Looking For a New Dessert? Give Schaum Torte a Try. (2024)

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

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!

Recipe ingredients

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

1. 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).

2. 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).

3. With mixer still on medium-high, very slowly add, over the course of 2-3 minutes, 1 cup sugar, cream of tartar, and vinegar.

4. Add the other 1 ¼ cups of sugar, again very slowly, and vanilla. Beat for 10 minutes on medium speed.

5. 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).

6. Use your finger to smooth out the top where the piping tops. Repeat with remaining meringue until all 12 tortes have been formed.

7. 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.

8. 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