This Spiced Plum Linzer Torte is a delicious twist on the Austrian Classic, perfect for Fall and The Holiday Season. Combining an easy-to-make cinnamon dough and sweet plum jam filling creates a delicious warming tart. You won't be able to stop at just one slice!
I adore making tarts and have many gorgeous tart recipes on my sit. However, sometimes you want to make a tart that is simple, rustic and tastes incredible.
May I introduce you to this Plum Linzer Torte? The shortcrust style dough is straightforward to make and gets pressed into the tart pan base using your fingers for ease. its made with cinnamon, cloves and almonds for maximum flavour.
Filled with a spiced plum jam, a simple lattice decorates the top. Flaked almonds surround the edge for crunch and more nutty flavour. The warming spices throughout, nuttiness and sweet plum jam create the most perfect tart. Check out my Pecan Tart, Pear Frangipane Tart, and Caramel Apple Tart for more seasonal favourites.
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❓ What is Linzer Torte?
Linzer Torte is an Austrian Classic that is thought to date back from 1696 and is named after the Austrian Town Linz.
The traditional torte is made up of a crumbly shortbread style dough from almonds, egg yolks, butter, sugar, flour, lemon zest and spices such as cunnamon and cloves.
The torte is then filled with a jam or preserve, usually redcurrant or raspberry and topped off with more dough in the shape of a simple lattice. Occasionally flaked almonds are sprinkled on top.
Once baked till golden, the spiced pastry pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the jam. As well as in Austria, Linzer Torte is traditionally served in Germany and Switzerland around Autumn and into Christmas. It makes a great way to finish off your Holiday meal.
🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Uses basic ingredients. All the ingredients are basic pantry or fridge staples. I provide substitutes making this a very versatile dessert.
- This Linzer Torte has the most incredible warming flavours. The combination of cinnamon and clove spices, almonds and plums creates the most Fall-inspired recipe. If you prefer more of a Christmassy vibe- I provide tips on what changes to make.
- Simple to make. The dough is one of the simplest styles of dough to make. No rolling is required to fill the pan base- just press it in. You may think the lattice top is hard to create- but I show you through a series of photos that it's nothing to be intimidated by.
- Makes for a perfect make-ahead Holiday dessert. This tart benefits from being made the day before. The flavours meld together and enhance as the Linzer Torte rests. Perfect when busy entertaining.
🧾 Ingredients Needed
The list of ingredients required for this Linzer Torte isn't extensive. I have written notes below, including substitutions where applicable, to make this versatile and easy to make no matter what!
Also, look at the section below to check out my variations for a spring, summer or winter Linzer Torte.
The Spiced Dough
- Butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the amount needed. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, and it will need to be soft enough to beat in with the sugar.
- Icing Sugar (Powder Confectioners' Icing Sugar) - A quick and easy way to add sweetness to the dough. Make sure to sift it to remove any lumps.
- Lemon Zest - Just enough to layer flavour into the dough. Alternatively, use orange zest or a combination of both.
- Almond Meal (Ground Almonds) - Use any ground nuts such as hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts in the dough. Please note that almond flour is much finer and will provide a slightly different texture to the pastry.
- Cinnamon and Clove Spices - This wouldn't be an Austrian Torte without these two spices in the dough. Don't skimp on the amount- you want to get the warm flavours shining through once baked..
Plum Jam
For my recipe today, I've used my Homemade Plum Jam recipe which is absolutely delightful in this Lonzer Torte. I add a stick of cinnamon and star anise into the jam when cooking it to add a subtle spiced flavour. But you can leave these out if you prefer.
Not everyone may have the time and opportunity to make their jam from scratch, so using your favourite store-bought plum jam or preserve is a fantastic alternative. Bonne Maman has a delicious Damson Plum Jam that is my go-to.
📖 Variations
By substituting only a few ingredients, you can change this torte's taste to suit your season.
- Spring: Raspberry Almond Linzer Torte: Increase the almond flavour in the dough by adding a ½ teaspoon of almond extract. Reduce the spices by half so that they don't overpower. Replace the plum jam with seeded or seedless raspberry jam.
