What Is A Torte, And Is It The Same Thing As Cake?

You may have seen it on the menu at your local pastry or coffee shop: torte. What is it? And why does it look so much like a cake? "Torte" is a German word that translates literally to "cake" — so you may not expect there to be much of a difference. There are a few key distinctions, though, that will help you navigate the sweets counter a little more accurately.

All tortes are cakes, but not all cakes are tortes. Tortes are generally made with much less flour than traditional cakes, or sometimes none at all (as with flourless chocolate tortes). Instead, nuts are typically used, or even breadcrumbs. Tortes are generally multilayered desserts and tend to contain not just cake and frosting but jam, mousse, whipped toppings, and other fillings.

Due to a lack of flour, tortes tend to be denser and heavier than their cake counterparts, and they often don't rise as tall as regular cakes do. An average torte is often half the height of an average cake.

Tortes are most popular in Europe, where favorite varieties of the dessert abound. You may have heard of the famous Linzer torte, an Austrian delicacy named after the city where it was born (Linz, Austria). In fact, the Linzer torte is said to be the oldest cake in the world named after a city. These tortes are made with a mix of flour, butter, egg yolks, cinnamon, and lemon, with additions of ground nuts such as hazelnuts or walnuts. The torte is smothered in a berry-based filling (usually raspberry or redcurrant, though apricot can be used as well) and is topped with a lattice crust making it similar in appearance to a pie.

The Sacher-Torte is another famous Austrian dessert. According to its origin story, when the Austrian State Chancellor asked his pastry chefs to create an outstanding dessert to serve guests, a 16-year-old apprentice chef rose to the occasion and created the Sacher-Torte. This rich chocolate treat is made with dark or bittersweet chocolate and apricot jam, and even more rich and decadent than the ultimate chocolate cake.

The difference between cake and torte may be settled, but where do tartes fit into all of this? A tarte is much more akin to a pie than a cake; it consists of a bottom crust and a filling, rather than multiple layers of various ingredients. Tartes tend to have flour in their crusts and are usually filled with a thick custard or a fruit filling. Tarte crusts are often thicker than pie crusts, and they aren't topped with an upper crust or a lattice — like pies sometimes are. They can be savory or sweet.

Tartes, unlike tortes, come from France. Though their origins are debated, they are said to have been made popular by the Tatin sisters in Lamotte-Beuvron in the late 1800s. Tarte Tatin is a classic apple tart that gives any apple pie recipe a run for its money. But whether you're hungry for a tarte, a torte, or a slice of cake, you can't go wrong with any of these delicacies.