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Oma's German Blitz Torte Recipe ~ Lightning Cake

➤ by Oma Gerhild Fulson

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 the full list of ingredients & detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. But before you scroll, there’s important & interesting stuff to know below.

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!

Oma's German Blitz Torte

Blitz Torte aka ...

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! 

Grab your copy of Oma's favorites in her Special Occasion German Cakes & Tortes e-Cookbook.

Take a look at Oma’s Special Occasion Cakes & Tortes eCookbook and enjoy the traditional taste of German cuisine!

Take a peek at all Oma's eCookbooks. They make sharing your German heritage a delicious adventure!

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.

Oma's German Blitz Torte. So refreshing and delicious

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!

Oma's German Blitz Torte

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 the just using the whipping cream. You choose which you like!

Lydia Remembers...

I have so many wunderbar memories in the kitchen with my Oma, and have had MANY of her most popular and traditional recipes, like this German Blitz Torte! 

I'm a big fan of sweets and cakes, and Oma's blitz torte is no exception. The flavors she incorporates are just immaculate. It makes the most perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of coffee. 

The thing I love most about this cake is that it's so light! It may look thick and heavy, but it really is so light and creamy, which is always better...it just means you'll have room for more than one piece! 

Trust me, if you make this for your next family get-together, you'll be turning heads! You may hear a few "Oos and ahhs" too. ;)

Learn a little bit about me, Lydia, and my kitchen adventures with Oma!

Ready to make this Blitz Torte?

Oma's German Blitz Torte Recipe ~ Lightning Cake

Even though German Blitz Torte recipe looks long and complicated, it isn't. It 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 whipped cream filling and my Mutti's custard filling.  Choose one! Then, make this quick cake as well to include on your dessert table.

Prep Time

30 minutes

Bake Time

40 minutes

Total Time

70 minutes + cooling time

Servings:

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

Meringue

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ tsp baking powder
  • ½ cup sliced or chopped almonds

Cake

  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 6 tbsp milk
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp almond extract

Whipped Cream Filling

  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 2 packages of Dr. Oetker's Sahnesteif (Whip It)
or Custard Filling
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • ½ tsp vanilla or almond extract

Instructions:

Meringue

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. 
  • Grease and flour 2 8-inch layer pans with removable bottoms. Set aside.
  • In a bowl, beat egg whites until frothy (soft peak stage). Gradually beat in sugar and baking powder until stiff and glossy. Place in fridge until ready to use.

Cake

  • In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolks.
  • Mix together flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture. Add milk and almond extract and mix well.
  • Spread batter into pans. It will be a thin layer of batter. Use a wet spoon to help spread it out.
  • Spread half of meringue over batter in each pan.
  • Sprinkle each pan with almonds.
Finish Cake:
  • Bake cake until cake tests done and meringue is set, about 35 - 40 minutes. Cool.
  • While cake is baking, make filling (see below).
  • Remove cake from pans. Let cool on rack. Place one layer on serving plate with the meringue side up. If you have a cake ring (shown in collage below), place it around cake.
  • Spread filling on layer.
  • Place other layer on top with meringue side up. Carefully remove cake ring, if using. 
  • Decorate with whipped cream if desired. Keep refrigerated.
  • Use a serrated bread knife to cut or an electric knife ... they both work well.

Whipped Cream Filling

  • Whip the cream, adding the Whip It as per package instructions.  Use this to fill the cake. Add sugar, if desired.
Or 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:

  • If you are making the whipped cream filling, you will an extra egg yolk left over (that you're not using for the custard filling), you can added it to the batter and only use 4 tbsp milk in the batter.
  • You can add raspberries (or other berries) to the whipped cream filling.
  • 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

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Oma's German Blitz Torte. Refreshing and delicious

Oma's German Blitz Torte Recipe ~ Lightning Cake

By
Oma's German Blitz Torte Recipe ~ Lightning Cake
This German Blitz Torte is such a quick and easy cake to make - great for holidays and birthdays. Blitz means lightning and this cake IS lightning fast to make! Really!

Ingredients: eggs, sugar, baking powder, sliced almonds, butter, milk, flour, almond extract, whipping cream, Whip It (whipped cream stabilizer),

For the full recipe, scroll up ...

Words to the Wise

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The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense."

Proverbs 10:20-21 (NLT)


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