NB ** The butter should be softened, in both cases.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Separate the eggs, and whip the whites with
the salt and the ice water until stiff. Add the egg yolks, one by
one, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Add the larger
quantity of sugar, spoon by spoon, whipping all the time (if using an
electric beater, turn down to lowest speed). Add flour, little by
little, making sure that it is completely blended into the egg
mixture (cut and fold carefully IMH).
Line a baking sheet 17" X 12" with non stick baking parchment and
lightly spread it with softened butter. Pour the batter onto the
baking sheet. Tap sides a few times to even it out. Bake in the
preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
Cut the cake into 6 even pieces each 8 1/2 by 4 inches. Pull off the
parchment. Cover the pieces with cloth or fresh paper while cooling in
order to retain some of the moisture.
Make the chocolate filling.
Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds into the sugar. Mix
sugar with butter, prepared coffee and the whole egg. Beat into a
creamy mixture. Soften the chocolate over hot water or in a low oven
or microwave and mix into the filling. Cool 15 minutes in the
refrigerator before using.
Set aside the best of the 6 pieces of the pastry to use for the top
of the cake. Spread a little sweet (unsalted) butter on a marble slab
or formica topped table, and place the chosen cake layer upon it.
Spread the chocolate filling on the other 5 layers. The filling
layers should be about 1/8 inch thick. Put the layers together and
frost the sides. Put the rest of the filling into a forcing (pastry)
bag.
Melt the smaller quantity of sugar in a heavy frying pan, stir it
with a buttered spoon as it cooks over a very low heat. The sugar at
first will look like dirty snow, then it will melt into a walnut
coloured shiny liquid. Immediately remove it from the heat and spoon
it directly from the frying pan onto the top cake layer on the marble
slab. Score it to its intended portion sizes with the tip of a
buttered knife, then cut it all the way through with the buttered
knife. You must work fast because the caramel hardens in less than a
minute. Be careful not to touch the caramel with your hands.
When the caramel is cool, put the top layer on top of the filled
layers. The shiny glaze is the crowning glory of the cake. Fit a
number 6 tube to the pastry bag and pipe a decorative border of
chocolate filling around the top edge of the torte.
Cool the cake in the refrigerator until the filling is firm, 3-4
hours.
To serve, slice the cake with a knife dipped in hot water. Cake
will keep in the refrigerator for as long as 10 days.
Notes.
This recipe is actually for a Dobos strip. To make a torte, bake 6
or 7 layers in separate 9" round layer cake pans. If your oven is big
enough, do them all at the same time, if not, do them in batches. To
make a 9" torte, giving 16 slices, double the quantities given. For
the record, the original torte made by Dobos was round.
Recipe "The cuisine of Hungary" George Lang MMed IMH Georges' Home BBS
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