Oma's German Lightning Cake (Blitz Torte)

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

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Oma's German Blitz Torte, simple to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand!

This German Blitz Torte recipe is such a quick and easy cake to make! Even though this recipe looks long and complicated, it isn't. Blitz Torte can be whipped together quickly with ingredients you probably already have on hand and the results are yummy!

I'm including two recipes for different fillings: My Mutti's custard one and my (Oma's ... that's me!) whipped cream one. Check out both and you decide!

For something even more special, add strawberries or other berries to the filling. Decorate this German Blitz Torte with whipped cream and more berries - a real treat! Yes, this is a quick German recipe at its BEST!

Different Names for blitz torte

There are so many different names for this cake (or ones very similar) such as Berliner Luft Torte (Berlin Air Torte), Himmelstorte (Heaven's Torte), Tausenblättertorte (Thousand Leaves Torte), Jensen Torte, Jensen Hansen Torte, and even Schwimmbadtorte (Swimming Pool Torte)!

Personally, I like Blitz Torte, which is what I grew up with. Why? Blitz means lightning or with lightning speed, and that's what this cake is. Speedy to make! And, speedy to eat! 

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Changing Mutti's Recipe ...

Below is the first time I made Mutti's Blitz Torte and filled it with whipped cream. This is the only way I've made it since then! So easy and so good!

I use a cake ring to put around the layers when I'm 'building' the final cake. Keeps everything nice and contained. Not necessary, but nice.

Step-by-step way of making a simple Blitz Torte.

Pride Comes Before the fall!

This German Blitz Torte recipe is one cake that I made when I was still quite young and wanted to impress my friends. Nothing quite like showing off with a cake that looks so difficult, tastes so good, and at the same time, so easy to make.

However, I have to admit, showing off is not good. It leads to embarrassing situations. When I was eleven and staying at my Aunt's who lived on the other side of the Ontario, I figured I would show her what a great baker I was. I had this Blitz Torte recipe memorized.

So I started out. What I didn't know, though, was that there were certain rules on how to make meringue. At home I never had any problems. I always used a clean bowl and clean beaters when making this meringue recipe because my Mutti had more than one set.

At my Aunt's, I needed to reuse the beaters I had just used to make the batter. I quickly rinsed them and started to use them. My Aunt tried to tell me that I needed to really clean the beaters to make sure there was no grease of any kind on them. I told her it didn't matter. OH, how I wish I would have listened to her!

Of course, the egg whites wouldn't beat up with the contamination of the batter in them. I needed to start the meringue over with 4 new egg whites in a very clean bowl with very clean beaters. I learned my lesson on PRIDE that day!

Also, I learned to make the Meringue first and then put in the fridge. Then make the batter. No chance of contamination!

This Blitz Torte is filled with a custard filling. Easily made with have-on-hand-ingredients.

Above is my Muti's Blitz Torte recipe that has the custard filling. It's what I grew up with and is delicious. A bit more work than just using the heavy (whipping) cream filling.

You choose which you like!

Ready to make this Blitz Torte?

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Oma's German Blitz Torte Recipe – Lightning Cake

This German Blitz Torte looks fancy but is surprisingly easy! Made with simple ingredients, it comes together fast. Choose from whipped cream or Mutti’s custard filling and enjoy this delicious treat!

Prep Time:

40 minutes

Bake Time:

35 minutes

Total Time:

1 hour 15 minutes

Servings:

8 servings

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Ingredients:

Meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• ⅓ tsp (1.5 grams) baking powder
• ½ cup (50 grams) sliced or slivered almonds

Cake

• ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
• 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) almond extract

Whipped Cream Filling

• 2 cups (480 ml) heavy (whipping cream) 
• 2 pouches of Dr. Oetker's Sahnesteif (Whip It)
  
• 2 tablespoons (26 grams) granulated sugar or to taste
• 1½ - 2 cups fresh raspberries, sliced strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries (optional)

or Custard Filling

• 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk
• 2 tablespoons (26 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon (8 grams) corn starch
• 1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Instructions:

Meringue

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour 2 9-inch layer pans with removable bottoms. Set aside.
• In a bowl, beat egg whites until frothy with soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar and baking powder until glossy and stiff peaks form. Place in fridge until ready to use.

Cake

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolks.
• In another bowl, mix together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to butter mixture along with the milk and almond extract. Mix well.
• Spread batter into pans. It will be a thin layer of batter. Use a wet spoon to help spread it out.
• Spread the meringue over batter in each pan. Sprinkle the meringue with almonds.
• Bake the cakes until the meringue is set, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack. Remove cakes from pans and cool fully.

Finish Cake:

• Make filling (see below).
  
• Place one cake on a serving plate with the meringue side up. If you have a cake ring, place it around the cake.
• Spread filling on layer on top of the meringue. Add a layer of berries, if using.
• Place the other cake on top with its meringue side up. Carefully remove cake ring, if using.
• Decorate with whipped cream, if desired. Keep refrigerated. Use a serrated bread knife or an electric knife to cut the cake.

1. Whipped Cream Filling

• Whip the cream with Whip It according to package instructions, adding sugar once peaks start forming. 

2. Custard Filling Filling

• Mix milk, sugar, and corn starch together. Bring to boil, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat. Pour some of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk and mix. Pour egg mixture back into rest of hot milk and return to heat and bring just to boiling point.
• Remove from heat and add butter. Cool and add almond or vanilla extract.

Notes/Hints:

• Needing some more quick cake ideas? Check out these cakes from Oma.
  

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

07.25.2022 revision update

More cakes? Click here ->

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.