Vanilla Cream Torte, (“Erosion Cake”), or Flourless Vanilla Wafer Cake, or Walnut Cream Cake- there are many names for this oldie but goodie recipe!
It is a family favorite!
I first got it from my mother-in-law, Ruth, who was always trying new recipes. I believe she got it from the Nabisco Company. She found it in the late 1960’s, and she dubbed it the “Erosion Cake”, since the Cream Topping sometimes slid over the cake!
Wow, is this over-the-top good! So-ooo creamy! That Cream Topping is a delicious contrast to the dense, nutty cake!
She got many ooo’s and ah’s when she put this one on the table!
It has no flour, so it is a more of a torte than a cake, with vanilla wafer crumbs replacing the flour.
I admit it! It takes time to make, but it is definitely worth it!
I make it every year for Bill’s brother Rick on his birthday. It’s his one dessert request! Bill just asked for “Erosion Cake” today. I said you mean you can’t wait three more months for Rick’s birthday?! I realized I never posted it, so here it is.
You might need to fuss with the parchment paper. Even greased, it can stick to the cake at places, so peel it off gently and gradually. You don’t want to break the cake. You might have to peel it off in pieces, so just take your time removing it.
See the steps how to make it in the slideshow below.
Enjoy!
Vanilla Cream Torte
Equipment
- parchment paper
- 2 8-inch cake pans, or a torte pan
Ingredients
TORTE BATTER:
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sugar divided
- ½ cup vanilla wafers , finely crushed or lemon wafers
- ½ cup walnuts finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
CREAM TOPPING:
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 box (3.4 ounces) vanilla pudding mix instant
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Grease or spray the bottom and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans. Then add parchment paper on bottom and sides of pans. Grease or spray the parchment paper.
- Divide the whites and yolks of the eggs.
- With a mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites and ½ cup of sugar until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix by hand the egg yolks, remaining ½ cup of sugar, vanilla wafers, walnuts, baking powder, and salt. Mix well until all is incorporated.
- Add the mixture to the beaten egg whites and mix on lowest speed until well-mixed.
- Divide the batter into the two prepared pans.
- Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
- Place the pans on a wire rack to completely cool.
- Meanwhile, with a mixer on medium high speed, or by hand, beat all the Cream Topping ingredients together for a few minutes until thick. Let it sit for five minutes to thicken more.
- Invert one cake layer onto a serving plate and gently, slowly peel off the parchment paper.
- Spread half of the Cream Topping to the edges of the cake layer, then invert the other cake layer on top, gently remove the parchment paper and spread the rest of the Cream Topping over the top and down the sides a little. (Optional: Sprinkle the top with additional finely chopped nuts or wafer crumbs.)
- Store the torte covered in the refrigerator.