Hungarian Walnut Torte (Dios Torta)

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/14/22
Hungarian Walnut Torte (Dios Torta)

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Servings: 12 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
478 Calories
33g Fat
35g Carbs
13g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 478
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 42%
Saturated Fat 15g 73%
Cholesterol 323mg 108%
Sodium 250mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 30g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 156mg 12%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 206mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This recipe for Hungarian walnut torte or dios torta (DEE-oosh TOORR-taw) is from Dorothy Bardoczi. Some people toast their walnuts before they grind them, but this recipe doesn't call for it. Dorothy bakes this sponge cake in a tube pan, but we prefer to use three (8-inch) round cake pans.

Ingredients

For the Walnut Sponge:

  • 12 large eggs, separated

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 1 cup finely ground walnuts, more for garnish

  • 1/4 cup cake flour

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 5 large egg yolks

  • 1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 4 ounces German sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup (8-ounces) unsalted butter, softened

For Garnish

  • Chocolate curls

  • Coarsely chopped walnuts

Steps to Make It

To Make the Sponge

  1. Gather the sponge cake ingredients.

    Hungarian Walnut Torte (Dios Torta), sponge ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 10-cup tube pan or 3 (8-inch) round pans with cooking spray. If desired, line 8-inch pan bottoms with parchment paper circles and again lightly coat with cooking spray.

    3 tube pans greased with cooking spray and parchment circle on the bottom

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Beat the egg yolks with sugar for 15 minutes with a hand mixer or in the bowl of as stand mixer until light in color.

    egg yolks and sugar beat together

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Add nuts and mix thoroughly.

    nuts added to the egg and sugar mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Sift together flour and baking powder, and mix into batter until thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.

    eggs, sugar, nuts, flour and baking powder mixed into a batter in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. In a new bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer on high, until stiff peaks form.

    egg whites beat with a hand mixer in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk batter to lighten it.

    stir egg whites into the yolk batter

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Then, gently fold in the remaining egg whites, trying not to deflate the volume. Fold in zest.

    fold in egg white and zest into yolk batter

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  9. Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake for 25 minutes or until edges are just beginning to brown. Don't overbake.

    walnut torte batter in round baking pans

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  10. Cool the cake in pan a few minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

    walnut torte sponge in baking pans cooling on a wire rack

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

To Make the Chocolate Buttercream

  1. Gather the buttercream ingredients.

    chocolate buttercream ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a double boiler over low heat, cook egg yolks, confectioners' sugar, and milk until thick, stirring throughout.

    egg yolks, confectioners' sugar, and milk mixture over a double boiler

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. The mixture is done when it coats a wooden spoon and leaves a trail when you run your finger through the mixture on the spoon. Remove from heat.

    test thickness of egg yolks, confectioners' sugar, and milk mixture on a wooden spoon

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Mix the egg mixture with the cooled melted chocolate and vanilla. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

    egg mixture mixed with melted chocolate and vanilla

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Mix the softened butter using an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixture, with the cooled egg and chocolate mixture, until light and fluffy.

    mix butter with the egg and chocolate mixture

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Once the cake is cool, place some frosting on the top of one to create a sandwiched layer.

    frost walnut cake sponge with chocolate buttercream

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Stack the cakes and frost completely. Garnish with chocolate curls or nuts, if desired.

    Hungarian Walnut Torte (Dios Torta)

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tip

  • In making the frosting, make sure the melted chocolate is cooled to room temperature otherwise, the butter will melt and the frosting will be soupy and will need to be refrigerated before using.