This Soda Cracker Torte is a unique vintage dessert with a light and airy meringue crust, crunchy walnuts, and sweet raspberry preserves.
Saltine Cracker Torte
Meringue, soda crackers (saltines), and walnuts form a delicious crust for this unique torte that is additionally layered with raspberry preserves and fresh whipped cream. Sometimes this vintage recipe was prepared in a pie pan and you may have seen it called Soda Cracker Pie.
Stacey’s family on her Dad’s side all come from Wisconsin. When she was six months old, her dad and I drove to Wisconsin to show her off to her extended family and to meet her great-grandmother who was still alive at that time.
At one of our stops, her great-aunt served a delicious torte that was unlike anything I had ever tasted and I asked for the recipe, which her great-aunt happily shared with me.
Forty years later, the recipe card resurfaced and I decided to give the raspberry soda cracker torte a try.
My pictures don’t do it justice. It’s so tasty in a way that brings the slight saltiness of the saltines together with the sweetness of the meringue, preserves, and whipped cream.
I love it! Now that I’ve made it once, I have a better idea of what to expect and it will take less time. — Sara
Ingredients
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Meringue Layer/Crust:
- 6 egg whites
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 28 Soda crackers (Saltines)
- 1 ½ cup chopped walnuts
Fruit Layer
- 1 jar raspberry preserves (about 14-16 ounces)
Homemade Whipped Cream
- 1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
- 2 TB sugar
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Electric Mixer
- 9×13″ casserole dish or baking pan
- Mixing Bowls
Instructions
To Prep: Prepare a 9 x 13″ baking pan by spraying with nonstick baking spray. Add a long strip of parchment paper if you want to lift the entire torte out of the pan. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Meringue Layer
- Crush the soda crackers, chop the nuts and combine the two in a large bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat egg whites until they begin to turn lighter and brighter in color and form soft peaks. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is very stiff.
- Fold the egg white mixture into the bowl of crushed crackers and chopped walnuts.
- Spread the egg white mixture into the pan and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until firm and SLIGHTLY brown. Allow to cool.
Whipped Cream Preparation
- Place pint of heavy whipping cream into mixing bowl.
- Beat until it begins to stiffen, then add 2 TB of sugar.
- Continue beating until it turns into whipped cream.
Raspberry Jam Layer
- Stir the raspberry jam or preserves until it is spreadable.
- Carefully spread the raspberry jam on first layer you made that’s already in the pan.
Whipped Cream Layer
- Top the raspberry preserves with your prepared whipped cream.
- Sprinkle chopped nuts or grated chocolate on top.
- Serve immediately or keep in refrigerator until serving time.
Prep Tips
- Nuts – The recipe calls for walnuts but pecans would also work.
- Crackers – “Soda crackers” are what we commonly call saltines now. At one time, Saltines were a trademarked name for a brand of soda crackers. So whatever you call them, they are those little 2X2 crackers that come in long sleeves, four sleeves to a box.
- Preparing the Pan – I used a strip of parchment paper which you can see in the pictures, to line the pan. This allowed me to CAREFULLY lift the torte out to add the preserves and whipped cream.
- Preserves – The recipe called for raspberry jam, though you could use another flavor that you prefer. I used preserves from Trader Joe’s and it’s become my favorite preserves of all time. It does include sugar. Use either jam or preserves (not jelly), so you have pieces of fruit in that layer.
- Whipped Cream – I love fresh whipped cream and it’s pretty easy to make. Homemade whipped cream should hold up pretty well, so you could make it as early as the day before. I forgot to do this, but chilling the bowl and the mixers helps the whipping cream to form better.
- Separating the Eggs – Egg white are the base of the meringue layer. When you crack your egg, let the white of the egg fall into a little bowl, making sure no yolk goes with it. If you have a clean egg white, add it to your mixing bowl. It’s very important that no egg yolk is in your egg white mixture, so don’t crack your egg over the main mixing bowl.
More Layered Dessert Recipes:
Soda Cracker Cake Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Soda Cracker Torte
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Stainless mixing bowl
- 9X12 baking dish
Ingredients
- 28 soda crackers (saltines) about one sleeve, crushed
- 1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 6 egg whites (see notes about preparation)
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 14-16 ounces raspberry jam or preserves
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 2 TB sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts optional for topping
Instructions
- Prepare a 9X12 oven safe pan by spraying with nonstick baking spray. Add a long strip of parchment paper if you want to lift the entire torte out of the pan.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
Meringue Base Layer
- Crush the soda crackers, chop the nuts and combine in a large bowl.
- In a separate clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until they begin to turn white and form soft peaks.
- Add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is very stiff.
- Fold in the egg white mixture into the saltines and chopped walnuts.
- Spread the egg white mixture into the pan.
- Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until firm and SLIGHTLY brown.
- Let crust cool.
Raspberry Layer
- Stir the jam or preserves until it is easy to spread.
Whipped Cream Preparation
- Place pint of heavy whipping cream into mixing bowl.
- Beat until it begins to stiffen and add 2 TB of sugar.
- Continue beating until it turns into whipped cream.
Putting the Torte Together
- Spread jam carefully on top of meringue layer.
- Top with prepared whipped cream.
- Sprinkle chopped nuts or grated chocolate on top.
- Serve immediately or keep in refrigerator until serving time.
Notes
- Nuts - The recipe calls for walnuts but pecans would also work.
- Crackers - "Soda crackers" are what we commonly call saltines now. At one time, Saltines were a trademarked name for a brand of soda crackers. So whatever you call them, they are those little 2X2 crackers that come in long sleeves, four sleeves to a box.
- Preparing the Pan - I used a strip of parchment paper which you can see in the pictures, to line the pan. This allowed me to CAREFULLY lift the torte out to add the preserves and whipped cream.
- Preserves - The recipe called for raspberry jam, though you could use another flavor that you prefer. I used preserves from Trader Joe’s and it’s become my favorite preserves of all time. It does include sugar. Use either jam or preserves (not jelly), so you have pieces of fruit in that layer.
- Whipped Cream - I love fresh whipped cream and it’s pretty easy to make. Homemade whipped cream should hold up pretty well, so you could make it as early as the day before. I forgot to do this, but chilling the bowl and the mixers helps the whipping cream to form better.
- Separating the Eggs - Egg white are the base of the meringue layer. When you crack your egg, let the white of the egg fall into a little bowl, making sure no yolk goes with it. If you have a clean egg white, add it to your mixing bowl. It’s very important that no egg yolk is in your egg white mixture, so don’t crack your egg over the main mixing bowl.
Nutrition
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