Nuss Torte (German Nut Cake)

Nuss Torte (Nusstorte) is a delicious German nut cake that's light and delicate, similar to an Angel Food Cake. You'll only need a handful of ingredients, four to be exact, and an angel food cake pan to prepare this heavenly cake. Serve the chilled nut cake with fresh berries, melted chocolate, or Salted Caramel Sauce.

Why This Recipe Works

The simplicity of this nut torte is astounding! When you look at the ingredients, you might think that I accidentally left something out. However, many old recipes, including this one, which I received from Scott's second cousin, Marguerite, were prepared with simple ingredients that were readily available.

It might surprise you to know that this Nuss Torte recipe doesn't require all-purpose flour, butter, salt, vanilla, or a leavening agent. In fact, it only requires eggs, sugar, bread crumbs, and walnuts!

The 12 eggs required to make this cake not only make it high in protein but also give the cake its light and airy texture.

What Goes Into This Recipe

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

• Eggs — You'll need 12 large eggs to make this cake. Although this may seem like a lot of eggs, the eggs are required to give the cake its delicate texture.
• Bread Crumbs — Instead of using plain breadcrumbs, the recipe suggests using ground dried French bread. I'm sure you can use either.
• Nuts — Although this particular Nuss Torte recipe calls for walnuts, I found other recipes that called for pecans or a mixture of pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts.
• Optional Ingredients — I've baked the cake a few times and the last time I added 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon cardamom. The spices added another layer of flavor.

How to Make Nuss Torte (German Nut Cake)

PREHEAT OVEN TO 300 DEGREES F

STEP 1: Separate egg whites into a large mixing bowl. Beat the egg whites until stiff; remove from the mixing bowl and place into another bowl.

STEP 2: Add egg yolks and sugar to the empty mixing bowl and beat together until thick and pale lemon in color.

STEP 3: Add egg yolks, bread crumbs, and ground walnuts to the egg whites and gently mix. Fold the ingredients carefully so as not to deflate the eggs.

STEP 4: Pour the cake batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool upside down for at least an hour until the cake is completely cool.

STEP 5: Flip the pan upright and slide a thin knife along the pan's edges, around the inner tube, and the bottom of the cake. Carefully invert the cake onto a plate. If some of the cake is stuck to the bottom of the pan, flip the cake onto another plate to reveal the prettier side.

Note: If you are a visual learner, here is a great video showing you how to remove the cake from the pan.

How to Serve Nuss Torte

Nuss Torte is better when served chilled. Serve it as is, or slice it horizontally into 2 or 3 layers and fill with custard or freshly whipped heavy cream. If you prefer, drizzle the top with melted chocolate or serve it with fresh fruit.

How to Make Breadcrumbs

Slice ⅓ of a French bread loaf into 1"-2" cubes and either dry the bread on the counter for a few days or in the oven using very low heat, until dry and crispy. Grind the cubes in a food processor until you're left with fine bread crumbs. Sift the breadcrumbs to remove the larger pieces before using them.

Tip: Marguerite mentions in the recipe that she was always taught that if you measure the ingredients, you should have 12 heaping tablespoons of sugar, bread crumbs, and ground nuts. That's 1 tablespoon of each ingredient for every egg used in the recipe.

Recipe FAQs

Pro Tips

• Do not butter the pan or use parchment paper before adding the batter. The batter needs to cling to the pan while cooling upside down. This gives the Nuss Torte volume and keeps the cake from deflating.
• If you find you didn't make enough bread crumbs, you can add store-bought plain bread crumbs to make up the difference.
• Chill the cake in the refrigerator before slicing and serving it.
• Make sure to cook the Nuss Torte for the entire 50 minutes. The first time I baked it, I took it out 20 minutes early because it looked ready. As a result, the top crust peeled off while the cake was cooling upside-down 🤦‍♀️.

About This Recipe

In 2017, when we bought our house in Montana, we met one of Scott's second cousins, Marguerite, who just so happens to live 45 minutes away. Marguerite is a sweetheart and took the time to put together a beautiful binder for us full of family history, photos, and recipes.

This Nuss Torte recipe was included in that binder and belonged to Scott's great grandmother, Katharine. According to Marguerite, Grandma Schmidt brought this recipe with her in 1905 from Bikal, Hungary. Marguerite recalled that it was her father's favorite cake.

"When mom wasn't looking, dad would cut a small slice out of the cake and push it back together so it didn't look like it had been cut. It made mom smile but she gave him a look and a mock scolding anyway." — Marguerite Amstadt

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