- Summer: Blackberry Hazelnut Linzer Tart: Replace the ground almonds with hazelnuts. Use blackberry jam in stead of plum, and decorate the top of the tart with chopped hazelnuts instead of flaked almonds.
- Winter: Cranberry Linzer Torte: Replace 1 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon with ground ginger. Replace the plum jam with cranberry or redcurrant jam/jelly. Description here
👩🏻🍳 How to Make
Below, I'm sharing a series of process images and instructions to help you along with this classic Austrian Linzer Torte recipe. The dough comes together quickly in a standmixer bowl, and the majority then gets pressed into the pan and filled with jam. The remaining dough is used for the lattice, whereby I show you how to create it step-by-step.
I'm excited for you to follow along and produce the best Linzer Torte you've ever made!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
Make the Dough
STEP 1. Cream butter, sugar and lemon zest together. Add the butter, icing sugar and lemon zest into the bowl of a standmixer and beat on medium until the butter is pale. This can take 4 to 5 minutes (Images 1 & 2). Ensure that you scrape down the base and sides of the bowl before commencing the next step.
STEP 2. Add yolks one at a time. Add each yolk to the mixing bowl, beating well after each addition (Images 3 & 4).
STEP 3. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Sift into the mixing bowl the flour, then add the ground almonds, cinnamon, cloves and salt (Images 5). Beat until the dough is well combined (Image 6). Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl (Image 7). The dough is quite moist to handle. Use floured (imperative) hands to bring the dough together into a ball (Image 8).
STEP 4. Line the pan with the dough. For the recipe, I've used a 23cm (9-inch) fluted tart pan with a removable base. Alternatively, you can use a spring form pan.
Divide the dough into ⅔ and ⅓ portions (Image 9). Wrap the ⅓ portion (to be used for the lattice) in plastic wrap, shape it into a flat disc (chills quicker) and freeze for ten minutes.
Add the ⅔ portion to the pan, and using your fingers, press it down across the base until smooth and bring it up the sides of the pan (Images 10 & 11).
Assemble the Torte
STEP 5. Cut the lattice. The remaining dough must be firm enough to roll but not so firm that it will crack. It does soften quickly, so flour the top and bottom of the disc and roll in between parchment paper (Image 12) until roughly 25 cm/ 10-inch in diameter.
Cut the lattice into 1 cm/ ½ inch strips- 10 in total (Image 13). Refrigerate until firm enough for you to peel them off the paper. If they are too soft, they'll break. Reserve any remaining dough.
STEP 6. Fill the base with jam. Spoon 2 cups of jam into the torte base and smooth until even (Image 14).
STEP 7. Assemble the lattice pastry. Place 5 strips evenly spaced out vertically over the top of the jelly (Image 15). Turn the pan 90 degrees and place the remaining five strips of dough over the existing ones (Image 16).
Use your thumb to press the ends of the dough into the edge to neaten them up and trim off the excess (Image 17).
STEP 8. Finish the tart. With the remaining dough - use your fingers to form small sausages and press them around the edge. There should be enough dough to make the edges approximately 1cm/1/2 inch thick (Images 18 & 19).
Sprinkle the flaked almonds all around this thicker edge (Image 20).
STEP 9. Bake! I prefer to bake this at a slightly lower temperature than the standard 180/350F so the flaked almonds don't burn on top. The Linzer Torte needs to bake to a lovely golden colour (Image 21)- that way, you'll know it's cooked right through. If the top does brown too quickly before the end of the bake time, just tent in foil.
The torte will smell incredible once baked, and the jam will be visibly bubbling in between the lattice pattern.
🥣 How To Serve
Set the aside the Linzer Torte in the pan for ten minutes before removing it from the pan and sliding it off onto a wire rack. Traditionally the Torte is left to cool fully and stored at room temperature for a day or two for the flavour to enhance before serving. You could definitely do this, if you have the patience.
Or you can serve it warm with a scoop of whipped cream or creme fraiche. It will taste delicious regardless. Just watch out if it's served hot- that jam can burn!
Enjoy!
