Dobostorte -- The Easiest Recipe!

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 lb superfine sugar (caster sugar,)
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 ounces flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 10 ounces superfine sugar (caster sugar,)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/3 pint water
• 8 egg yolks
• 2 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 1 lb unsalted butter
• 6 ounces superfine sugar (caster sugar,)
• 6 tablespoons water

Recipe

• 1 cake layers:.
• 2 although most methods tell you to grease and flour the underside of 2 or more 9" (23cm) cake tins, i found it easiest to use the bottoms of loose-bottomed cake tins, regardless of width.
• 3 grease these removeable, flat, round cake tin bottoms with butter, sprinkle over flour, shake to coat, and shake off excess. most ovens will probably only take 2 at a time, as you have to bake in the centre of the oven.
• 4 preheat oven to 350 deg f/180 deg c (170 deg for convection ovens).
• 5 cream the butter and sugar well, until creamy.
• 6 beat in the eggs and mix well.
• 7 stir in the flour, salt and vanilla essence.
• 8 continue to mix at slow speed until you have a smooth, firm batter.
• 9 with a palette knife or other utensil, spread the batter as evenly as possible on the prepared cake tin bottoms -- 1/8 of an inch thick or less than 1/2 cm.
• 10 bake in the middle of the oven for 7 - 9 minutes, or until each layer is lightly brown around the edges.
• 11 remove, and with a serrated knife gently scrape off any batter that has dribbled over the sides of the tin.
• 12 loosen the layer with a knife or spatula, and remove carefully to a cake rack.
• 13 wipe the tin bottoms, repeat the greasing process, and repeat the baking process.
• 14 you should have 7 beautifully thin, firm cake layers.
• 15 the filling: combine the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small pot.
• 16 stir over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, then turn heat to high and boil the syrup without stirring until it registers 238 deg f/about 110 deg c on a candy thermometer, or until a drop of the syrup forms a soft ball in cold water.
• 17 meanwhile beat the 8 egg yolks for about 4 minutes or long enough to thicken them -- they should get lighter in colour.
• 18 pour the hot syrup into the eggs, letting the mixer continue to beat at medium speed, until the mixture cools to room temperature and changes to a smooth, thick cream. (15 mins).
• 19 beat in the cocoa, salt and vanilla essence.
• 20 lastly, beat in the butter, adding it in small pieces until it is well absorbed.
• 21 refrigerate while you make the glaze.
• 22 glaze: choose the most attractive of the cake layers and put on a flat tin.
• 23 mix sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed pot. cook until the sugar dissolves, boils and begins to darken in colour.
• 24 swirl the tin while continuing to boil, until caramel becomes a golden brown, then pour it over the layer you've chosen.
• 25 with a buttered knife, quickly mark the glaze into 16 equal wedges, cutting nearly but not quite, through to the bottom of the glaze.
• 26 scrape away glaze on tin so layer won't stick and break!
• 27 this will be the top of your torte.
• 28 assembling: place a cake layer on a serving plate and spread chocolate filling over it to a thickness of about 1/8 inch, then top with another layer.
• 29 continue -- finishing with a layer of filling, and then the glazed top layer.
• 30 use rest of filling to cover the sides of the cake, smooth it, and refrigerate.
• 31 to serve, slice along the lines marked in the glaze.