A slice of Prinzregententorte from Café Erbshäuser.
Growing up my family often went to art museums on Sundays. Sometimes after our museum visits we went to a pastry store and we bought some fancy cake. I always choose the same cake: namely Prinzregententorte and I can’t remember that I ever choose another cake than a slice of Prinzregententorte.
I always associated Prinzregententorte with museums visits, Sunday afternoons and of course the irresistible taste of a sponge cake with layers of chocolate butter cream. But I never asked myself why the torte was called Prinzregententorte, a possible story behind the torte and I did not even know that one can find this cake only in Bavaria. But this changed a few weeks ago when I visited my parents in Munich. While I was riding the subway I was reading a newspaper clipping that my mom gave me. This was the moment where my life changed a little bit. The newspaper was about, can you guess? (of course you know) about the history of Prinzregententorte. After reading the newspaper clipping I felt like I was let in on a secret. This was such a beautiful little moment. My dear readers, welcome to the magic world of the Prinzregententorte.

Yumiko Sasaki
Prinzregententorte is a sponge cake which consists of seven layers of chocolate butter cream, the topmost is covered with apricot jam and the entire torte is covered with a dark chocolate glaze. As I have mentioned above the torte is a Bavarian specialty and the torte is called after the Prince Regent Luitpold who became prince regent in Bavaria in 1866.
The inventor of the Prinzregententorte is in dispute until now but there are three possible inventors of the Prinzregententorte:
Johann Rottenhöfer who was the cook of Maximilan II. But Rottenhöfer died in 1872 and had no contact to the prince regent Luitpold, so it was probably unlikely that Rottenhöfer was the inventor of the cake but who knows. 
The baker Anton Seidl might be the inventor of the Prinzregententorte as well. He was a supplier to the royal court in Bavaria and it is said that he made the Prinzregententorte in 1888. After Prince Regent Luitpold ate the cake he gave Anton Seidl the permission to name the cake Prinzregententorte. However, there is no evidence if this story is true. It is said that some evidences got lost during World War II. 
Another possible inventor of the Prinzregententorte is the bakery of Heinrich Georg Erbshäuser. There is a legend that the bakery Erbshäuser made a special variation of the Prince Regent Leopold’s favorite cake in honor of his 80th birthday in 1906.
We probably will never find out who was the inventor of this delicate cake was but I think it does not matter as long as we can enjoy a slice of Prinzregententorte. Or maybe one day I will have the time to take this serious matter into my own hands and find out the inventor of the Prinzregententorte. 
It is also not an accident that the torte consists of seven layers. The seven layers stands for the seven administrative districts of Bavaria. Originally the torte consisted of eight layers but after World War I Bavaria lost the district Pfalz and the torte was reduced to seven layers. 

Window display at Café Erbshäuser.
The café of the baker Heinrich Georg Erbshäuser still exists and you can buy a slice of Prinzregententorte there. After I read the newspaper clip I went to the café Erbshäuser (of course it was on a Sunday after I visited a museum) and I bought a slice of Prinzregententorte for the very first time and had the most delicious Prinzregententorte in my life. I was born and I grew up in Munich but I did not know anything about this café and the story of the Prinzregententorte until a few weeks ago. I can’t believe that I have to confess this but I think just a few people know this story and this café.If you ever end up in Munich, visit this pastry store and buy a slice of Prinzregententorte. I promise you that you won’t regret eating this delicate torte. The café is located in a little side street near the Odeonsplatz (address and opening hours see below). It is an unimposing café and do not expect a fancy café that you can find in Vienna, Budapest or Paris. Nevertheless, if you want to get to know a little bit of local culture and get literally a taste of Munich, visit the pastry store and eat a slice of Prinzregententorte. Through such little things one get a glimpse into a city and not the town’s landmark that guide books recommend, at least in my opinion. 
Oh and you might wonder who is making the Prinzregententorte at the Café Erbshäuser nowadays? The answer is: the 33 years old Japanese lady, Yumiko Sasaki, who fell in love with the Prinzregententorte and wanted to know the secret of the cake. Yumiko Sasaki decided to take a training course as a pastry chef at the Café Erbshäuser and ever since she is making Prinzregententorte every single day. This is what I call true love.

Address
Café Erbshäuser
Glücksstraße 1
80333 München
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Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 7:30 am – 6 pm
Saturday 11 am – 6 pm
Sunday 12 am – 6 pm