Hungarian Dobosh Torte (Dobos Torta)

By Barbara Rolek

Updated 10/17/18

Hungarian Dobosh Torte

Sergio Amiti / Getty Images

Ratings (41)
  • Total: 80 mins
  • Prep: 60 mins
  • Cook: 20 mins
  • Yield: 1 torte (16 servings)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
580 Calories
43g Fat
46g Carbs
6g Protein
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Dobosh torte, also known as drum torte or dobos torta, is a Hungarian sponge cake consisting of seven layers filled with rich chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel.

It was invented by and named after Hungarian (some say he was Austrian) pastry chef Jozsef C. Dobos in 1884.

The sides of the cake are usually spread with buttercream and sometimes coated with ground hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts or almonds, and made in a round or loaf pan. Dobos torte is on a par with another elegant layered Hungarian dessert, sutemeny Rigo Jancsi.

Ingredients

  • For the Cake
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter (room-temperature)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs (room-temperature, lightly beaten)
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • For the Filling
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate (chopped)
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (chopped)
  • 1 pound unsalted butter (room-temperature)
  • 5 large egg whites (room-temperature)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • For the Caramel Glaze
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water

Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this seven-layer sponge cake is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and baking.

Make the Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Heat oven to 350 F.

  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

  4. Beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, then flour and vanilla until smooth.

  5. Lightly coat the bottom of 7 (9-inch) round pans or bake as many layers at a time as you have 9-inch cake pans and reuse them to bake the rest of the batter with cooking spray.

  6. Weigh the batter remembering to subtract for the weight of the bowl. Divide that number by 7 and that's how many ounces you will need for each pan in order to create even layers.

  7. Bake for 7 minutes or until edges are very lightly brown. Don't over-bake.

  8. Remove from oven, loosen layer, and immediately invert onto a cake rack.

  9. Continue until all the batter is used.

Make the Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Melt both chocolates in a microwave and set aside to cool.

  3. In a large bowl, beat 1 pound butter on low for 2 minutes, then on medium for 3 minutes and finally on high for 5 minutes.

  4. Place 5 egg whites and 1 cup sugar in a double boiler over medium heat. Whisk gently to 120 F.

  5. Transfer to a mixing bowl and whip on high until stiff peaks form.

  6. Fold the melted and cooled chocolate into the butter.

  7. Then fold in the egg whites until all traces of white are gone.

  8. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the Caramel Glaze

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place 1 cake layer on a cake rack set over a pan to catch the drips.

  3. Mix 2/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small heavy saucepan.

  4. Without stirring, cook until sugar dissolves, comes to a boil, and begins to darken in color.

  5. Swirling the pan, continue to boil until caramel becomes a golden brown. 

  6. Immediately pour caramel over the cake layer. 

  7. With a buttered knife, quickly mark the glaze before it hardens into 16 equal wedges without cutting all the way through.

  8. Use the rest of the filling to cover the sides of the cake. Sprinkle with ground nuts of choice, if desired. Refrigerate.

  9. To serve, slice along the lines marked in the caramel glaze.

Assemble the Torte

  1. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate, or in a 9-inch springform pan to use as a guide, and spread on 1/8-inch of filling.

  2. Repeat with remaining layers and portions of filling, and finish with the leftover glazed layer on top.

  3. Serve and enjoy!

Two Types of Caramel

There are hundreds of recipes for Hungarian Dobosh torte out there. There is the poor imitation a certain food catalog puts out and others that have been appropriated from Hungarian or Austrian cuisine but aren't authentic. In this traditional recipe, the caramel is made with water.

There are two different kinds of basic caramel -- a wet caramel where sugar is melted with water (as in this case) and a cooked, or dry, caramel where sugar is cooked by itself until it liquefies and caramelizes. This traditional Dobosh torte recipe uses a wet caramel.