🌍 Eastern European recipesDessert
Dobos Torte
By Groceree
Also known as Dobostorta · Hungarian Dobos Cake
Six very thin sponge layers stacked with rich chocolate buttercream and crowned with wedges of hard, glassy caramel set at an angle. Created in Budapest in 1885 by József Dobos to keep well without refrigeration.
Last updated
- Servings
- 12 servings
- Prep
- 1 h 30 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 2 h 10 min
Ingredients
Sponge layers
eggs6
caster sugar150 g
plain flour120 g
butter30 g
vanilla extract1 tsp
Chocolate buttercream
dark chocolate150 g- butter250 g
- eggs3
- caster sugar150 g
Caramel top
- caster sugar150 g
lemons½
hazelnuts (optional)50 g
Instructions
Sponge layers
- 01
Heat the oven to 200°C. Draw six 22 cm circles on baking paper. Set the 250 g of for the buttercream out to soften.
- 02
Separate the and melt the . Whisk the yolks with half the until pale, and the whites with the rest to stiff peaks. Fold together with the , the melted and the .
- 03
Spread the batter thinly over the circles and bake each for 6 to 8 minutes until golden. Trim neatly and cool.
Buttercream
- 04
Melt the in a bowl over simmering water and let it cool. Whisk the and in a heatproof bowl over simmering water until thick and hot (70°C), then take off the heat and whisk until cool.
- 05
Beat the softened until pale, add the mixture, then the melted, cooled .
Assembly
- 06
Set the best layer aside. Stack the other five with buttercream and cover the sides. If using the , toast them in a dry pan until fragrant, chop them and press them onto the sides.
- 07
Squeeze the juice from the half . Cook the with the juice to a golden caramel and pour over the reserved layer. Before it sets, score into 12 wedges with a buttered knife.
- 08
Once hard, cut the wedges through and stand them on top of the cake at an angle, on dabs of buttercream.
Notes
- Score the caramel immediately; once set it shatters rather than cuts.
- The thin layers must be even — spread the batter carefully.
- Dobos kept his recipe secret until he gave it to the Budapest bakers’ guild in 1906.
- The buttercream eggs are only lightly cooked. Take them to 70°C over the water, and use pasteurised eggs if serving anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or unwell.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 32 g
Estimated from the ingredients.
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