Unless you’re from Wisconsin, you may never have heard of schaum torte (foam cake), a favorite among German immigrant families. You
may have heard of this dessert called simply "a meringue," “Pavlova”
or even a "Bizet." Essentially all of the desserts are one in
the same -- meringue, filled with sweetened whipped cream, and topped with
fruit. Like pavlova, there are two schools of thought when it comes to schaum torte -- one side insists that the meringue be crisp on the outside, but squoodgy (marshmallowy) in the center; the other camp insists that a good schaum torte is dried and crisp throughout.
My family staunchly
swears by the first approach. In fact, I actually grew up utterly convinced
that the women at church who made the crisp version were simply bad cooks who
had made the mistake of baking their schaum tortes too long!
My grandmother made schaum torte for at least one holiday every year while I was growing up. Hers was always baked in a springform pan, flavored with both vanilla and almond extract, and topped with sliced strawberries (often those she picked and froze from her own garden). And it was always topped with freshly whipped cream.
My grandmother made schaum torte for at least one holiday every year while I was growing up. Hers was always baked in a springform pan, flavored with both vanilla and almond extract, and topped with sliced strawberries (often those she picked and froze from her own garden). And it was always topped with freshly whipped cream.
One of the things about schaum torte is that it uses a boatload of eggwhites, so you end up with quite a few egg yolks that need to be used up. While you could always freeze them for later use, I find that whipping them up into a deliciously tart lemon curd to serve with the schaum torte is a seriously smart move. The tartness of the lemon really compliments the sugary sweetness of the torte. And it goes perfectly with those deliciously fruity spring strawberries.
This will be our first Mother's Day without Grandma, as she passed away this fall. But, her memory will live on in that deliciously sweet squoodgy torte that will inevitably work its way into the Mother's Day menu.
So, this recipe is a nod to Grandma, and a celebration of all that is good about
spring.
Serve each scoop of schaum torte with a spoonful of fresh spring strawberries, a dollop of lemon curd, and plenty of fresh whipped cream. Serve it plain -- or fancy it up by serving in a martini glass. Either way, Mom will love you for it.
Schaum Torte with Lemon Curd
You can find this recipe, along with plenty of other mouthwatering dishes, on GoBoldWithButter.com Seriously -- you should check it out. So. Much. Good. Food.
