Austrian Pastry – Kardinal Schnitten

The delicate flavor of that cake was not one that left my mind quickly, but finding a recipe for it proved to be difficult.  So I took that and the adventure started.  First, I went about converting the measurements, which were in grams, to cups.  Then, I attempted to decipher the cryptic, translated instructions.  Standing by the counter with my dozen eggs and pint of whipped cream, I was excited, but skeptical.

The process was a bit bumpy, but as I baked, I learned all sorts of things about egg whites and meringues and cream.  For example, even the tiniest bit of yolk really will keep all your whites from stiffening.  Faced with a batch of droopy meringue batter I had to decide whether or not to start over – I ended up deciding to keep going because I couldn’t bear to waste so any eggs, and the meringues were still OK.  The end result was not exactly photogenic, but it was good, and fairly close to what I remembered loving in Melk.  With a little tweaking for better presentation, it would make an elegant and unexpected dessert at any party.

Kardinal Schnitten

• 7 eggs
• 1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 c. flour
• 2 c. whipping cream
• 2 TBS instant coffee powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

What I Did This Time:

1. Preheat oven to 340°F.
2. Separate 5 of the 7 eggs.  Whip 5 egg whites until they begin to stiffen.  Gradually add granulated sugar to whites.  Continue to whip until stiff.  Spoon into 8 strips on baking sheet and bake 23 minutes. (These are the meringues.)
3. To the 5 egg yolks, add 2 whole eggs, a full half cup of powdered sugar, and a scant half cup of flour.  Whisk until foamy.  Pour into greased 9×13 pan and bake 25 minutes.  Let cool slightly and cut into strips. (This is the cake.)
4. Whip cream with instant coffee and vanilla until very stable, with the consistency of clotted cream.
5. Realize your meringues are sort of disastrous when the top layer completely crumbles off.  Decide that individual pastry squares are not in your future.  Rethink.
6. Place cake strips on a platter.  Top with most of whipped cream.  Crumble meringue bits on top of whipped cream.  Place intact meringue insides on top of whipped cream.  Repeat whipped cream and meringue layers.

Thoughts about next time:

• Whip cream with Kahlua or Bailey’s instead of instant coffee for a stronger flavor.
• Double the cake part in order to have two complete cake-cream-meringue layers.
• Tinker with the meringue size and baking time so they remain intact.