Who invented Linzer Torte remains a mystery. Nevertheless, the Austrians claim it’s the oldest known cake in the world. It was already mentioned by name as early as 1653, and the oldest published recipe is from a cookbook that dayes back more than 350 years. Recipes have changed over the years.This one came to us from the the food-loving folks at Tourism Linz (along with several tips about where to find the perfect Linzer Torte while visiting the city.

Ingredients
150 grams of butter
250 grams regular flour
150 grams powdered sugar (caster sugar)
100 grams roasted hazelnuts
1 egg
Spices (vanilla, lemon, cinnamon, powdered cloves)
10 grams baking powder
300 grams red current jam ( or use your own favourite flavour jam)

The next step
1) Knead the butter and sugar together
2) Knead in the flour sifted together with the baking powder
3) Add the nuts, egg and spices
4) Chill the dough for a couple of hours then take it out of the refrigerator and divide it into quarters
5) Roll out three quarters of the dough to a thickness of about 1.5 cms (for a 22 cm baking pan) and cover it with the jam.
6) Shape the remaining dough into strips and lay them on top of the jam as a grid and around the edge.
7) Brush with egg, sprinkle sliced almonds around the edge. Warm oven to 190 degrees Celsius and bake for 40-45 minutes

If you want the real thing as prepared by a leading Linz baker, you can also order it on-line from Konditorei Jindrak, who regularly ship to clients around the world. It’s especially popular at Christmas time.

Why not visit Linz yourself on a Grand Tour of the Danube? Check it out on our itinerary