Monday, May 2, 2011

Walnut Twix Dobos Torte for My Mom's Birthday!

So, for my mom's birthday, I took a traditional Dobos torte recipe and replaced the hazelnuts with walnuts and on top, coated shortbread wedges with the caramel and chocolate because she really likes Twix!
Here is the result. I figured I should post these pictures before I fell into a sugar-induced stupor :P
Pretty tasty!


My mom cracking up and Jordan wielding a fork

( :



Dobos Torte Recipe
from Krystina Castella's "A World Of Cake"

Sponge Cake
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
9 eggs, separated
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Caramel Glaze
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbs unsalted butter
1 tbs lemon juice

Toppings
6 oz chocolate, melted
6 cups bittersweet chocolate buttercream
1 cup hazelnuts

Makes 1 cake (serves 6 to 8)

To Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour four 9-inch round cake pans.

To Make the Sponge Cake
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl; set aside. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks, 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar, and the vanilla with a mixer until pale and thick. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture. In another separate large bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy but not stiff. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into batter.
To Bake
Pour 1 cup batter into each of the prepared pans and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until springy to the touch. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pans and set them on the rack to finish cooling. Repeat until the batter is used up, washing and regreasing and flouring the pans if necessary.
To Make the Caramel-Glazed Layer
Bring the sugar, water, butter and lemon juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is caramel colored. Spread the caramel over one cake layer and let set for 30 seconds. Then cut with a sharp knife into 8 wedge shapes. When they're cooled, drizzle the glazed wedges with melted chocolate.
To Assemble
Set one cake layer on a large plate, and spread with chocolate buttercream. Top with another cake layer and repeat until you've used up all the layers. Frost the top and sides of the stacked cake with chocolate buttercream.
Reserve eight hazelnuts and chop the rest. Coat the sides of the cake with the chopped nuts.
Using the remaining hazelnuts and dollops of buttercream as props, arrange the glazed wedges on the top of the cake, overlapping one another. Cut inbetween the wedges to serve.

Bittersweet Chocolate Buttercream
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips)
2 1/2 cups (5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

makes about 4 cups
Melt the chocolate in a microwave or double boiler; let it cool but not harden. Beat the butter until creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and melted chocolate. Mix until smooth.

Note: I made this cake with walnuts instead of hazelnuts and made twix cookies for the beautiful spiral topping. This recipe for chocolate buttercream is simply the most delicious I have ever had. I use it for everything now. Enjoy!