Dobos Torte

We will start with the Dobos cream, to give it time to cool while we prepare the cake layers.

In a saucepan or a heavy-bottomed pot, pour 250 ml of whipping cream and place over heat.

In another bowl, whisk well together: 200 ml of liquid whipping cream, 2 egg yolks, 140 g of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence, 1 tablespoon of rum essence and 3 tablespoons of cocoa.

When the whipping cream in the saucepan comes to the boil, slowly pour in the mixture from the bowl and stir continuously until smooth.

Cook over heat and continue to stir until the cream becomes thick.

Turn off heat, cover the pot with cling or plastic bag, so that it won't form a skin while cooling.

In a different bowl, measure 150 g of butter and let soften at room temperature.

While the cream is cooling, we will prepare the layers for the Dobos cake.

For the Dobos cake layers, separate 9 eggs into two large bowls.

Beat the egg whites well with the mixer until firm peaks.

Then gradually add 115 g of sugar and continue to mix.

In the end, you have to have a firm and fluffy egg white mixture.

Add to the bowl with the yolks: 115 g of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence and mix into a whiter foam.

Note that you do not have to wash the mixer beaters, use them right after whisking the egg whites.

Add this mixture to the bowl with beaten egg whites and stir thoroughly with a spatula.

Add 225 g of flour and mix carefully with a spatula or a whisk, until batter is smooth and lump-free.

Distribute this batter into 6 bowls, roughly equal amounts.

Line a 26 cm diameter springform pan with baking paper and grease with a little oil or melted butter (optional).

Pour the batter from one bowl into the pan and spread with a spoon into an even layer.

Bake each cake layer in the preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 10-15 minutes or until slightly brown.

While a cake is in the oven, I use another pan and prepare the next one for baking. I specially took two 26 cm springform pans for the Dobos cake. It's much faster and more convenient.

If you don't have two pans, work only with one. When a cake sheet is done, remove the sides, pull out the parchment, line and grease the pan again and continue.

Bake all the 6 layers this way, let cool on the baking paper. You can pile them, but only with the baking paper between them while still hot.

Now we finish the cream for the Dobos, while the cakes are cooling.

Melt 160 g of dark chocolate over heat or in the microwave. Let cool a bit and pour over the cream in the saucepan. Whisk well.

Beat thoroughly the soft butter in the bowl with the mixer and gradually add in the chocolate cream.

In the end, you'll have a silky and delicious buttercream.

Reserve a few tablespoons in a glass and keep the fridge. We will use it at the end, for the caramel layers.

Spread the rest of the buttercream over 5 (out of 6) cake layers and arrange one on top of each other. Before spreading the buttercream, make sure to sprinkle each cake layer with syrup, made from warm water mixed with a little sugar or honey. Sprinkle or use a brush or a spoon for the syrup. If you don't use syrup, the sponge cake won't keep moist, as the buttercream and chocolate won't make it soft.

By the way, notice that I placed 2-3 sheets of parchment under the cake while I'm spreading it with buttercream, to keep the plate clean.

After you've covered the sides of the cake nicely with a knife, you can then carefully remove the parchment. The plate stays clean.

Cover the cake with plastic wrap and let soften and infuse for 10-12 hours in a cold place.

A few hours before serving the cake, take the remaining 6th sponge cake layer and place on a parchment sheet.

In a small saucepan, combine 200 g of sugar, 70 ml of water and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Place over heat and simmer on low until it becomes a nice caramel and slightly darker in color. Be careful not to burn it.

Meanwhile, place 1-2 knives in a large cup of hot water to help you cut the caramel layer more easily.

Pour the hot caramel over the sponge sheet, carefully spread with a spoon. Leave for a few seconds, then, with firm and fast movements, cut 8-12 uniform wedges.

The hot knife won't let the caramel cool too quickly when touched and you will work easier.

Once the caramel slices have hardened, remove the cake and the cup of reserved chocolate cream from the fridge.

Pipe or spoon a rosette of buttercream on the top edge of the cake and arrange a caramel wedge over it.

Continue in the same way until you arrange all the caramel wedges nicely.

Then you can serve the cake anytime and enjoy.

A simpler way of assembling and decorating would be cooking the cake layers in a simple baking sheet, lined with parchment.

Make 2-3 such large cake layers.

Cut them into equal halves.

Drizzle with syrup and spread with buttercream as above.

Here I decorated the cake with berries instead of caramel, it was just as good and maybe even fresher.

So the caramel version is a bit more difficult, but even the amateurs can still do it. We change all the time, we like the cake, not necessarily the caramel glaze.

Enjoy!