torte

American  

[tawrt, tawr-tuh] / tɔrt, ˈtɔr tə /

noun

plural

tortes

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

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torte British  

/ tɔːt, ˈtɔrtə /

noun

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

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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” ( 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

Matty — whom Allison joked came in acting like a professional this week — came in second place after a fairly successful signature in which he made an ambitious chocolate and hazelnut torte.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2023

Double down on coconut: A blitz torte traditionally calls for whole milk, but full-fat coconut milk works beautifully in this coconut version.

From Washington Post • Apr. 1, 2023

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

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson