Linzer torte

Serves 12 Cakes, Bread and Pastries

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Method

Put all the ingredients, except the jam, egg yolk and icing sugar, in a big bowl. Mix and knead swiftly with your hands until the dough holds together well. Make a ball, wrap in cling film and transfer to the fridge to rest for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 195C/ 175C F/Gas 6. Grease a 25cm springform or sandwich tin. Reserve one-third of the dough for decorations. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining two-thirds until about 1cm thick and slightly bigger than the tin, then transfer to the tin, ensuring there is a 2cm rim all the way round. The dough is quite brittle and may tear, so you can cut any excess from the rim and use it to patch up other parts that may have torn. Prick the bottom of the cake with a fork.

To decorate the rim, use two forks, one in each hand, and, with the rounded sides facing each other, grab a 3cm stretch of the rim and squeeze it between the forks. Repeat all the way around.

Fill the cake with jam – you should have an even layer, around 4mm thick. Roll out the reserved dough to around 4mm thick for the decorations. If you want to make the classic lattice pattern, cut the dough into strips and place them over the jam. You can also decorate the cake with star or leaf patterns or any other geometric design. Using a brush, glaze the decorations and rim with the egg yolk, trying not to get egg yolk on to the jam.

Bake for 30–40 minutes, keeping an eye on the colour of the rim and the egg yolk – the rim should be brown, like milk chocolate. Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the tin for around 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve. The cake will keep well in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 2 weeks, and the flavours will develop further over time.