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Virtually unknown outside of Wisconsin, a Schaum Torte is the German equivalent of a Pavlova. In this recipe, we make 12 miniature tortes that are delicious topped with fresh fruit, whipped cream, or ice cream.
Schaum Torte is a German meringue dessert widely known to Milwaukee residents of German descent.
Many of our grandparents, including my maternal grandma, made Schaum Torte topped with fruit and ice cream for special occasions, and the dessert is also popular at a local German restaurant.
Schaum Tortes are popular for Memorial Day celebrations when strawberries are in season. My grandma in particular loved to make Schaum Torte for bridal showers because they are such a pretty dessert. It’s also popular at Christmas.
Whether you make a full-size Schaum Torte or the miniature “cookies” version I show here, Schaum Torte is a sweet dessert worth trying!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Egg whites: Room temperature egg whites beat quicker and higher than cold egg whites. If you forgot to bring the eggs to room temperature early enough, place the uncracked cold eggs in a bowl of warm water for several minutes until they no longer feel chilled.
- Cream of tartar: This baking aisle staple is an acid that plays a vital role in stabilizing the egg whites, making them billowy and light as air.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. With a Sharpie-type permanent pen, trace six 3-inch circles on each sheet of parchment paper, and flip over in pan (marker side down).
- In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer on medium-high, beat the egg whites, water and salt until stiff peaks form (a peak on the edge of the beater holds its shape without bending).
- With mixer still on medium-high, very slowly add, over the course of 2-3 minutes, 1 cup sugar, cream of tartar, and vinegar.
- Add the other 1 ¼ cups of sugar, again very slowly, and vanilla. Beat for 10 minutes on medium speed.
- To prepare the piping bag, snip a corner off a large zippered plastic bag or pastry bag. Place a large decorating tip into the corner opening (I use a Wilton 1M). Spoon half of the meringue into the bag and twist the top closed. Starting in the center of each circle and moving in a circular pattern outward, fill each circle with meringue. Continue piping around the outside edges, forming walls (I usually go around 2 or 3 more times, depending on how tall I want my tortes).
- Use your finger to smooth out the top where the piping tops. Repeat with remaining meringue until all 12 tortes have been formed.
- Place in preheated oven and bake 1 hour, then turn heat off and leave Schaum Tortes in oven for another 30 minutes. Remove and store in an airtight container.
- Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream and garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes twelve miniature (4-inch) Schaum Tortes. I assume one torte per person, but you could also cut each torte in half and serve ½ torte per person.
- Storage: Store leftover Schaum Torte shells (baked and cooled) in an airtight container in a cool place out of direct sunlight for up to 2 weeks. Separate tortes between layers of parchment or wax paper if stacking them.
- Freezer: Schaum Torte shells (baked and cooled) can be wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.
- To make Schaum Tortes without piping: Drop large spoonfuls of meringue onto the circles on prepared sheet pans and hollow out the centers with a teaspoon.
- To make one full-size Schaum Torte: Follow the first 4 steps as written. Then, transfer the meringue to a 9-inch buttered spring form pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, turn off heat, and leave shell in the oven for 1 hour more (instead of 30 minutes).
Recipe FAQs
Pavlova, named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, is a meringue-based dessert (probably?) created in New Zealand in 1927. While these desserts look nearly identical, Pavlova contains corn starch and Schaum Torte does not.
No, there is an easy workaround if you don’t have the time or energy for pastry bags. Drop large spoonfuls of meringue onto the circles on prepared sheet pans and hollow out the centers with a teaspoon.
Yes, to make a single large Schaum Torte, follow the first 4 steps as written. Then, transfer the meringue to a 9-inch buttered spring form pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, turn off heat, and leave shell in the oven for 1 hour more (instead of 30 minutes).
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Schaum Torte
Ingredients
- 6 egg whites (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar (see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fresh berries for serving
- Whipped cream for serving
- Fresh mint for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. With a Sharpie-type permanent pen, trace six 3-inch circles on each sheet of parchment paper, and flip over in pan (marker side down).
- In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer on medium-high, beat the egg whites, water and salt until stiff peaks form (a peak on the edge of the beater holds its shape without bending).
- With mixer still on medium-high, very slowly add, over the course of 2-3 minutes, 1 cup sugar, cream of tartar, and vinegar.
