Doberge Cake with Lemon and Chocolate (New Orleans)
The Doberge cake, a version of the famous Dobos torte, is New Orlean's very own birthday cake. The traditional Dobos torte originated in Hungary in the late 1800s when C. József Dobos, a delicatessen owner in Budapest, strived to create a cake that required no refrigeration. The New Orleans Doberge cake was adapted in the 1930s by bakery owner Beulah Ledner. The caramel topping would not fare well in the South's hot, humid weather, so it was replaced with buttercream and fondant or ganache coating. Instead of the buttercream filling, Ms. Ledner filled the cake with custard. The following New Orleans version of the elegant Doberge cake is layered with both lemon and chocolate fillings, then topped with chocolate buttercream and a layer of ganache. Feel free to decorate the cake as you like or leave it plain. The beauty of this cake is in the many filled layers.
Lemon Curd:
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp. sea salt
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 Tbsp. lemon zest, finely grated
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Chocolate Filling:
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1½ Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1 large egg
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 oz dark, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, chopped
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Cake:
cooking spray
3½ cups (16 oz) cake flour, sifted (454 g)
3 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. sea salt
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk, room temperature
Chocolate Buttercream:
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
½ tsp. sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. water, hot, as needed for consistency
Chocolate Ganache:
12 oz good-quality dark chocolate, chips or wafers
12 oz heavy cream (about 1½ cups)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. sea salt
In a medium heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, whole eggs, egg yolks and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.
Place the pan over medium heat and cook, constantly stirring, until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
Strain the lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in the lemon zest and butter until the butter is completely melted.
Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the lemon curd to prevent a tough skin from forming. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 4-24 hours.
Chocolate Filling:
In a medium heavy saucepan, combine ⅓ cup granulated sugar with 4 tsp. of cornstarch, 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder and 1 tsp. salt. Whisk or stir to combine.
Add 1 large egg, 1 cup heavy cream, and ½ cup milk. Whisk until smooth, then place the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the filling is thickened to the consistency of loose pudding, about 8-10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, then stir in ½ tsp. vanilla, 4 oz chocolate, and 3 Tbsp. butter until the chocolate and butter are completely melted.
Strain through a sieve into a bowl, then place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the pudding mixture to prevent a tough skin from forming. Transfer the chocolate filling to the refrigerator and chill for 4-24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Line 3 (8") cake pans with parchment paper (cut to fit), then spray with nonstick baking or cooking spray.
For the Cake Layers:
Sift the cake flour into a large bowl. Add the baking powder and ¾ tsp. of the salt; whisk to combine and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the 12 Tbsp. of softened butter with 2 cups granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the 4 egg yolks and 2 tsp. of vanilla.
Add about ⅓ of the dry ingredients and ½ of the milk to the batter, then beat on low speed until smooth. Repeat with another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and remaining milk. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the batter with a spatula just until combined.
Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans (about 16 oz in each). Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans and place on the rack until completely cooled.
Carefully slice each cake layer horizontally into 2 layers and level any domed tops. You will have 6 thin layers.
Place 1 layer on a cake plate and spread a layer of lemon curd over top. Place a cake layer on top of the lemon curd, then spread with a layer of chocolate pudding. Add another layer of cake, then lemon curd, cake, chocolate pudding, cake, then more lemon curd. Top with the 6th cake layer and place the cake in the fridge; chill for about 1 hour.
Chocolate Buttercream:
Sift the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and salt together into a bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the sifted confectioners' sugar and cocoa mixture a little at a time and beat on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla and increase the speed to medium-high; beat until smooth and creamy. If too thick, add a few drops of hot water to loosen the butter.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Spread the buttercream over the top and sides, smoothing with a spatula or bench scraper. Place the cake in the freezer to chill while you prepare the chocolate ganache.
Chocolate Ganache:
Place the 12 oz of chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.
Combine the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until it begins to steam and bubble. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and let it stand, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.
Gently, whisk or stir the chocolate and cream mixture until well blended and smooth.
Remove the cake from the freezer. Evenly spread the ganache over the cake, covering the top and sides. Smooth the firmed ganache with a spatula or bench scraper dipped in warm water.
Chill the cake in the fridge until ready to serve. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Makes 16 servings.
Cook's Notes:
- Refrigerate leftover Doberge cake in a covered container for up to three days.
- The cake may be frozen. Place the cake or slices on a baking sheet, then place it in the freezer. Once the cake or slices are frozen solid, wrap them well in two layers of plastic wrap, then return to the freezer for up to three months.
- To get uniform baked layers, use a kitchen scale to weigh your batter, then divide that weight by the number of pans you are filling. Place each pan on the scale, press "tare" to reset the weight to zero and weigh the batter's correct amount. Even if your pans seem identical and are the same brand, they may be slightly different in weight.
- The ratio of chocolate to cream depends on the amount of cocoa butter in the chocolate. For high-quality dark chocolate, 1:1 is a good ratio, while semisweet chocolate with less cocoa butter will require a 2:1 ratio (twice as much chocolate as cream). Ganache can always be adjusted. If too thin, add more chocolate, and if it is too thick, add more cream.
- Use a turntable to turn the cake as you split it horizontally.
- For evenly baked layers, make sure there is some space between pans. If rotating the pans, wait until they are about two-thirds baked through to prevent collapsing.
- When you trim the domed tops, don't throw those scraps away. Tuck them in a bag and use them to make bread pudding or other desserts. Make cake truffles or cake pops, or press crumbs in small canning jars with layers of frosting or ice cream topping-pop them in the freezer for last-minute desserts. You can store the cake scraps in the freezer until ready to use for dessert part 2.
- Extra egg whites may be frozen in airtight containers or ice cube trays for up to three months.
Variations:
- For moister layers, sprinkle or brush each layer with a simple syrup, plain, vanilla or lemon flavoured.
- To make individual layers instead of splitting them horizontally, divide the cake batter among six baking pans and reduce the baking time.
- You can omit the lemon curd and double the chocolate pudding filling.
- Similarly, you can omit the chocolate pudding filling and double the lemon curd.
- If time is limited, fill the layers with purchased ready-made pudding and lemon curd.