Dobos Torte

Ingredients

• 8Eggfor the sponge and the cream, usually separated
• 12⅓ ozSugarfor the sponge and the cream
• 5¼ ozSugarfor the caramel top or nut brittle
• 6 ozWheat floursifted, for the thin layers
• 8¾ ozButtersoftened, for the cream; some for greasing
• 5¼ ozDark chocolatemelted, for the cream
• 2⅛ cupsMilkfor the custard base of the cream
• 2chocolate pudding powderpackets, as a quick cream base instead of whipped eggs (optional)
• 1 tspVanillaseeds, extract or vanilla sugar, for sponge and cream
• ¼ cupwaterfor caramelising the sugar and for beating the egg whites
• 4 tbspCreamto melt the chocolate or for the yolk base (optional)
• 3½ ozhazelnutsfor nut brittle to sprinkle over layers and sides (optional)
• 1lemonjuice in the caramel or zest in the batter (optional)
• 1 tspBaking powderfor the layers (optional)

Method

1. Line your tins or trays with baking parchment, or grease and flour them, and mark out the circles or rectangles for the layers. Heat the oven.
2. Separate 6 eggs for the sponge and hold back 2 eggs for the cream; if you're making the cream with pudding powder, use all 8 eggs for the sponge. Set aside a share of the sugar for the cream in the same way. Beat the yolks with part of the sponge sugar and the vanilla until pale and foamy. Whisk the whites with the remaining sponge sugar — some of it with a little water — to stiff peaks.
3. Fold the sifted flour, with the baking powder if you're using it, and the beaten whites gently into the yolk mixture so the batter stays airy.
4. Spread the batter in batches, as thinly as you can, over the marked shapes and bake at 180–435 °F for 5–12 minutes depending on thickness. Lift each layer off the paper or tray straight away and cool on a rack.
5. For the cream base, choose one of the two routes: either bring the chocolate pudding powder to the boil with the milk and chill it completely — the milk and pudding powder belong to this version only. Or whisk the eggs held back for the cream with the reserved sugar over a water bath until thick, then beat until cold — those two are needed only for the water-bath version.
6. Melt the dark chocolate, with a little whipping cream if you like, and let it come back to room temperature. Beat the softened butter until pale and creamy, then stir in the cream base and the chocolate a spoonful at a time — everything should be at the same temperature, or the cream will split.
7. Caramelise the sugar for the top with a little water, butter or lemon juice until golden brown. Keep about a quarter of it back in the pan and pour it at once over the toasted, roughly chopped hazelnuts; let it set, then chop it finely — that's your hazelnut brittle. Pour the rest of the caramel straight away over the best-looking layer, spread it smooth and, while it is still soft, score it into 12 portions with a greased or hot knife.
8. Spread the remaining layers with the cream and stack them up. Coat the sides with cream and press on the hazelnut brittle, then set the caramel pieces on little peaks of cream at a slight angle.
9. Chill the cake for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, and cut it with a hot knife.

Tips and variations

Traditionally it's baked round (26 cm, five to eight layers); made as rectangular sheets it becomes Dobos slices. The cream also works very simply with butter, icing sugar, chocolate and milk and no egg at all, with a splash of cognac if you like; or you can build it on a roux with cocoa, or with beaten egg whites. Instead of pre-cut caramel pieces, brush hot sugar syrup straight onto the top layer, or pour a chocolate glaze over the whole cake in place of the caramel lid — white chocolate or coconut fat works too. The same hazelnut brittle that goes round the sides is also good between the layers; toasted flaked almonds on the sides or caramel sweets as decoration look just as pretty. If you'd rather skip the sponge, divide a kneaded shortcrust dough into five thinly rolled sheets. Serve well chilled in narrow slices — the caramel should crack audibly.