torte

American  

[tawrt, tawr-tuh] / tɔrt, ˈtɔr tə /

noun

tortes plural

1. a rich cake, especially one containing little or no flour, usually made with eggs and ground nuts or breadcrumbs.

---

torte British  

/ tɔːt, ˈtɔrtə /

noun

1. a rich cake, originating in Austria, usually decorated or filled with cream, fruit, nuts, and jam

---

Etymology

Origin of torte

First recorded in 1955–60; from German Torte, from Italian torta, from Late Latin (Vulgate) tōrta (pānis) “round loaf (of bread),” probably feminine of Latin tortus “twisted” ( see tort), with Vulgar Latin lengthening of o (compare French tourte )

Explanation

A torte is a dense, rich cake made with no (or very little) flour. You might order a chocolate torte for dessert at a fancy restaurant. Tortes are made in round pans and commonly use ground nuts in place of flour. The word torte is German, and many cakes described as tortes are also German (or Austrian) in origin, like the Sacher torte and Linzer torte. The roots of torte go back to the Late Latin torta, "flat cake" or "round bread." Avoid confusing torte and tort, which is much less delicious—it's a legal definition of a wrongful act.

Example Sentences

Coffee pecan torte, spiced pear sponge with miso caramel.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

What Sacher torte is to Vienna, or kouign-amann to Brittany, or cannoli to Sicily, knafeh Nabulseyeh is to Nablus.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2023

I first stumbled upon an old-fashioned blitz torte, a German layer cake traditionally filled with custard and topped with meringue, when researching recipes for my second cookbook, “The Vintage Baker.”

From Washington Post • Apr. 1, 2023

I don't think a lot of the people to whom I've served it over the years have known exactly what made it a torte either, judging by their responses when tasting it.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2023

I look it over: Sacher torte, pink champagne, crème de menthe, chocolate ganache.

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson