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
3/4 cup butter 2 cups sugar 1/4 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 Ingredients 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 Filling 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 Ingredients
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 Steps
- Cream butter, sugar and salt until smooth.
- 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.
- 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.
- Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until they form stiff peaks. Then gently fold them into the cake mixture
- Grease 4 (9-inch) cake pans. Pour 3/4 cup of the cake batter into each; spread it evenly.
- Bake in preheated 375° F 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!
- 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.
- Cream sugar and butter together, adding cocoa afterwards, a little at a time and stir until blended.
- 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.
- 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.
- When the cake layers are completely cool, put them together with chocolate custard filling in between.
- Spread the chocolate butter cream icing on both the top and the sides of the cake.
- Refrigerate for about 2 hors, then spread all over with the Chocolate Icing.
