TASTE
Ready for a treat? Make a real Dobos torte
| • | The art of entertaining |
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser food editor
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One mark of a true Dobos torte is that every layer is individually baked, never baked in a deep pan and split. Five layers is common. Use the best chocolate you can afford and don't be afraid of making the caramel — it's simple and quick, but keep your eye on it as the sugar melts and browns.
This recipe is from www.europeancuisines.com, which reports that Dobos actually toured with his cake and was one of the world's first celebrity chefs. If there had been TV then, he'd have been on it!
DOBOS TORTE
For the cake:
For the chocolate cream:
For the caramel glaze:
Make the cake: Prepare six 9-inch cake tins for baking: cut 6 circles of waxed paper, brown paper, or baking parchment to fit the bottom of the pans, grease the bottom of each one with butter, place the paper in, and grease that as well. Set the pans aside until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 400. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of the salt until foamy; continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and the sugar together until lemon-colored and very thick. About one-quarter cup at a time, sift the flour on top of the egg yolk and sugar mixture and fold it in. Mix a tablespoonful of beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it, and then gently fold in the rest of the whites. Keep a light touch throughout, handling the batter just enough to make sure it is evenly blended.
Take a prepared pan and spread one-sixth of the batter on the bottom as evenly as possible. Let the batter touch the sides of the pan at several points. Place it in the middle of the preheated oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cake hardens and begins to turn color. Remove from the pan with spatula, invert, and quickly but carefully tear off all the paper. Cool on cake rack. Continue in this fashion until all the layers are baked.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate filling: Melt the chocolate with the coffee in a double boiler, or over very low heat, or in the microwave (50 percent power 1-4 minutes; stir between, it's done when the chocolate can be stirred and has no lumps). Cream the butter with the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and beat until it is well blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until the cream is light and fluffy.
Keep the filling in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the caramel glaze and assemble the cake: When all the layers are ready, pick the best one for the top. Place it on a piece of waxed paper and set it aside. Spread filling on the first four layers and stack them; put the fifth layer on top. Saving enough filling for the fifth layer plus a little extra, frost the outside of the cake and then the fifth layer.
Meanwhile, melt the sugar in a nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook, swirling and stirring, until the caramel is smooth and quite brown. Do not touch or taste the caramel: it is VERY HOT! When ready, pour it quickly over the sixth layer, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
With a buttered knife, quickly cut the caramel-topped layer into 12 or 16 wedges before the caramel hardens. As soon as it dries, place the wedges on top of the cake and use the rest of the filling to frost the outside of the fifth and sixth layers.
Leave the cake in a cool place until ready to serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator
Makes 12-16 servings.
Per serving (based on 12): 450 calories, 26 g fat, 15 g saturated fat, 200 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 42 g sugar, 7 g protein
* To make vanilla sugar, split a vanilla bean and bury it in 2-3 cups of sugar in an airtight container; leave 1-2 weeks. Or substitute plain sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract.
Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.
