New Orleans Doberge Cake from "Let's Bake with Beulah Ledner"

Ya'll know I'm not big on baking but I've been wanting to try this recipe for this New Orleans staple, a doberge cake.

Or I could just order one from the famous Gambino's Bakery in NOLA for $64.75 + $4.75 shipping.

Let's be realistic... I can't spend that kind of money on a cake. If I'm going to get one, I am going to have to make it myself.

Photo borrowed from the World-Famous Gambino's Bakery in NOLA

I want to try a lemon doberge cake too. Once I've mastered both, I might even try a half-chocolate, half-lemon version. Gosh, that sounds like a lot of work when I could just order one from Gambino's for $74.50.

On second thought... I should probably make my shopping list now.

Photo borrowed from the World-Famous Gambino's Bakery in NOLA

Doberge Cake

By Judy Walker, The Times-Picayune

February 25, 2009, 4:55AM

The 1987 privately published "Let's Bake with Beulah Ledner" cookbook by Maxine Wolchansky, Ledner's daughter, explains how the "Doberge Queen of New Orleans" adapted the famous Hungarian dobos torta to the local climate and gave it a French-sounding name, doberge (pronounced dough-bash). Ledner retired in 1981 at the age of 87 and died at age 93, leaving a legacy that lives on in her recipes (bought by Gambino's) for this popular cake that can be found and all over New Orleans.

Of course you would want all ingredients to be at room temperature before starting.

DOBERGE TORTE

1 ½ sticks butter
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated, whites stiffly beaten
1 cup milk
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 ½ cups cake flour (measured after sifting)
Scant teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter, sugar and salt until smooth. Add egg yolks, one at a time, and blend until smooth. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk. Beat until blended. Add vanilla and lemon juice.

With a spatula, fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

Grease 9-inch cake pans. Pour ¾ cup batter into each pan, spreading evenly over bottom. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Repeat process until batter is completely used, to make eight thin layers.

When cool, put layers together with chocolate custard filling and spread chocolate butter cream icing on top and sides. Chill. Then ice with Always Delicious Chocolate Icing.

CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

2 cups granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 heaping kitchen spoons cocoa
4 tablespoons bitter chocolate
4 whole eggs
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 cups (1 quart) milk

Stir all dry ingredients together in a saucepan, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from fire to cool.

CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM ICING

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
½ pound oleo (margarine), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cocoa
1 ounce square bitter chocolate, melted

Cream sugar and oleo, then add cocoa, then the melted chocolate and vanilla. If too thick, add a little hot water, very slowly, until the consistency is right.

ALWAYS-DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE ICING

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white granulated sugar
4 squares melted semi-sweet chocolate
½ stick butter
¾ cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and let it come slowly to a boil, then boil about 10 minutes until it thickens. Beat until thick enough to spread.