Prantl's famous Burnt Almond Torte gets New York Times shoutout

Prantl’s Bakery’s famous Burnt Almond Torte keeps getting more famous.

The cake that put Pittsburgh on the confectionery map has received a shoutout in the New York Times as among “The 29 Best Retirement Gifts.”

Wirecutter, the Times’ product recommendation service, published the list this month, with the cake featured under the heading “Sweet Celebration.”

“Whether or not you can make the retirement party, the 8-by-8-inch Prantl’s Burnt Almond Torte … would be a welcome addition to the festivities, or any day, really,” the description reads.

The Burnt Almond Torte started gaining national attention in 2014, when HuffPost dubbed it “The Greatest Cake America Has Ever Made.” And Wirecutter has extolled its virtues more than once, such as in the 2020 roundup called “The Gifts We Want to Give.”

The cake has been a signature item at Prantl’s since 1970, as described on the bakery’s website. It has a custard filling between two almond cake layers, topped with vanilla buttercream and dark candied, toasted almond slivers. It was conceived by Henry Prantl, who founded the bakery on Walnut Street in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood in the 1960s. The current owner is Joe Cugliari of North Huntingdon, where Prantl’s opened a location in 2020.

The New York Times directs its readers to the online food store Goldbelly, which sells the 8-by-8-inch cake for $85.95. Pittsburgh area residents have an advantage in this regard — the same cake can be purchased at the seven locations of Prantl’s for $39.89.

The Wirecutter item concluded with a testimonial from staff writer Lesley Stockton, who has received the Burnt Almond Torte as a gift from an aunt a few times. Stockton called the cake “so freaking good” that she and her family “totally devour it” every time.