Himmelstorte – Heaven Cake Recipe

This homemade Himmelstorte recipe has such a fitting name. Translated from German, Himmelstorte – Heaven Cake, is the perfect name because each bite tastes like a slice of heaven.

The light and fluffy texture of the soft, yellow cake layers with alternating meringue and raspberry whipped cream resemble the airy clouds in the sky. Topped with sliced golden almonds for a bit of delicate crunch and flavor, this cake is memorable and is absolutely a celebration cake.

We love meringue recipes from Boccone Dolce Cake, melt-in-your-mouth Meringue Shell Cookies, or even a simple Eton Mess– they are so delicate and satisfying. If you are a fan of delicate, sweet meringue, you have got to make this Himmelstorte – Heaven Cake recipe!

Himmelstorte (Heaven Cake)

My husband and I first tried this cake while on vacation for our 20th wedding anniversary (Wow, 20 years of marriage has gone by so quickly, time sure flies when you’re having fun!). This Himmelstorte was love at first bite. After finding a recipe (in English – that was tricky!) and adding our own touches to the recipe, here is why we love it:

Light and airy dessert, which is great during the summer or after a large meal
Make ahead – The cake layers can be prepped ahead of time
Easy to assemble and decorate
Customizable – The fruit in the filling can be easily changed to your taste

What is Himmelstorte?

Himmelstorte is a German cake recipe with many names and closely related variations. It is also called Heaven Cake (in German Himmel- sky/heaven + torte- cake), Hannchen-Jensen Torte (giving credit to the recipe’s creator), or even Schwimmbadtorte (Swimming Pool Cake). Hanna Jensen ran a Bed and Breakfast on Germany’s North Sea coast. She was known to serve tea and this two-tier meringue, fruit, and whipped cream cake to her guests- and the happy guests shared her recipe around the globe.

As with many recipes, there can be discrepancies in the origin, ingredients, or flavors and this recipe is no different. No matter what you call this dessert, the essential features of Himmelstorte are the light and airy layers of cake, meringue, whipped cream, and fruit.

Ingredients

Pull your eggs and dairy out to bring to room temperature and get your stand mixer ready because there is a lot of mixing to do in this Himmelstorte recipe.

For the meringue cake layers:

Butter – unsalted, softened
Sugar – for sweetness
Eggs – room temperature, separated into egg whites and egg yolks
Vanilla – we like to use our homemade vanilla for the best taste
Flour – all-purpose or gluten-free if you prefer
Baking powder – leavening ingredient
Salt – fine sea salt to enhance the flavor of the cake and meringue
Milk – room temperature, and you can use whole milk or low-fat
Confectioners’ sugar – to sweeten the meringue, plus more to dust the top
Sliced almonds – add a delicate crunch to this light and airy recipe

For the raspberry whipped cream:

Heavy whipping cream – the fat content adds structure and light and airy texture after whipping
Sugar – to sweeten the whipped cream
Vanilla – for the signature flavor of whipped cream
Raspberries – divided, keep a handful to garnish the top of your cake

Pro Tip:

Use light-colored metal baking pans. Darker pans will brown the cake too much. If using dark pans, bake for 28-30 minutes.

How to Make Himmelstorte

To make the cake and meringue layers:

Prepare – Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and line the bottoms and sides of two, 9-inch round cake pans or springform pans with parchment paper. Add a little butter under the parchment strips where they overlap to keep themin place.
Mix the cake ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Next, add vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Combine – Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on medium/low speed just until well incorporated. While mixing, drizzle in the milk and mix until blended. Divide the batter between your prepared cake pans and spread evenly in the bottom. The batter will be thick.
Make your meringue – Clean the bowl of your stand mixer and beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Increase to medium-high speed and add a pinch of salt then gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth, glossy, and thick with nearly stiff peaks, about 3-4 minutes. Divide meringue into your 2 cake pans and spread evenly. Using the back of a spoon, make peaks and mounds then sprinkle the top with almonds.
Bake – Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until meringue and almonds are golden. The meringue will not be fully dried out. Remove from the oven and cool the pans on wire racks until room temperature then remove the cakes from the pans.