Doberge Cake with Chocolate (New Orleans)

The doberge (a Frenchified version of the Hungarian Dobos Torte, casually pronounced "doh-bash" by locals). It came in chocolate, lemon or caramel and for the true princess, half-lemon, half-chocolate. Standing nearly five inches tall, eight thin layers of soft white cake were interspersed with layers of custard, then it was double-iced with buttercream and ganache.

2¼ cups water
¼ cup Cacao Barry extra-brute cocoa powder
2½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2½ cups sugar
1 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. baking soda
2¼ cups buttermilk
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Chocolate Pot de Crème Filling:
5 cups heavy cream
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1 pinch sea salt
5 oz Valrhona Manjari Chocolate, 64% Madagascar
10 large egg yolks
4 sheets gelatin or 2 Tbsp. powdered gelatin, bloomed in cold water

Chocolate Buttercream:
4½ cups confectioners' sugar
¾ cup Cacao Barry extra-brute cocoa powder
4½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
3 oz Cognac

Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze:
3 oz Valrhona Manjari Chocolate, 64%, Madagascar, chopped
1 Tbsp. pure honey
½ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Lightly grease 2 (8") round cake pans and line bottoms with greased parchment circles.

Boil water and cocoa powder in saucepan over high heat, stirring frequently. Mixture will thicken. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Blend in buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Mix thoroughly on medium speed until a smooth batter forms, about 3 minutes. Add cooled cocoa and mix until evenly blended, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Rest batter for 20 minutes, then divide batter into prepared cake pans.

Bake until a skewer inserted near center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cakes slightly in pans, then remove from pans and transfer to racks to cool completely. Refrigerate cakes for at least 1 hour until ready to assemble.

Make the Chocolate Pot de Crème Filling:
Add cream, ¼ cup sugar, and salt to a saucepan set over medium heat. Chop chocolate and add to hot cream mixture, stirring constantly.

Blend yolks and remaining sugar in a small bowl. Temper eggs by adding 1/3 of hot cream mixture, whisking constantly.

Return tempered egg mixture to remaining hot cream in saucepan and continue cooking until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in gelatin and mix well. Strain into a metal container and chill in an ice water bath. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Makes 3 cups.

Make the Chocolate Buttercream:
Add all ingredients except Cognac to a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Whip until emulsified and slowly pour in Cognac. Mix until blended. Makes 4 cups.

Make Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze:
Heat all ingredients in a double boiler set over medium-high heat and whisk until smooth. Keep warm until ready to use. Makes ¾ cup.

Using a long, serrated bread knife, trim top of each cake to even, then slice each cake horizontally into three layers. Place first layer on a 10" serving platter, and with a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, pipe a ring of Chocolate Buttercream around the outer edge of bottom layer only.

Carefully cover top of layer with Chocolate Pot de Crème. Repeat with remaining layers, leaving top layer unfrosted. If layers start to slip, chill cake between fillings.

Frost top and sides with Chocolate Buttercream. Chill cake 20 minutes. Pour Chocolate Glaze over top and allow it to run down sides of cake.

Makes 14 servings.