Dobos Torte, Pumpkin Maple Pie, and a Persimmon Frangipane Tart
When one leftover cake component dictates the next bake.
My chocolate orange cake rendered FAR too much frosting, leaving me with a container full of chocolate Swiss meringue. I took it as a sign to finally tackle @bucketlistbakeclub, which I have only ever admired from a distance.
The challenge for the month was the Hungarian Dobos Torte, a notoriously tricky, multi-layered affair. It required a basic sponge, an egg-yolk rich buttercream, and shards of toffee used as garnish on the top.
All seemed pretty straight-forward in theory, the trickiest element being assembly - my kryptonite. Original recipes required multiple tins for perfectly level layers, but I have one tin and one tin only, so planned to freeze then slice by hand.
The sponge was my go-to by Natalie of Beatrix Bakes, although admittedly it was not my best rendition. I possibly overcooked it as it felt a little dry - my fault for being too lazy to soak it.
My cake cutting was, as always, terrible, but given the ‘blah’ execution of my components I lost interest in perfection. I saved the thinnest layer for the triangular toffee shards which, of course, I decided to attempt without watching any tutorials (why?)
It required a very basic caramel of only sugar and water - no dairy, therefore it hardens very quickly, and like a rock. I did not know this at the time, so haphazardly poured it over the cake, and over a plate, planning to simply slice the mass into triangles (like an idiot).
I ended up, of course, having to scrape the layer of cake off the plate with boiling water and a knife. Batch #2 was poured brashly over a sheet of baking paper and simply broken into shards - I was definitely done with proper technique.
Frosting I had in spades, mixed with leftover chocolate mousse as a lazy attempt to replace the yolks in an Italian Buttercream. It was neither bad nor excellent but more so leaning towards the latter - all in all, my three cake elements were relatively average.
I lathered the buttercream too thick between layers, which threw off the vital balance between cake and icing. It also looked atrocious, though this was to be expected, my presentation when baking always leaves plenty to be desired.
The taste, however, was actually okay - MORE than okay, it was perfectly acceptable. The cake lasted days and retained moisture well - my Dobos Torte lacked tradition, but it was passable, and still a pleasure to eat.
My next baking project was for a Thanksgiving picnic - not celebrated in Australia and therefore fascinating to me. The novelty of sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie had lingered since watching the lavish dinner spreads on American movies and television.
I wanted to try the renowned pumpkin tart by
, deemed brilliant by many of my Instagram baker favourites. It seemed to lack the off-putting stodginess I loath, texture instead a very glossy-looking custard.I started by attempting my own pumpkin purée, peeling and roasting the pieces then popping them into the blender. The process was long and a little painful (stir, stir, stir!) but resulted in a surprisingly smooth paste.
The base was simple enough - a lightly sweetened tart dough that rolled out without any dramas. I did, however, overcook it during blind baking, seeking biscuity brown and ending up slightly darker.
The filling was straightforward - simply caramel and egg yolks combined with the pumpkin purée plus olive oil and maple syrup. I was adamant on achieving a ‘wobbly’ custard texture and refused to cook it longer than the minimum time recommended.
Voila, she looked lovely - I popped her in the fridge certain the overnight cooling would help firm the filling. I whipped the cream with condensed milk (such a smart sugar alternative!) and was confident in my Thanksgiving bake.
But by the time the little tart had arrived at the picnic, even on ice, she was as runny as dulce de leche. Given the base was overcooked, the contrasting textures were jarring, and while the flavour was fantastic, it was an undeniable flop.
I used the leftover sweet shortcrust to whip together a quick frangipane persimmon tart. It was gifted to my Aunty, so I could not taste, but it was satisfying to scratch my ongoing ‘kaki’ itch (read here and here).
No recipes today, but as always, I recommend immersing yourself in
. I WILL reattempt her luscious pumpkin tart once my ego heals from stupidly under-baking.