Doboschtorte (16 Slices)

FILLING
1 1/3 c Sugar
1/4 ts Cream of tartar
2/3 c Water
8 Egg yolks
1/2 c Dark unsweetened cocoa
2 ts Vanilla
2 c (1 lb) unsalted butter;
-softened

-GLAZE-
2/3 c Sugar
1/3 c Water

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugar by beating together against
side of mixing bowl with wooden spoon. Beat in eggs, then stir in flour and
vanilla. Continue to stir until mixture becomes a smooth, firm batter. With
pastry brush or paper towel, butter underside of 9″ layer-cake pan, then
dust with flour. Strike against edge of table to knock off excess flour.
With metal spatula, spread batter as evenly as possible over the underside
of the pan to a thickness of 1/8″. Bake in middle of oven 7-9 minutes, or
until lightly browned around edges. Remove from oven and scrape off any
batter that has dribbled down sides of pan. Loosen layer from pan with
spatula, put cake rack over it, and invert. Wipe pan with paper towel,
butter and flour it again and repeat with more batter. (You can bake as
many layers at a time as you have pans.) Continue til all batter is used.
You should have 7 matching layers.

Filling: In small saucepan combine sugar, cream of tartar, and water. Stir
over low heat til sugar is completely dissolved, then turn heat to
moderately high and boil syrup without stirring until, if tested, it
registers 238F on a candy thermometer, or until a drop of the syrup in cold
water forms a soft ball. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat 8 yolks 3-4
minutes or long enough to thicken them and lighten them somewhat in color.
Pour hot syrup into egg yolks, continuing to beat as you pour in the syrup
in a slow, steady stream. If using a mixer, beat at medium speed til
mixture cools to room temp and changes to a smooth thick cream. This
usually takes from 10-15 minutes. (If beating by hand, set mixing bowl in
pan of cold water to hasten cooling and add the syrup a little at a time.
Continue to beat til cool, thick, and smooth.) Beat in the cocoa and
vanilla. Then beat in the butter, adding it in small pieces, and beating
til it is all absorbed. Chill while making glaze.

Glaze: First place most attractive cake layer on cake rack set on jellyroll
pan. Then mix sugar and water together in small heavy saucepan. Without
stirring, cook til sugar dissolves, boils, and begins to darken in color.
Swirling pan, continue to boil until caramel becomes a golden brown. Pour
over the layer. With buttered knife, quickly mark glaze into 16 equal
wedges, cutting nearly, but not quite, through to bottom of glaze. This
will be the top of the torte.

ASSEMBLY: Place a cake layer on serving plate and, with metal spatula,
spread chocolate filling over it ca 1/8th inch thick. Top with another cake
layer, repeating with all layers and filling. Finish with a layer of
filling and the glazed top. Use the rest of the filling to cover sides of
torte, smoothing it with a spatula. Chill. Cut along lines marked in glaze.