You don’t need Mother’s Day or a family reunion to enjoy Dobish Torte. Dobish slices, sold at many bakeries without special order, are available for a quick hit of high fat on the go. But call ahead. We learned the hard way that production days vary.
Hungarian and Austrian bakers lay claim to the seven-layer cake that’s sandwiched with chocolate buttercream and glazed with dark chocolate or a slick, hard carmelized top.
Before their bakery operation shut down, Marshall Field’s had the corner on the best Dobish slices in Chicago. An exhaustive tour of bakeries in Budapest proved it. Field’s product was dense, wickedly rich and with a whiplash of rum.
Once we’ve mopped up our tears, we have to admit that there are still some luscious examples around. At Somenek’s Pastries (Julie Somenek is pictured at left), bakers are generous with heady buttercream filling and rum in their three-layered version ($1.59).
Bakers at Lutz Continental Cafe offer a bells-and-whistles version ($2.10) with spongy layers and feather-light filling. The caramel glaze crackles on first bite, leaving a delightful mess on the jacket and steering wheel.
A few bakeries sell Dobish in a triangular shape. At Vienna Pastry Shop, they’re called pyramids ($1.20). This version is light and satiny. Peeling off each of the seven layers before licking the filling is considered a sport in at least one household.
At Reuter’s Bakery, owner Richard Eberle offers Dobish loaves (some call it a chunk) for $5.60. Be warned: this loaf has heft.
Somenek’s Pastries & Continental Cafe
7900 Milwaukee Ave., Niles
847-965-5680
Lutz Continental Cafe
2458 W. Montrose Ave.
312-478-7785
Vienna Pastry Shop
5411 W. Addison St.
773-685-4166
Reuter’s Bakery
7177 W. Grand Ave.
773-889-1414
What’s your favorite Dobish Torte?
Tell us at metromix.com/go/worldeats
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