Dobos torte

Anyone who reads this blog will know I'm a great fan of Joe Pastry. He is sensible and not in the least bit pretentious, and tries to find the most authentic (but workable) recipes for classic cakes and pastries. I have a list of his cakes that I want to try making at some stage, and whenever I go to a pot-luck, or have visitors, I make one.

His Dobos torte was one such cake I made for a pot luck back in July - I only just realised I hadn't posted the photos from it. I won't repeat the recipe, it's on Joe's blog and I didn't change a thing. It was very successful, so much so that people refused to believe I made it.

Eggs and sugar beaten up:

Flour, ready to go in:

Flour being beaten in:

This did not turn to putty as Joe had said it would, so I was a bit worried, but I shouldn't have been. Lemon:

The egg whites …

… beaten …

… and getting folded in:

Final cake mixture:

I used siliconised baking paper instead of the foil Joe did - mostly because I was out of foil. That big round thing is my 8 inch cutter that came in a set from IKEA.

Cake mix spread on baking paper:

Then sprinkled with icing sugar and trimmed with the cutter:

Another layer:

There were eight in all:

Sugar ready to caramelise:

And the caramel being spread over my most attractive layer …

… which I cut into wedges, thus:

Butter …

… and chocolate …

… to melt for the icing:

Mixed up with egg yolks, vanilla, and icing sugar:

Using three or four bits of baking paper under the edges of a cake as a "drop cloth" is one of Joe's better handy hints:

When you've finished icing it …

You just pull them away, and your plate is clean as clean can be:

How's that cake then? Just like a bought one, if I do say so myself.

I can't say I'm a great fan of the taste though - just a bit too sweet and chocolatey for me.