Prinzregenten Torte

This is the dessert to go along with yesterday's dish. Technically yesterday's dish was only a side dish, but if you eat enough of it, and have a serving (even small) of this rich cake, it will make a satisfying meal. 
This cake, which translates to "Prince Regent Cake" is traditionally composed of eight sponge cake layers sandwiched together with chocolate buttercream, and sometimes topped with chocolate ganache. Since this is a huge torte, decorations are usually kept fairly simple, such as a few chocolate curls or whipped cream swirls. To cut this recipe down to a smaller amount, I made only a four layer torte, and I also made the layers smaller, so it is only a four inch cake. This makes four nice-sized servings, but could be split into even more servings as the cake is quite rich. It is a plain, but easy cake, but the chocolate buttercream is what really makes it! I just think this cake is so cute, so quick, and so divine!

Miniature Sponge Cakes
1/4 cup + 1/2 Tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 cup + 1/2 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
scant 1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Trace four 4-inch circles onto parchment paper, place on a cookie sheet.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon onto parchment paper, carefully spreading out to the shape of the circles. Bake for ten minutes or so until cake is set. Cool cake layers and assemble (this process will be outlined in tomorrow's post).