5 December is my birthday so today I will post about the cake that I made for my guests - not Sachertorte (as usual) but the Hungarian Dobos torta, which is also dated from the 19th century. Invented by Jószef Dobos, it was presented at the 1885 National Exhibition of Budapest: six layers of cake were filled with a mixture of butter, sugar & cocoa, decorated with biscuit crumbs and glazed with caramel. Divided into triangles of equal size, the cover resembled a drum from above (in Hungarian: 'dob') so a lot of people fancied that Dobos torta was named after this.
The recipe quickly became a success and even more so after the Emperor and Empress of Austria -that were also King & Queen of Hungary- sampled the cake. Franz and his consort Elizabeth (the beloved Sissi) visited the pavillion of Jószef Dobos at the National Exhibition and fell in love with his sweets, making every pastry chef in Budapest eager to sell Dobos torta. Many claimed to have the original recipe, which they did not, because Dobos kept it a secret until his retirement. Then, in 1906, he shared it with the Guild of Confectioners so that everyone in Hungary learned how to make Dobos torta.
The recipe quickly became a success and even more so after the Emperor and Empress of Austria -that were also King & Queen of Hungary- sampled the cake. Franz and his consort Elizabeth (the beloved Sissi) visited the pavillion of Jószef Dobos at the National Exhibition and fell in love with his sweets, making every pastry chef in Budapest eager to sell Dobos torta. Many claimed to have the original recipe, which they did not, because Dobos kept it a secret until his retirement. Then, in 1906, he shared it with the Guild of Confectioners so that everyone in Hungary learned how to make Dobos torta.
The famous cake is generally recognized by the 'drum' but it was the filling that actually made a sensation in 1885. Jószef Dobos was the first to use buttercream, adopting the French version - with sugar, eggs, and butter. (Other versions are based on custard, meringue, or whipped cream.) Until Dobos torta introduced the novelty, layered cakes were typically filled with crème pâtissière or whipped cream. The challenge for Dobos, who made a tour of Europe selling his cake, was to preserve the buttercream filling in good condition.
More than 100 versions of Dobos torta exist nowadays but the original recipe is perfect and hardly needs to be adapted. Perhaps not many home-bakers would use cocoa poder & cocoa butter separately. However, it's not a problem. The only part that's really missing is a direction on how to make the caramel glazing, which is so important for this cake - although you will find some versions without. Whatever your choice, you need to make the glazing appear like a 'drum'.
DOBOS TORTA
The only difference from the classic recipe is the glazing that I used because I'm hopeless with caramel.
I n g r e d i e n t s
for the sponge cake:
6 eggs, separated
150g powdered sugar
125g flour
125g flour
1tsp vanilla sugar
1tbsp lemon zest
for the buttercream:
100g powdered sugar
150g butter
50g cocoa powder
1tbsp vanilla sugar
for the buttercream:
100g powdered sugar
150g butter
50g cocoa powder
1tbsp vanilla sugar
1tbsp rum
for decorating the sides (optional):
150g biscuit crumbs
for the glazing:
150g caster sugar
30g butter, cubed
2-3tbsp water
1/4tsp cocoa powder (optional)
M e t h o d
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 22cm round baking tin with parchment paper. Grease the bottom, not the sides. 2. To make the sponge cake: Beat half the sugar with the egg yolks. vanilla and lemon zest until very light. Beat the egg whites into stiff meringue, gradually adding the rest of the sugar. Combine the mixtures, incorporating the flour with a spoon. 3. Pour into the baking tin. Bake for an hour or so, then leave to cool on a wire rack. 4. To make the buttercream: Boil the sugar with 2-3tbsp water. Stir in the butter and cocoa, remove from the stove. When cold, add the rum and vanilla sugar. 5. To assemble: Divide the sponge cake into six layers of equal width. Arrange the first on a serving plate. Cover with 1/6 of the buttercream. Repeat four times. 6. Spread the remaining buttercream over the sides and cover with biscuit crumbs (if using). 7. Place a cake ring firmly around the remaining layer of cake and set aside. 8. To make the glazing: Place the sugar, butter and water in a heavy-bottomed pan and heat very gently. Remove when the mixture is dissolved, adding the cocoa. Pour over the remaining layer of cake, spread with a knife and leave to set. 9. Divide the glazed lid into 16 triangles of equal size, using a well-buttered knife. Unfasten the ring and transfer onto the cake. Serve immediately. 10. Keep any leftover cake in the refrigerator, preferably under a dome.
N o t e
Alternatively, divide the cake batter among 6 individual tins you will place on two baking sheets. Bake in the middle of the oven at 200C for 10 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and continue baking for another 5 minutes.
for decorating the sides (optional):
150g biscuit crumbs
for the glazing:
150g caster sugar
30g butter, cubed
2-3tbsp water
1/4tsp cocoa powder (optional)
M e t h o d
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 22cm round baking tin with parchment paper. Grease the bottom, not the sides. 2. To make the sponge cake: Beat half the sugar with the egg yolks. vanilla and lemon zest until very light. Beat the egg whites into stiff meringue, gradually adding the rest of the sugar. Combine the mixtures, incorporating the flour with a spoon. 3. Pour into the baking tin. Bake for an hour or so, then leave to cool on a wire rack. 4. To make the buttercream: Boil the sugar with 2-3tbsp water. Stir in the butter and cocoa, remove from the stove. When cold, add the rum and vanilla sugar. 5. To assemble: Divide the sponge cake into six layers of equal width. Arrange the first on a serving plate. Cover with 1/6 of the buttercream. Repeat four times. 6. Spread the remaining buttercream over the sides and cover with biscuit crumbs (if using). 7. Place a cake ring firmly around the remaining layer of cake and set aside. 8. To make the glazing: Place the sugar, butter and water in a heavy-bottomed pan and heat very gently. Remove when the mixture is dissolved, adding the cocoa. Pour over the remaining layer of cake, spread with a knife and leave to set. 9. Divide the glazed lid into 16 triangles of equal size, using a well-buttered knife. Unfasten the ring and transfer onto the cake. Serve immediately. 10. Keep any leftover cake in the refrigerator, preferably under a dome.
N o t e
Alternatively, divide the cake batter among 6 individual tins you will place on two baking sheets. Bake in the middle of the oven at 200C for 10 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and continue baking for another 5 minutes.
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