Grape Torte

This German grape torte (Traubenkuchen) is the kind of cake that shows up at Kaffee und Kuchen when the harvest is in. A buttery shortcrust shell gets par-baked, then filled with halved grapes suspended in a cloud of whipped egg whites, ground almonds, and lemon juice.

The dough is a classic Muerbeteig, a crumbly, cookie-like pastry enriched with egg yolk and grated lemon zest. It needs a 20-minute chill in the fridge before rolling, or it’ll stick to everything and crack on you. Roll it into a circle, press it into a springform pan, and push up a one-inch rim to hold the filling.

The filling is closer to a meringue than a batter. Stiff egg whites folded with sugar, lemon juice, and ground almonds create an airy base that puffs around the grape halves as it bakes. The result is light, slightly chewy, and studded with bursts of juicy fruit. Don’t rush the folding. Rough stirring deflates the whites and you’ll end up with a flat, dense filling instead of a tender one.

Kitchen Tips

• Use seedless grapes or take the time to halve and seed them. Biting into a seed in a delicate torte ruins the experience.
• Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks before adding the sugar. Adding sugar too early slows the whipping and the meringue won’t hold.
• Par-bake the shell for the full 10 minutes so it sets properly. Underbaked crust goes soggy under the wet filling.
• Cool the torte completely on a wire rack before slicing. The filling firms up as it cools and cuts much cleaner.

Variations

• Replace grapes with fresh figs, halved, for a richer, honey-like sweetness during late summer.
• Swap ground almonds for ground hazelnuts to lean into the German baking tradition even further.
• Dust the cooled torte with powdered sugar and serve with a dollop of lightly whipped cream.