DOBOS TORTE
This Hungarian sponge cake is named after its creator – a chef from Budapest, József Dobos.
Preparation 1½ hours, plus cooling and chilling Cooking about 30 minutes Serves 14
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
400G GRANULATED SUGAR
200ML DOUBLE CREAM
350G SALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED, PLUS EXTRA TO GREASE 75G DARK CHOCOLATE, MELTED AND COOLED
FOR THE CAKE
10 MEDIUM EGGS, SEPARATED, PLUS 2 MEDIUM EGG YOLKS 400G CASTER SUGAR
1 TBSP LEMON JUICE
1 TBSP VANILLA EXTRACT
100G GROUND HAZELNUTS
100G PLAIN FLOUR
FOR THE HAZELNUT-CARAMEL SHARDS
200G CASTER SUGAR
40G BLANCHED HAZELNUTS
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For the buttercream, over a gentle heat in a large pan, heat the sugar and 100ml water, stirring until dissolved. Turn up the heat and boil without stirring until a dark golden caramel. Remove from heat and whisk in the cream. Set aside to cool.
Using a mixer (or electric whisk and large bowl), beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the caramel a splash at a time. Put
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two-thirds of the buttercream into a piping bag (or transfer to a bowl). Fold the chocolate into remaining buttercream; transfer to a second piping bag (or leave in bowl). Set aside in a cool place (not fridge).
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6. Grease a 23cm x 33cm Swiss roll tin; line with parchment. For the cake, with a hand-held electric whisk or freestanding mixer, beat 12 egg yolks and the sugar for 5 minutes until pale and thick. Add the lemon and vanilla; beat for 1 minute. Beat in the ground hazelnuts and ½ tsp salt. Using a metal spoon, fold in the flour in two batches until combined.
In a separate large bowl with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add a few spoonfuls of egg white to the yolk mixture and stir well to loosen it, then fold in the remainder with a large metal spoon. Pour half the batter into the prepared tin and level with a palette knife. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm and golden.
Using the parchment, lift the sponge on to a rack to cool. Line the tin with fresh paper. Cook the remaining batter as before.
Once the sponges are cool, with a long side closest to you, cut each vertically into thirds. To assemble, lay a sponge on a serving plate, then pipe or spread a fifth of the chocolate mixture on top in an even layer. Repeat 4 times (to use the buttercream), then lay on final sponge. Trim edges to neaten. Spread a thin layer of caramel buttercream on top and sides of cake (a crumb coat). Chill for 30 minutes.
Dissolve the sugar in a heavy-based pan. Turn up the heat and cook until it is a caramel colour. Pour it onto a lightly greased baking sheet and scatter over the hazelnuts. Cool, then break into shards.
Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake; smooth with a palette knife dipped in hot water. Chill for 20 minutes, then top with the hazelnut-caramel shards.
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100G GRANULATED SUGAR
250G PLAIN FLOUR, PLUS EXTRA FOR DUSTING 150G BUTTER, CHILLED AND CUBED, PLUS EXTRA FOR GREASING
1 MEDIUM EGG, BEATEN
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT 1KG EATING APPLES, SUCH AS BRAEBURN ½ TSP GROUND CINNAMON
FINELY GRATED ZEST ½ LEMON
50G SULTANAS
50G CASTER SUGAR
4 TBSP DRIED BREADCRUMBS
1 MEDIUM EGG, BEATEN, TO GLAZE
DOUBLE CREAM, SOFTLY WHIPPED
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For the pastry, briefly pulse the sugar, flour and ¼ tsp fine salt in a food processor. Add the chilled butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (or rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips). Add the egg, vanilla and 2 tbsp cold water and pulse or mix until the pastry just clumps together. Tip onto a worksurface, bring together, shape into a disc and wrap in baking parchment. Chill for 1 hour.
Ten minutes before the pastry is fully chilled, make the filling. Peel, core and halve the apples. Cut into 3mm slices. Mix in a bowl with the cinnamon, lemon zest, sultanas and all but ¾ tbsp of the sugar. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven) gas mark 4 and grease a 20cm springform tin. Slice off one-third of the pastry and rewrap. On a lightly floured worksurface, roll out the remaining two-thirds of the pastry and use to line the tin, or press into the tin with fingers if it’s breaking while rolling – making sure the pastry comes 6cm up the sides of the tin. Don’t worry if holes appear; just patch up with pieces of pastry.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs into the base of the tin, then add the apple mixture and level as much as possible. Re-flour the worksurface and roll out the remaining pastry. Slice into 1.5cm-wide strips, arranging in a lattice pattern on top of the filling. Reroll the trimmings as necessary. Pinch the edges to join and trim to neaten.
Brush the lattice with beaten egg and scatter over the reserved sugar. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, until deep golden. Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Remove from the tin and serve just warm or at room temperature with softly whipped cream.
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