Dobos torte

A Hungarian layer cake of thin sponge layers filled with chocolate buttercream and topped with a crisp sheet of caramel.

Dobos torte: A Dobos torte with thin sponge layers and chocolate buttercream, topped with angled wedges of shiny amber caramel
  • Cakes, cookies, pastries and baked goods
  • Hungary

Dobos torte was created by the Budapest confectioner József C. Dobos and introduced in 1885. It usually has five or more very thin sponge layers stacked with chocolate buttercream. The top layer is coated in hot caramel and quickly cut into wedges before it hardens, then the wedges are set on the cake at an angle like fan blades.

The caramel top was designed to keep the cake from drying out, letting it travel and keep longer than cream cakes of its time. The sides are often covered with ground nuts.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Glossary, LibreTexts / BCcampus, Modern Pastry and Plated Dessert Techniques (open textbook)