Talk about PROCRASTINATION – I literally just finished my masterpiece this morning! And now I get to eat it for breakfast 🙂 
The August 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers’ cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. 
I really enjoyed this challenge – now the challenge becomes what the heck to do with the cake!Here it goes…
I really enjoyed this challenge – now the challenge becomes what the heck to do with the cake!Here it goes…Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup superfine white sugar
- 4 oz bakers chocolate finely chopped
- 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature.
Instructions
- 1. Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
- 2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
- 3. Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
- 4. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
- 5. When cool, beat in the soft butter, small pieces at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate butter cream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.
Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup superfine white sugar
- 4 oz bakers chocolate finely chopped
- 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature.
Instructions
- 1. Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
- 2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
- 3. Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
- 4. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
- 5. When cool, beat in the soft butter, small pieces at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate butter cream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.
Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup superfine white sugar
- 4 oz bakers chocolate finely chopped
- 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature.
Instructions
- 1. Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
- 2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
- 3. Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
- 4. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
- 5. When cool, beat in the soft butter, small pieces at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate butter cream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.
Preparation: 1. Divide the butter cream into six equal parts. 2. Place a dab of chocolate butter cream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake. 3. Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. 4. VOILA!!!! OMG I am exhausted from just writing that… time to go eat some cake! 
Anyone in LA want this cake minus 1 piece? 
Beautiful work Gaby! I love it!
Mmmm, now that's definitely the way to eat cake!! Nice job!
Look at those beautiful layers! Great job!
Dobos torte, the breakfast of champions! Great job!
YOUR cake looks gorgeous! You did an awesome job. I love the chocolate curls!
I love the chocolate buttons you used 😀
Well at least you finished it! And it looks great! I suggest taking it around to your neighbors to share 🙂
It looks so pretty and I bet it tastes even better! I love seeing all of the different creations for daring bakers. All of the unique spins make the challenges so cool! Enjoy your Thursday 😉
Wow, it looks so complicated to make but you did a great job and the cake looks just gorgeous!
Beautiful Dobos Torte – looks so delicious and cute 🙂 Great job! Cheers.
Great looking cake!
Awesome, Gaby! You did an outstanding job. I didn't do DB this month!
You did a great job!! Awesome that you got it done just in time.
Mmm lovely photos and torte!!
You did a wonderful job. Kudos.
at to do with it? Eat it!! I devoured mined – sooooo yummy!! Yours turned out beautifully!
The cake looks great. Wish I could take a piece off your hands. 😉
Will you please make me a birthday cake? (in 1 month or so… ) PLEASEE that looks amazing
Love the chocolate decorations and the chocolate curls–very pretty! 🙂
Gorgeous job!! Your torta looks amazing =D. Love the decorations!
Looks like it would make a great breakfast! 🙂 Lovely job
Gorgeous! the torte looks absolutely stunning
Great job! Your photos are wonderful. I like that you used the chocolate buttons on the side
Outstanding! This is truly lovely. Any left?
I’m 2d Generation Hungarian, LA used to have a restaurant called the Queens Arms my father took us to that had this authentic Hungarian Dobos Torte as one of the desserts. I don’t know if the restaurant is still around but memories of that Dobos Torte made the way it was supposed to v. Swiss Colony etc. still abound. Thanks so much for the recipe, the recipe book is very steep in price. Now I’ll try to make this masterpiece and if it lasts two days I’ll be lucky. Thanks so much for sharing, your cake is lovely. You’ve totally made my day.