts like sbrisolona, but it’s a hidden gem for anyone who loves layered desserts. The combo of nutty dacquoise with the creamy custard-like zabaione and the chocolatey buttercream gives such a fun mix of textures. So so good.

And here's the thing—its adopted home really showcases how culinary traditions just cross borders and merge beautifully. Even with Swiss roots, the cake became a local staple, thanks to the Putscher family’s twist. Each layer has something cool: the dacquoise is nutty and crunchy, the zabaione is all moist and sweet, and the cocoa buttercream just ties everything together with a smooth, slightly tangy finish. It’s the whole package. Pretty much. Even if it gets overlooked when people chat about classic cakes, tasting it is a game-changer. It’s this awesome blend of different culinary traditions. Perfect for anyone looking for a dessert with both history and flavor. This cake really really shows the joy of blending flavors and cultures into something truly delicious and unique. Can't go wrong.

INGREDIENTS

394

Calories per serving

Ingredients for the Dacquoise: Almond flour 2.67 cups (250 g); Powdered sugar 2 cups (250 g); Egg whites 0.4 cup (100 g)

for the Zabaglione: Egg yolks 2.375 tsp (35 g); Sugar 2 ½ tbsp (30 g); White wine 1 oz (30 g) - still

for the Butter Cream: Butter ¾ cup (200 g); Powdered sugar ½ cup (70 g); Unsweetened cocoa powder ¼ cup (15 g)

for Garnishing: Powdered sugar to taste; Chopped almonds to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Torta Elvezia

To prepare the Helvetia cake, start with the zabaglione. In a mixing bowl, pour the egg yolks and sugar 1, activate the beaters, and whip until you get a light and frothy mixture 2. Then add the white wine 3

and continue beating for 1 minute. Transfer the mixing bowl to a pot with a bain-marie: it is important that the water is already hot, not boiling 4. Keep the beaters running 5 until the mixture is swollen and firm. Remove from the pot and let it cool 6.

Proceed with the base of the dessert: the dacquoise. In a stand mixer, pour in the egg whites at room temperature and some of the powdered sugar 7, activate the whisk, pouring the sugar gradually 8 and working until the mixture is well whipped 9.

Turn off and remove the whisk from the mixer and then add the almond flour 10. Gently mix with movements from bottom to top, so that the flour is incorporated without deflating the mixture 11. Transfer everything into a piping bag with a 5 mm plain tip 12.

Draw on a sheet of parchment paper, previously placed on the baking tray, and form 3 discs of 7 inches (it's likely that only two will fit, so you will have to bake the last disc afterward) 13.
The discs 14 bake in a static oven, already hot at 320°F, for about 15 minutes. Once baked, let them cool completely 15.

In the meantime, take care of the cocoa butter cream. In a bowl, pour the room temperature and very soft butter, add the powdered sugar 16 and the cocoa 17, activate the beaters for a few minutes or until you obtain a velvety and lump-free cream 18.

Assembly and Garnishing

Once the cream is ready, put it in a piping bag without a tip 19. Now all that's left is to assemble the Helvetia cake. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a plate and the first dacquoise disc on top 20 and squeeze 2/3 of the cocoa butter cream 21.

Then place the second dacquoise disc 22 and spread the zabaglione on top 23 using the back of a spoon to spread it well 24.

Cover with the last disc 25 and finish the edge of the cake with the remaining cocoa butter cream: use a spatula to help you 26. Finally, cover the cream with almond granules, creating a decoration 27.

Dust the surface with powdered sugar 28 and your Helvetia cake is ready to be enjoyed: all that's left is to slice it (29-30).

Storage

The Helvetia cake can be stored for 2 days in the refrigerator, keeping it under a glass dome.
The dacquoise can be stored in a cool place for a few days.
If you prefer, you can prepare the zabaglione and/or butter cream in advance, storing them in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Freezing is not recommended.

Advice

The Helvetia cake is a traditional dessert, so any exceptions might horrify purists, but we still want to tempt you with some delicious variations! Let's start with the base, the dacquoise: instead of using only almond flour, you could create a mix with hazelnut flour, or use only the latter, to obtain even tastier discs! Additionally, you could dust the surface of the dessert with a mix of powdered sugar and bitter cocoa powder, so as to have a scenic effect and a much more interesting taste.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.