Ingredients
Cake
- 300 gcarrots, finely grated
- 250 gground almonds
- 5eggs, separated
- 200 gsugar
- 60 gplain flour
- 1 tspbaking powder
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbspkirsch
- 1 tspground cinnamon
- a pinch of salt
Glaze
- 200 gicing sugar
- 2 tbsplemon juice
- 1 tbspwater
To decorate
- 12small marzipan carrots
To serve
- with coffee
Directions
- Grate the carrots finely rather than coarsely. Coarse shreds stay as visible strands and the cake should be moist and even rather than stringy. Squeeze the grated carrot lightly if it is very wet, but do not press it dry. Some moisture is wanted, because it is what keeps the cake moist and there is very little fat in the recipe.
- Beat the yolks with two-thirds of the sugar until very pale, thick and roughly tripled. Beat them properly, a good five minutes. Beat in the lemon zest, cinnamon and kirsch. Fold in the grated carrot and the ground almonds.
- Mix the flour and baking powder and fold them in as well. Now whisk the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks, then add the remaining sugar and whisk to a firm glossy meringue.
- Fold the meringue into the carrot mixture in three additions. Fold gently and stop the moment it comes together, because every extra stroke deflates what you have built. Pour into a lined 24 cm springform tin.
- Bake at 175°C (345°F) for 45 to 50 minutes. Test with a skewer, which should come out clean but slightly moist. Cool it completely in the tin. Now wrap it and leave it a day before glazing if you can.
- Mix the icing sugar with lemon juice and water into a thick pourable glaze. Keep it thick. A thin glaze runs off and soaks in rather than setting as a white layer.
- Pour it over the cooled cake and spread it to the edges, letting a little run down the sides. Let the glaze set for an hour before cutting. It keeps four or five days and stays moist, which is unusual for a cake with so little fat.
Technique
- Marzipan carrots are sold ready-made in Swiss shops and are easily rolled and coloured at home.
- Aargau claims it and it is baked across the whole of German-speaking Switzerland.
- It is naturally low in fat, which was never the intention and is true nonetheless.
Substitutions
- Ground hazelnuts in place of some of the almonds.
- Any nut-based carrot cake recipe, though the Swiss one has no oil.
Variations
- Made with hazelnuts.
- Without the glaze, dusted with icing sugar instead.
- Baked in a loaf tin as an everyday cake.
History
An Aargau speciality; the canton is nicknamed Rüeblikanton for the carrots grown there.
Frequently asked questions
What is Rüeblitorte?
Rüeblitorte is a dessert from Switzerland: moist carrot and almond cake topped with a marzipan carrot. An Aargau speciality; the canton is nicknamed Rüeblikanton for the carrots grown there.
How long does Rüeblitorte take to make?
Rüeblitorte takes 30 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Rüeblitorte?
Yes, within limits. Ground hazelnuts in place of some of the almonds. Any nut-based carrot cake recipe, though the Swiss one has no oil.
What is the most important thing to get right in Rüeblitorte?
Grate the carrots finely rather than coarsely. Coarse shreds stay as visible strands and the cake should be moist and even rather than stringy. Squeeze the grated carrot lightly if it is very wet, but do not press it dry. Some moisture is wanted, because it is what keeps the cake moist and there is very little fat in the recipe.
