What Is the Difference Between a Cake and a Torte

Sometimes, beginner bakers ask "what is the difference between a cake and a torte?" This is a very good question and the answer may help make you a better baker.

Let Them Eat Torte

At first glance, you might not notice the difference between a cake and a torte. That is because a torte is a cake. To make things more confusing, the word "torte" comes from the Italian word "torta," which means a round bread or cake. In Europe, most cakes are called tortes. And, to add to the confusion, some French tortes are called "Gateau" which is French for, you guessed it, cake. So if a torte is a cake, what is the difference between a cake and a torte?

The typical description of a torte only muddies the water. A torte can have layers, like a Dobos torte, but might not. Cakes also can have layers, but angel food cake and bundt cake do not have layers. A torte can have a sweet icing like a cake, but if you are making a French torte it might not have any icing at all.

You Are My Density

When comparing tortes and cakes, you will notice that the cake is lighter than the torte. Cakes are made with cake flour alone. This makes them very light because of the gluten content of cake flour.

Cake flour is a weak or low gluten flour made from soft wheat. It is a very soft, smooth texture, and a pure white color. Cake flour is used for cakes and other delicate baked goods that require low gluten content.

In order to make a denser cake, some of the cake flour has to be substituted with something heavier than the flour. Often, the substitute is almond meal or some other nut meal, but sometimes breadcrumbs are used. Nut meal adds density because it is heavier than the flour and it adds oil to the batter as it cooks. Nut meal also adds flavor to the torte.

A good example of this is the Sacher torte. A 16-year-old baker's apprentice named Franz Sacher created the Sacher torte. It is the national dessert of Vienna, Austria. Sacher torte is a heavy chocolate torte covered by a chocolate glaze and with a distinct undertone of almond flavor. The almond flavor comes from the lightly toasted almond meal that is mixed into the dry ingredients. Sacher torte will usually have a layer of apricot jam between the layers and is served with whipped cream because the cake itself tends to be a bit dry.

Some tortes do not use nut meal or breadcrumbs to add density to the cake used to make the torte. Schwartzwalder Kischtorte, a German torte known as black forest cake in English, calls for a rich devil's food cake. Schwartzwalder Kischtorte comes from the Swabia region of Germany. This cake gets its richness from the addition of vegetable oil, buttermilk, and coffee.

What is the Difference Between a Cake and a Torte?

The difference is clear once you know what to look for. Cakes are lighter and often taller than tortes. Tortes are generally more elaborately decorated than cakes. Cakes will generally have more layers than torts but a Dobos torte (the national torte of Hungary) has as many as five layers.

So if someone asks you what is the difference between a cake and a torte, you can say:

• Cakes are lighter than tortes.
• Cakes use cake flour only while tortes will often add ground nut meal or breadcrumbs to the recipe to increase density of the cake.
• In many tortes, the cake is soaked with a liqueur or at the very least simple syrup.
• The simple syrup is often flavored with a citrus peel, extract, or with a liqueur.
• Tortes are almost always a central European recipe.
• All tortes are cakes but not all cakes are tortes.
• Because tortes are more complicated to make than cakes, tortes are usually more expensive.