Doberge Cake (Torte)
My Aunt Bessie lived in Gulfport, Mississippi and used to make these cakes. The Doberge cake or torte didn't originate in New Orleans, but In Hungary! However, Beulah Ledner, a New Orleans baker in the 1930s transformed and adapted the cake to better withstand the New Orleans climate. Beulah named the cake after a Hungarian dessert called “Dobos Torta.” Beulah’s version was much lighter and used a custard filling, rather than Hungarian buttercream one. Beaulah became known as the Doberge Queen of New Orleans. Doberge cakes have between 6 to 8 layers of yellow cake with fillings that can vary from pudding, custard, ganache (whew - rich), or lemon curd. Aunt Bessie made this thick chocolate pudding /icing filling mixture for hers. I’m not going to lie; this cake is work! It really is delicious though... And by the way - we pronounce it "dough bosh". At bakeries in New Orleans, you can find them in many different flavors - this one is for a yellow cake with chocolate custard and chocolate buttercream icing. You can read more history of the Doberge Cake at the Gambino's Bakery website.
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Doberge Cake Ingredients
¾ cup butter 2 cups sugar ¼ tsp salt 4 eggs, separated, whites stiffly beaten 1 cup whole milk 3 tsp cake flour (measured after sifting) 1 tsp vanilla Chocolate Butter Cream Icing 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted 1⁄2 lb butter, softened (not melted) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 ounce bitter or semi-sweet chocolate, melted |
Chocolate Custard Ingredients
2 cups sugar 1⁄2 tsp salt 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour 4 Tbsp cornstarch 2 Tbsps unsweetened cocoa (heaping spoonfuls) 4 Tbsp bitter chocolate, melted 4 whole eggs 1 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp vanilla 4 cups milk
Chocolate Icing 1 cup light brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 4 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted 1⁄4 cup room tempertaure butter 3⁄4 cup whipping cream 1 tsp vanilla |
Cake Directions:
1. Cream butter, sugar and salt until smooth.
2. Next, separate the eggs for the cake (reserve the whites) and add in the egg yolks, one at a time. Lightly mix until smooth and creamy.
3. Sift and measure the cake flour, then add it alternately wih the milk. Beat until just mixed, then put in the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
4. Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until they form stiff peaks. Then gently fold them into the cake mixture.
5. Grease 4 (9-inch) cake pans. Pour ¾ cup of the cake batter into each; spread it evenly.
6. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely and remove from pans and then repeat with the four pans. You’ll have 8 think layers. Now Aunt Bessie had a trick and she just filled up three or four cake pans, then cut them through carefully with a piece of dental floss!
Chocolate Custard Directions:
1. Stir together: sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt, and cocoa together in a sauce pan. Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium heat until it’s thick. You have to stir this continuously!! Set aside to cool after it’s thick.
Chocolate Butter Cream Icing Directions:
1. Cream sugar and butter together, adding cocoa afterwards, a little at a time and stir until blended.
2. Stir in the melted melted chocolate and vanilla. If you think it’s too thick, add hot water, one teaspoon at a time, until it’s creamy.
Chocolate Icing:
1. Stir together all ingredients in a saucepan and let it come slowly to a boil, then boil for around 10 minutes until thick. Stir it continuously! Then, beat until it’s thick enough to spread.
To Finish:
1. When the cake layers are completely cool, put them together with chocolate custard filling in between.
2. Spread the chocolate butter cream icing on both the top and the sides of the cake.
3. Refrigerate for about 2 hors, then spread all over with the Chocolate Icing.
1. Cream butter, sugar and salt until smooth.
2. Next, separate the eggs for the cake (reserve the whites) and add in the egg yolks, one at a time. Lightly mix until smooth and creamy.
3. Sift and measure the cake flour, then add it alternately wih the milk. Beat until just mixed, then put in the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
4. Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until they form stiff peaks. Then gently fold them into the cake mixture.
5. Grease 4 (9-inch) cake pans. Pour ¾ cup of the cake batter into each; spread it evenly.
6. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely and remove from pans and then repeat with the four pans. You’ll have 8 think layers. Now Aunt Bessie had a trick and she just filled up three or four cake pans, then cut them through carefully with a piece of dental floss!
Chocolate Custard Directions:
1. Stir together: sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt, and cocoa together in a sauce pan. Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium heat until it’s thick. You have to stir this continuously!! Set aside to cool after it’s thick.
Chocolate Butter Cream Icing Directions:
1. Cream sugar and butter together, adding cocoa afterwards, a little at a time and stir until blended.
2. Stir in the melted melted chocolate and vanilla. If you think it’s too thick, add hot water, one teaspoon at a time, until it’s creamy.
Chocolate Icing:
1. Stir together all ingredients in a saucepan and let it come slowly to a boil, then boil for around 10 minutes until thick. Stir it continuously! Then, beat until it’s thick enough to spread.
To Finish:
1. When the cake layers are completely cool, put them together with chocolate custard filling in between.
2. Spread the chocolate butter cream icing on both the top and the sides of the cake.
3. Refrigerate for about 2 hors, then spread all over with the Chocolate Icing.
