V�narterta (Icelandic layer cake)
Source of Recipe
llizard aka ejm 2000, 2002
Recipe Introduction
For Christmas and/or weddings - make at least 4 weeks in advance of event. The name translates literally as "Vienna cake".
List of Ingredients
Filling:
1 pound pitted prunes
some cold water
� cup regular sugar
� cup cooking liquid
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon vanilla
Layers:
wax paper
cake tins (9 inch round)
1 cup salted butter (good quality)
1� cups fruit sugar (super fine)
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 Tablespoons cream
1 Tablespoon almond extract
Recipe
Preparation
1. Filling: Cut each prune in half to check for pits. Don't be tempted to leave this step out. Put prunes into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then simmer 10-15 minutes (til tender) Watch for burning!
2. Drain and reserve liquid.
3. Put prunes into food chopper and pur�e.
4. Return prunes to pot. Add sugar, cooking liquid and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly until thick. Again, watch for burning! (Trust me, I know....) When the prunes resemble molten lava and allow you to see the bottom of the pot for a longer bit of time after a stir, they're probably ready.
5. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Cool.
6. Layers: Using the outside of one of the cake tins, trace 9 inch circle onto wax paper. Cut out 5 circles. Set aside.
7. Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs one at a time.
8. Into a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and cardamom. (If you have purchased whole cardamom pods, remove the outer husk and grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. Green cardamom pods are preferable to white or brown.)
9. Add a small amount of dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix in cream and almond extract. Mix in rest of flour. (Let your hands be your friends.)
10. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Put a wax paper round into each of the two 9 inch cake tins. Press one ball each onto wax papered 9 inch cake tins. Make sure they are even and flat. Bake 2 at a time at 375F (don't try to do more than 2! The cooking time goes way off and leads to disaster) until each is very delicate gold on the edge. (10-12 minutes)
11. Let each layer cool separately. Put cooled layers together with prune filling (did you remember to put in the vanilla?) evenly distributed in four parts. There is no prune filling on top layer.
12. Assembly: Put cooled layers together with prune filling (did you remember to put in the vanilla?) evenly distributed in four parts. There is no prune filling on top layer.
13. Wrap tightly in plastic then again in foil and in another plastic bag or cake tin. Store in a cooler part of the kitchen (not the fridge) for about three weeks before serving. When the cake is served, cut it in small squares. The cream coloured layers contrasting with the prune filling are quite stunning on the serving plate.
Please note that we never ice this cake (it would seem to us like gilding the lily) not even for weddings.
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