💭 Recipe Pro Tips
- If you can't access ground nuts - make your own. More info in the FAQ section below.
- If processing your own nuts then use toasted nuts for extra flavour.
- Chill the lattice portion of the dough. The butter inside needs to firm up a bit before rolling out. If it hardens too much then rest the dough at room temperature. It's a balance!
- Flour your hands, surfaces or utensils. The dough is quite sticky and flour is your friend in this situation!
- Prepare the dough ahead of time and store it in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to use.
- If the lattice is too tricky, stamp out the dough using a floured cookie cutter and place it over the jam. You can get as creative as you like!
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📋 Recipe FAQs
Don't worry. Simply place patch it up where you can. This is a rustic tart and can look perfectly imperfect.
For 100g ground almonds- process 150g whole almonds in a food processor - replace half of the icing sugar from the recipe with granulated sugar. Add the granulated sugar to the food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. The sugar will help prevent the nuts from turning into a paste.
The torte can be kept at room temperature for up to four days or refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Absolutely. Cool completely, and then wrap the whole torte or individual slices in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
🍂 More Fall Inspired Recipes
If you tried this Plum Linzer Torte Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Spiced Plum Linzer Torte
Ingredients
- 170 g unsalted butter, softened
- 120 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar), sifted
- 1 zest of a lemon
- 2 egg yolks
- 200 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 100 g almond meal (ground almonds)
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 650 g plum jam
- 2 tablespoon flaked almonds
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Cream butter, sugar and lemon zest together. Add the butter, icing sugar and lemon zest into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium until the butter is pale. This can take 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the base and sides of the bowl before commencing the next step.
- Add yolks one at a time. Add each yolk to the mixing bowl, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients. Sift into the mixing bowl the flour, then add the ground almonds, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Beat until the dough is well combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The dough is quite moist to handle. Use floured (imperative!) hands to bring the dough into a ball.
- Line the pan with the dough. Divide the dough into ⅔ and ⅓ portions. Wrap the ⅓ portion (to be used for the lattice) in plastic wrap, shape it into a flat disc (chills quicker) and freeze for ten minutes. Add the ⅔ portion to the pan, and using your fingers, press it down across the base until smooth and bring it up the sides of the pan.
Assemble the Torte
- Cut the lattice. The remaining dough must be firm enough to roll but not so firm that it will crack. It does soften quickly, so flour the top and bottom of the disc and roll in between parchment paper until roughly 25 cm/ 10 inches in diameter.Cut the lattice into 1 cm/ ½ inch strips - 10 in total. Refrigerate until firm enough for you to peel them off the paper. If they are too soft, they'll break. Reserve any remaining dough.
- Fill the base with jam. Spoon 2 cups of jam into the torte base and smooth until even.
- Assemble the lattice pastry. Place 5 strips evenly spaced out vertically over the top of the jelly. Turn the pan 90 degrees and place the remaining five strips of dough over the existing ones.Use your thumb to press the ends of the dough into the edge to neaten them up and trim off the excess
- Finish the tart. With the remaining dough - use your fingers to form small sausages and press them around the edge. There should be enough dough to make the edges approximately 1cm/1/2 inch thick.Sprinkle the flaked almonds all around this thicker edge.
- Bake! Bake until the pastry is a lovely golden brown and the jam is bubbling through the lattice. If the top does brown too quickly before the end of the bake time, just tent in foil.Cool in the pan for ten minutes before transferring to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. The torte benefits from being left overnight as the flavours enhance- but it is still incredibly delicious if eaten the same day! Serve with whipped cream or creme fraiche.
All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend that you bake using digital scales for a more accurate result. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Notes
- If processing your own nuts, then use toasted nuts for extra flavour.
- Chill the lattice portion of the dough. The butter inside needs to firm up a bit before rolling out. If it hardens too much, rest the dough at room temperature. It's a balance!
- Flour your hands, surfaces or utensils. The dough is quite sticky, and flour is your friend in this situation!
- Prepare the dough ahead of time and store it in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to use.
- If the lattice is too tricky, stamp out the dough using a floured cookie cutter and place it over the jam. You can get as creative as you like!
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