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PATISSERIE AROUND THE WORLD 39
Left (top to bottom) Café Tomaselli,
Austria’s oldest “Viennese coffee
house”; Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte,
or Black Forest gâteau; coffee and
the classic Sacher Torte. in Café Gerbeaud in Budapest
Below (top to bottom) A tempting
display of torten in a Viennese café
with, far right, the tall, ring-shaped
Guglhupf; afternoon coffee and cake
Café Adler Café Bauer
Hauptstrasse 52, Triberg; www.hotel-cafe-adler.de Badenerstrasse 355; www.cafe-bauer.ch
An understated café and patisserie with some of This has been a local institution since the 1920s,
the best cakes in the region, which can be enjoyed in thanks to its great selection of freshly made torten
its pastel interiors or outside in a lovely little as well as a fine range of French-style patisserie.
courtyard. They have a tremendous line in decorative It also has delicious versions of everyday bakery
confectionery items that make perfect gifts. products, such as pretzels and croissants.
Café Decker
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
Hauptstrasse 70, Staufen; www.cafe-decker.de
The star café of the southwestern Black Forest As the joint capital of the Austro-Hungarian
region has a lovely riverside outdoor terrace and empire, Budapest shared much of Vienna’s
around 40 stunning fresh torten every day. It is also culture, and the “coffee and cake” tradition
a first-class chocolatier and ice-cream maker, but took root here at about the same time. The
beware: it gets packed at peak times. results are almost as venerable.
Café Gerbeaud
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND Vörösmarty tér 7–8; www.gerbeaud.hu
Chocolate and confectionery are a major A large and noble coffeehouse where hanging
export for the Swiss, so it’s no surprise that drapes and extraordinary chandeliers dominate
they take great pride in their cakes too. There interiors that have barely changed since its
is a touch of the French pâtissier in their foundation in 1858. Despite seating over
smaller and more delicate confections. 300 people, a relaxed atmosphere prevails
and the torten are impeccable.
Confiserie Sprüngli
Bahnhofstrasse 21; www.spruengli.ch Konditorei Ruszwurm
This is run by a world-famous confectioner who’s Szentháromság utca. 7; www.ruszwurm.hu
famed for Luxemburgerli, a sugar-based cookie This tiny and charmingly well-preserved 1820s
much like a French macaron. But there are plenty of coffeehouse sits on Budapest’s Castle Hill and
torten to choose from too and everything is lovingly has a superb cake selection, including traditional
handmade using the best ingredients – though Hungarian favorites such as the Dobos and the
some might gripe about the high prices. walnut Esterházy with its succulent marbled icing.
On the Menu Obsttorte (Fruit torte) Usually the simplest-
Torten are rarely labeled and it’s often simply looking torte, this fruit tart generally uses glazed
a case of picking something that catches the fruits (often strawberries) and is sometimes
eye. Even so, it’s worth bearing the classics in decorated with toasted nuts.
mind and seeking them out. Prinzregententorte (Prince Regent Cake)
A layered torte with chocolate buttercream and
Dobos Torte Simple but elegant five-layered apricot preserve, often dubbed the “Sacher Torte
Hungarian chocolate buttercream sponge cake of Bavaria,” where it’s particularly popular.
from the 1880s. Often coated with ground nuts Sacher Torte This classic, dark chocolate cake
and topped with an angled wedge of caramel. with a layer of apricot jelly was invented by
Frankfurter Kranz (Frankfurt wreath) Classic 16-year-old apprentice pastry chef Franz Sacher in
rum-flavored cake with layers of buttercream filling 1832; the recipe remains a closely guarded secret.
and a single layer of jelly. Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest cherry
Herrentorte (Gentlemen’s cake) A term used cake) This is probably the most famous cake.
for a range of cakes made with large amounts of Layers of whipped cream and Kirsch-flavored
dark chocolate, particularly in their icing. chocolate cake studded with maraschino cherries
Linzer Torte A Christmas favorite from the are topped with dark chocolate curls.
17th century with a latticework top and chopped Zuger Kirschtorte (Zug cherry cake) Swiss torte
almonds around the edge. The pastry is a crumbly made from ground almonds and hazelnuts, filled
combination of lemon, cinnamon, and ground nuts, with Kirsch and buttercream and topped with a
and its most common filling is red-currant jelly. dusting of icing sugar.