Hungarian Dobos Torta with Five-Layer Sponge, Silky Chocolate Buttercream and Caramel Glass Crown

Prepare the pans: preheat oven to 200C (400F). Draw 6 circles, 22cm in diameter, on parchment paper — three sheets, two circles per sheet. Flip the parchment circle-side down so the pencil does not touch the cake.

Ingredients

• For the sponge layers (makes 6 thin discs, you use 5):
• 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 150g (3/4 cup) caster sugar, divided
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 150g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour, sifted twice
• 30g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• For the chocolate buttercream:
• 200g (7 oz) high-quality dark chocolate (60-65% cacao), finely chopped
• 4 large egg yolks
• 150g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
• 60ml (1/4 cup) water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 300g (1.3 cups) unsalted butter, very soft (cool room temperature)
• Pinch of fine salt
• For the caramel glass top:
• 200g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 60ml (1/4 cup) water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Neutral oil for greasing the knife
• For finishing:
• 100g (1 cup) toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped — for coating the sides
• 12 whole toasted hazelnuts for crowning each slice

Instructions

1. Prepare the pans: preheat oven to 200C (400F). Draw 6 circles, 22cm in diameter, on parchment paper — three sheets, two circles per sheet. Flip the parchment circle-side down so the pencil does not touch the cake.
2. Whip the whites: in a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks. Slowly rain in 75g of the sugar and continue whipping to glossy stiff peaks.
3. Whip the yolks: in a separate large bowl, whip the egg yolks with the remaining 75g sugar and vanilla for 4 minutes until very pale, thick, and forming a ribbon when the whisk is lifted.
4. Fold the batter: fold one third of the whipped whites into the yolks to lighten. Sift in half the flour and fold gently. Add another third of whites, fold. Sift remaining flour, fold. Finish with the last whites and the cooled melted butter, folded just until incorporated. The batter must remain very airy.
5. Bake the discs: working with two parchment sheets at a time, spread thin even rounds of batter inside each drawn circle — about 5mm thick. Bake one tray at a time for 6-7 minutes until pale gold and springy. The discs cook fast and dry out if overbaked. Cool flat on the parchment, then peel off and trim each disc to a clean 22cm round using an inverted plate as a template.
6. Make the buttercream: combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook to 118C (245F) — soft ball stage. Meanwhile whip the egg yolks in a stand mixer until pale. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle the hot syrup down the side of the bowl into the yolks. Whip on high speed for 6-8 minutes until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Add the soft butter, one tablespoon at a time, whipping fully between additions. The buttercream may look broken at first — keep whipping, it will come together silky and pale. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie, cool to lukewarm, and beat into the buttercream with the vanilla and salt.
7. Make the caramel glass top: oil a non-stick mat or piece of parchment, and oil a long sharp knife generously. Place sugar, water and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat without stirring until it turns deep amber — about 8 minutes. Immediately pour onto one of the reserved sponge discs (the prettiest, smoothest one) placed on the oiled surface. Quickly tilt the disc to spread the caramel evenly across the top. Within 90 seconds — while still soft — score the caramel with the oiled knife into 12 equal wedges. The caramel will harden into glass within minutes.
8. Build the torta: place a sponge disc on a serving plate. Spread a thin even layer of buttercream — about 4mm thick. Repeat with three more sponge discs and buttercream. Top with the caramel-coated disc, caramel side up.
9. Coat the sides: spread a thin layer of buttercream around the entire side of the cake. Press the chopped hazelnuts firmly into the buttercream, rotating the cake to cover the sides completely.
10. Pipe the crown: using a star tip, pipe 12 small rosettes of buttercream evenly around the top edge of the caramel disc, one per scored wedge. Gently press a whole toasted hazelnut into each rosette. To serve, place each pre-scored caramel wedge on its rosette base and then slice down through the cake along the caramel cuts. The caramel crown is the signature visual of every Dobos slice.
11. Rest before serving: refrigerate the finished torta for 4 hours. Bring to cool room temperature for 30 minutes before serving so the buttercream becomes silky again.
12. The Dobos Torta was created in 1884 by Budapest pastry chef József C. Dobos, who introduced it at the Hungarian National General Exhibition in 1885. It immediately stunned a Europe still reliant on fragile cream-filled pastries that spoiled within hours: Dobos's invention used a buttercream-based filling that could survive transport, and the caramelized sugar glass top sealed it against air. Empress Sisi (Elisabeth of Austria) and Emperor Franz Joseph were among the first to taste it, and within a decade the torta was being shipped across the Habsburg Empire from Vienna to Bucharest. Dobos kept his recipe a closely guarded secret for 22 years, finally donating it to the Budapest Confectioners' Guild in 1906 — and only then did it become legal for any Hungarian pastry shop to call their cake a Dobos. The cake remains a fixed point in Hungarian café culture and is considered the technical examination piece of every patisserie apprentice in Budapest.