If you were to find yourself in the scenic country of Austria, you might be taken aback by the sheer sense of history that seems to pervade the nation. There are beautiful and ancient cities, and of course, the eternal Danube river that has cradled civilization in the region for centuries, but this sense of history is also thoroughly ingrained into the cuisine of the central European nation. Salzburg boasts one of the oldest restaurants in the world, Austria’s capital, Vienna, remains one of the premier food destination cities on the planet, and in the northern city of Linz, you can grab a bite of cake straight from the 1600s.
Linzer torte, translating roughly to “Linz cake,” is the oldest known cake in the world — at least as far as named cakes/recipes go — emerging as early as 1653. The cake, consisting of a buttery crust (not too dissimilar from pie crust) and a filling of ground almonds and/or hazelnuts, and currants or raspberries, has kept its rustic sensibilities over the years and has become something of a staple within the culinary culture of Austria. Not bad for an almost 400-year-old dessert!
The evolution of Linzer torte
Linz, throughout its tenured history, has long been a cultural and economic hub, situated about 100 miles away from Vienna. This meant that, due to all the comings and goings of traders and travelers alike, word of Linzer torte spread throughout parts of Europe. Much like how croissants had their origin in Austria (though not through Marie Antoinette), Linzer tortes of several varieties sprouted up in parts of central and western Europe, though some altered the recipe with region-specific ingredients. However, the essence of the same nutty, fruity pie-esque dessert remained.
The evolution of Linzer torte wasn’t exclusive to regions outside of Linz, however. Of course, it’s natural for a centuries-old dessert to gradually change form over time, and Linzer torte is no exception. For example, the original composition of the torte was fairly simple: just a filling of ground nuts and fruits within a pastry consisting of flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and some lemon zest. Nowadays sometimes hazelnuts or almonds are integrated into the dough. So if you’re looking for something tasty after you grab a beer at an Austrian McDonald’s, it’s worth seeking out a slice of Linzer torte to take a tasty step through time.
