Dobos Torte

Five thin layers (no more, no less) of vanilla sponge cake, each slathered with chocolate buttercream icing, and topped with wedges of caramel-glazed cake—this is the famous Dobos. It’s one of the few Austro-Hungarian creations that is never literally translated, as any Hungarian can tell you that the Dobos is a national institution, and much more than just a layer cake.

There are no shortcuts to a perfect Dobos Torte. The layers must be baked individually—never sliced from o