Cake. It’s a marvellous thing. Cheers and consoles in equal measure. Cake has a central role in Hungarian cuisine. Cafes abound in every town, serving sumptious patisserie, to be eaten with delicate precision by older ladies dressed in the purples, greys and blacks of their widowhood. No visit back to Hungary during my childhood was complete without a visit to one of these fin de siecle coffee houses, a harkening back to the Austro Hungarian elegance of the Edwardian era. Even when we were slipping behind the Iron Curtain, where time had stopped in 1957, we would find marble topped tables, glass display cabinets and velvet curtains. Traditionally dressed waitresses, in black dresses, white frilled aprons and open toed laced white boots (my mother was OBSESSED with these boots), would glide about the tiled floors, balancing trays piled high with frothy confections constructed from air, cream, chocolate and nuts. These cakes were accompanied by tea with rum and lemon, never milk; black coffee made in the Turkish style and so thick you could stand a spoon in the grounds; or a hot chocolate that coated your lips and left you licking them for days.
Characteristic Hungarian cakes are layered affairs. Thin airy sponges or crepes are sandwiched together with custards, Parisian cremes, whisked cream, caramels, nuts (typically walnut or hazelnut), semi sweet fruits, especially morello cherries and apricots; and drenched in rum and chocolate. Often they are flourless, made with nuts or whisked eggs but don’t be fooled into thinking these are light. They may be delicate but they pack a hefty punch. But then, what’s life without a treat?
A friend approached me, asking if I might make a cake for his Hungarian partner’s birthday. Her favourite is a Lúdláb Torta, which translates as Goose Foot Cake. I have no clue why it’s called this, if any Hungarians out there can enlighten me, please do! One reason offered is that it is often served on St Martin’s Day, a saint associated with geese. Another that it is to do with the shape of a slice of this cake. My favourite story about this cake however, is that a young man, requesting a piece of lúdláb torta accompanied by a glass of sparkling water, was sending a subtle signal to the ladies who lunched (or ate cake), that he might be available for an afternoon delight or two….I have visions of impecunious young Hussars wistfully forking cake, and hoping to meet the Mrs Robinson of their dreams.
I was happy to make this cake, but even more happy that I wasn’t having to tackle the Dobos Torta, which has a minimum of 7 sponge layers held together with chocolate buttercream and is topped with shards of caramel. No, instead I have constructed a whisked chocolate sponge, topped with a thick layer of Parisian crème imbibed with rum soaked cherries and finished with a chocolate ganache and more cherries. It’s less complicated to make than it sounds.
Ingredients:
Sponge Layer
4 eggs separated
4 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp plain (00 if you have it) flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Filling
250 ml whipping cream
200 g plain chocolate
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
200 g unsalted butter, room temperature
300 g pitted morello cherries (or use unsweetened frozen)
75 ml rum
Ganache topping
100 g plain chocolate
50 ml whipping cream
Start by soaking the cherries in rum. Preheat an oven to 180c/ 160c fan/ or GM4 and line a round 26cm springform cake tin with parchment paper.
Whip egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and peaked. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until foaming and a thick trail ribbons through it. Fold in the flour, cocoa and baking powder and make sure it’s well combined. Add a spoonful of the whites to loosen the mixture and then fold the rest in slowly and carefully so you don’t knock the air out but everything is mixed together. Pour this batter into your cake tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until it is risen and a skewer/ toothpick or in my case a piece of spaghetti testing the centre comes out clean. Undo the springform and let the cake cool before turning out.
To make the filling, put cream into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat and break in the chocolate, stirring to melt it. Add the sugar and cocoa and stir well til it is smooth. Leave to cool. Put the softened butter into a bowl and beat vigorously – you can whip it by hand if you want to build your arm muscles, but I’d recommend a food processor. The butter will become very fluffy. Now add a dollop of the cooled chocolate and cream mixture, and beat again. Keep doing this until all the chocolate and butter is mixed together and glossy. It might seem too runny but have faith and leave it to sit for a few minutes in the fridge, it thickens up.
Put the sponge on the serving plate. Cover with half the chocolate filling, then add the rum soaked cherries. Keep a few back to deveorate the top. Cover with the other half of the chocolate filling and pop in the fridge. Drink the left over cherry/ rum juice – cook’s perk.
To make the ganache, heat the cream to boiling point, take off the heat and melt in the chocolate. Keep stirring until it is smooth and leave to cool. After an hour, take cake out of the fridge, smooth over the chocolate ganache and decorate with the remaining cherries. Put back in the fridge to set for another hour. Serve using a knife that’s been put into hot water and dried, that helps to cut a clean slice. Also quite nice with an additional tot of rum.
Finom - the food of Hungary 