- Add the other 1 ¼ cups of sugar, again very slowly, and vanilla. Beat for 10 minutes on medium speed.
- To prepare the piping bag, snip a corner off a large zippered plastic bag or pastry bag. Place a large decorating tip into the corner opening (I use a Wilton 1M). Spoon half of the meringue into the bag and twist the top closed.
- Starting in the center of each circle and moving in a circular pattern outward, fill each circle with meringue. Continue piping around the outside edges, forming walls (I usually go around 2 or 3 more times, depending on how tall I want my tortes). Use your finger to smooth out the top where the piping tops. Repeat with remaining meringue until all 12 tortes have been formed.
- Place in preheated oven and bake 1 hour, then turn heat off and leave Schaum Tortes in oven for another 30 minutes. Remove and store in an airtight container. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream and garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.
Notes
- Egg whites: Room temperature egg whites beat quicker and higher than cold egg whites. If you forgot to bring the eggs to room temperature early enough, place the uncracked cold eggs in a bowl of warm water for several minutes until they no longer feel chilled.
- Cream of tartar: This baking aisle staple is an acid that plays a vital role in stabilizing the egg whites, making them billowy and light as air.
- Yield: This recipe makes twelve miniature (4-inch) Schaum Tortes. I assume one torte per person, but you could also cut each torte in half and serve ½ torte per person.
- Storage: Store leftover Schaum Torte shells (baked and cooled) in an airtight container in a cool place out of direct sunlight for up to 2 weeks. Separate tortes between layers of parchment or wax paper if stacking them.
- Freezer: Schaum Torte shells (baked and cooled) can be wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
First time I made them I doubled the recipe and it was awesome!! Just cut a corner of a ziplock for who doesnt have anything else works like a charm and clean up was a breeze.
Hi Karen, thank you so much for your comment! Thank you for the tip! – Meggan
This recipe is the REAL deal. Don’t follow the recipes that tell you bake at 300 for a lesser time OR if it doesn’t call for cream of tarter! Follow Meggan’s recipe exactly and your torte will melt in your mouth. It’s super important to let it SIT in oven after turning the heat off. If you cool it to quickly your morange will crumble/break. I will add if you are making 1 large torte, it will hollow out inside, carefully cut in half using you hand & forearm to balance top and set aside while your fill it. Set inside of the top on another cookie sheet-saves your pretty peaks. NOTE: I use a serrated knife, dip it in HOT water then slowly slice across.👍 NEVER cut straight down.
Kathy Bloomer
Born and raised in Milwaukee
Grandpa was of German descent.
Hi Kathy, thank you so much for your lovely comment and for trusting my recipe! I appreciate the back up on how important it is to let them sit in the oven with the heat off, it’s crucial to making sure they come out right. Your tips are wonderful, too. Thank you so much for sharing! – Meggan
The recipe header says it makes 6, but step 6 says to pipe 12 tortes. I am left confused!
Hi Jayne, so sorry about that! I’ve fix it. Thank you for pointing that out! Sorry again! – Meggan
My grandson prefers the Schaumtorte, no filling, to any other dessert so I decided to surprise him with a Schaumtorte today using your recipe. Your recipe was easy to follow and definitely foolproof for making a meringue. I couldn’t believe how large the volume became. My entire KitchenAid mixer bowl was filled. With the volume, I think I could have made 12 individual Schaumtorte’s. The outside of the finished product is completely dry, the inside is soft and chewy, more like the inside of a marshmallow, not dry but that is what I’ve been told you want. It is not overly sweet which is perfect for me. In looking at the pictures of your torte’s, mine are huge. I filled the 3 inch circle but then as I spread it out and after baking, it became a 5 inch circle.
I’m not concerned about the moisture inside the shell, just would like your thoughts. Should I have decreased the whipping time after the 2nd addition of sugar which would have decreased the volume? Baked it at a higher temperature? Halved the recipe since I don’t need 6 large, much less 12 smaller Schaumtorte’s. Are yours completely dry on the inside? Thank you in advance for your thoughts and comments.
Christine
Hi Christine! What a lovely treat for your grandson! I wouldn’t say mine are completely dry on the inside, they do have a texture in the middle. I think halving the recipe might be best for you, but also these do freeze beautifully if you make a full batch again. I’m so glad you loved them, I don’t like mine overly sweet, either. Take care! – Meggan