Dobos Torte (Hungarian Layer Cake)

This is a traditional birthday cake in the Juhasz family.  If you have a large family, it may be dangerous to make it for every one of them, but if you want a change from the two layer box cake to a 7 layer cake made from scratch, this may be your guy.

Attached are scans of some pages from my family's cookbook, but am retyping the ingredients and directions (and adding any extra notes) along with the appropriate steps.  Original directions in italics.  While this collection was compiled in 1999, this particular cake recipe has been used for generations.

Fun fact: The Dobos Torte was created by  Jozsef Dobos in 1884.  The most traditional version is topped with a caramel layer, but that isn't how my family rolls.

Ingredients: Cake
9 eggs, separated (That is not a typo...it is really 9 eggs)
1 scant cup of vanilla sugar*
1 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon flour
Salt
Butter

Ingredients: Chocolate Cream Filling
6 oz semisweet chocolate or 3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup sweet butter
1 lb sifted confectioner's sugar
1 egg white

Materials and Tools
Cake pans (at least two)
Parchment paper
Scissors
Mixer or whisk
Measuring cups/spoons
Mixing bowl
Small bowls for separating eggs (recommended)

Step 1 Prepare Your Pans

Prepare 9-inch cake tins for baking: cut 7 circles of waxed paper, brown paper, or parchment to fit the bottom of the pans, grease the bottom of each one with butter, place the paper in it and grease that as well.  Set pans aside until ready to use.  Preheat oven to 400^o.

Comments

[kill-a-watt]

Where are the crushed candy bar bits between the layers? Errr.. I mean, have you ever heard of "Smith Island Cake" before?

Anyway, most recipes call for half as many eggs and they don't separate them either. But it's interesting that the cakes look so much alike, even if the recipe is clearly different.

[Nicola Tesla]

hay i'm hungarian are you?

[smirnoff04]

Looks delicious, Anna. One question for you about the ingredients, what is "sweet butter"? I've never come across that term before. Does it go by another name?

[annahowardshaw]

I've always took it to mean unsalted, as that is usually what is called for in baking. However, i wanted to look it up before responding to make sure.

I found this definition on eHow:

The designation "sweet cream butter" arose from the need to differentiate it from traditional cultured butter made from soured cream. Sweet cream butter was introduced in the 1940s when the dairy industry switched to machines that could not effectively use soured cream. Since the taste was markedly different, the need for new terminology arose. Today, sweet cream butter is the norm, while traditional cultured butter is found in specialty stores.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6979578_uses-sweet-cream-butter.html

So pretty much any butter in the US is sweet cream butter, but still go for unsalted or lightly salted for baking. Glad you asked!

[bajablue]

omg... I was JUST looking at a Dobos Torte recipe not 3 minutes ago. Too weird.

Oh... great recipe! Sorry... I just feel like I'm in the twilight zone. 8-/

[annahowardshaw]

That's crazy! If you try it, you should post an update : )