Dobos Torte.

A family favorite

This cake brings me back to summer afternoons in Belgrade, Serbia growing up. Practically everyone in my family loves this cake (especially my cousin Aleksandra), and I have the best memories walking with my Baka to a café right below her apartment building called Kafe Poslasti?arnica Verdi. “Verdi” is known for its amazing Dobos, Kesten Pire (a delicious chestnut dessert), and Krem Pita, a Serbian custard pastry.

A six-layer sponge cake sandwiched between layers of rich chocolate filling topped with caramel and hazelnuts, the Dobos Torte is simply unmatched by any other cake I’ve tried. It is named after its inventor and delicatessen owner, Hungarian chef József Dobos. 


The cake’s simple flavors and grand presentation make it a show-stopping dessert.

Enjoy this full-proof recipe 🙂

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your creation with the hashtag #foodfinessa.com.

Dobos Torte.

Sponge Cake

  • 10 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white, granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Caramel

  • 1-1/2 cups white, granulated sugar

Chocolate Filling

  • 12 large eggs
  • 2 cups white, granulated sugar
  • 2 packets vanilla sugar
  • 14 ounces semisweet chocolate
  • 1-1/2 cups 3 sticks unsalted butter

Chocolate Frosting

  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoons milk ((any type))

Assembly

  • 1 cup hazelnuts, chopped
  1. Preheat oven to 350?F. Grease two 8” diameter cake pans. Set aside.
  2. First make the sponge cake. Beat the egg whites until foamy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add in 2 tablespoons of the white sugar, and beat until soft peaks form. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside. Beat the egg yolks and 1 cup of the white sugar until they have doubled in volume, about 6 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, flour, salt, and melted butter. Fold in the egg whites. Transfer half of the batter into one cake pan, and the other half into the other. Bake the cakes for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting each half into three separate, thin layers using a sharp knife, cake divider, or string. Set aside the layers while you prepare the chocolate filling.
  3. Next make the caramel garnish. Add the sugar to a medium saucepan over low heat. Heat the sugar, stirring constantly, until it becomes a deep golden brown. Remove from heat. Traditional Dobos Torte has a layer of sponge cake coated in caramel, but I made a caramel topper instead for a more modern look. If you would like to make it the traditional way, simply coat one of the layers of sponge cake you just made in the caramel. To make the caramel garnish, drizzle about a teaspoon of the caramel onto parchment paper. You can make any designs with the caramel that you would like! Refrigerate the caramel designs or caramel-coated cake layer until the caramel hardens.
  4. To make the chocolate filling, add the eggs, white sugar, and vanilla sugar to the bowl of a double boiler over medium-low heat. Stir frequently, and cook until frothy and mixture has doubled in volume. Remove from heat, and whisk in the chocolate and butter until the filling has come together.
  5. To assemble the cake, add one layer of sponge to a plate or cake stand, topped with about 1/2 cup of the filling. Repeat with all the layers, and pour the remaining chocolate filling over the top of the cake once you have stacked all the layers. Smooth the chocolate around the exterior of the cake using an offset spatula, and refrigerate the cake until the chocolate has hardened, at least 2 hours.
  6. To make the chocolate frosting, beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla, and beat until well incorporated. Add one tablespoon of the milk in at a time until the frosting comes together but is not too milky.
  7. Frost the outside of the cake with the chocolate frosting. Place the caramel garnish (or your caramel cake layer) on top. Make line designs in the side of the cake as well as flower designs around the bottom and top perimeters. Add chopped hazelnuts to the side of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving. Slice, and enjoy with espresso 🙂

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