Each month, I anxiously wait to see what challenge waits from the Daring Bakers. The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela
of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the
spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook
Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna,
Budapest, and Prague.
Typically, the Dobos Torte is a five-layer (or more) sponge cake, filled with a rich chocolate buttercream and topped with thin wedges of caramel. I spent time looking at various recipes and adapted this to something that I thought would be fun, and creative. I also have an upcoming dinner party with H, my parents, and one of our best friends. So, I wanted to make individual cakes instead of one single cake. There is something about individual cakes that is so elegant and unique. I also chose to add some chocolate liquor to the buttercream frosting and the layers to give the dessert a little extra kick. If you have spent any time reading my bog posts, you are probably quite familiar with the fact that I like to add liquor to my dessert. It enhances the flavor, and if done correctly will make the ordinary extraordinary. However, many desserts are fabulous as they are, so feel free to omit the liquor if that is your preference. This recipe is adapted from Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella.
Equipment
2 baking sheets,
Ramekins, a sieve/sifter, a double boiler (a large saucepan plus a large heat-proof mixing bowl which fits snugly over the top of the pan)
a small saucepan
a whisk (you could
use a balloon whisk for the entire cake, but an electric hand whisk or stand
mixer will make life much easier)
metal offset spatula
sharp knife
Prep times
Sponge
layers 20 mins prep
Buttercream: 20 mins
cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this
to beat and divide.
Caramel layer: 10-15
minutes.
Assembly of cakes:
30-45 minutes
Sponge cake layers
6 large eggs,
separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups (162g)
confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
1 teaspoon (5ml)
vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2
tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour
½ C Chocolate Liquor
Chocolate
Buttercream
4 large eggs, at room
temperature
1 cup (200g) caster
(ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
4oz (110g) bakers
chocolate or your favorite dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used Askonisie 70%
with Cocoa nibs to provide intense flavor and an extra crunch)
2 sticks unsalted
butter, at room temperature.
1/3 C Chocolate
Liquor
Caramel topping
1 cup (200g) caster
sugar
¼ C water
Juice of ½ Lemon
Directions for the sponge layers: This will make 4 large individual layer cakes (4 layers each)
*The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored
interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.
Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and
heat to 400F (200C).
Using the ramekin as a template, trace out 18 circles on
parchment paper and cut them out, and turn them over (the circle should be
visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake
batter.)
Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing)
sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the
mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are
lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step
with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)
In
another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's sugar until the
whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of
the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder,
leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the
flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour. Line one of the baking sheets with 6
circles of parchment paper. Using a small spatula, spread about ¼ cup of batter
onto each circle until the batter almost touches the edges.
Bake
on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently
in the centre and the edges are lightly browned, and remove from oven to
cool. Repeat this process with the
rest of the circles. If you have
more than one baking sheet, you can place the first sheet on the top rack and
the second on the second rack.
After five minutes, remove the sheet on the top rack from the oven, and
take the sheet on the center rack, place it on the top rack, and cook for 2
more minutes. When you remove the
cakes from the oven, invert them onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the
paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool.
Completely
cool the layers. You can use a ramekin or another piece of parchment paper to
trim the cakes into neat rounds so that when you stake them, they all match up.
(A small serrated knife is best for this task.) Place ramekin upside down, and put the cakes on top of the
ramekin. With the knife, trim the
sides of the cake.
Directions for the chocolate buttercream:
*This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until
required.
Prepare
a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a
boil. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about
five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
Fit
bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and
lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly,
for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely
chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
Scrape the
chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It
should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
When cool, beat in the soft
butter, ½ a stick at a time. I use a stand mixture, but it is possible to beat
the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a
thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill the buttercream while you make the caramel topping.
Choose
the 2 best-looking cake layers for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping:
Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the
reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 8 equal wedges. Lightly
oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
Swirl the sugar, water and
lemon juice in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved – do not allow the
mixture to boil until it is all dissolved. Once dissolved, bring to a boil over a high heat. Once
dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without
stirring until the syrup has turned into an amber-colored caramel.
Make sure
that you watch this closely as it can burn very quickly.
Using a spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake
layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the
hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut
through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 8 equal wedges. Cool
another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and
separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and
forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely. Take the additional caramel to make
haphazard shapes. This is where
fun comes in! Take a spoon, and
scoop up some of the caramel.
Drizzle it over a piece of tin foil in a zig-zag pattern. Allow it to cool, and then break off
pieces into shapes that you would like to place on top of the cakes.
When
you are ready to assemble the cakes, you should have 3 layers/cake. Place the layers down, and drizzle a
spoonful of chocolate liquor on top of each layer.
Take the bottom layer, spread some buttercream on it, then
another layer or cake, more buttercream, and the top layer. Then frost the entire cake, making sure
that you smooth the sides. Decorate
the top with the caramel. And there you have it…
