Halloween Doberge Cake

Posted by - Louanne

So when I learned the theme for October was layer cake, I knew exactly what I would make - a Doberge Cake.  If you grew up in the Metropolitan New Orleans area, chances are that at some point in your life, you had a Doberge cake for either your birthday or someone else's celebration. Additionally, it's quite likely the cake came from Gambino's or Haydel's bakery. My family always used Gambino's, and I suspect the reason was based solely on location, as Gambino's was closer. So, what's so special about the Doberge cake? Here's the history. In my family, depending upon who was eating cake, you either got the Chocolate Doberge or the 1/2 & 1/2. What's the 1/2 & 1/2? One side is chocolate and the other side is lemon. If a grandparent was in attendance, you got the 1/2 & 1/2. If it was just kids at the party, you got the chocolate. I prefer the chocolate, of course; my husband, the non-chocoholic, prefers the lemon. The son - well, he takes after his mama and is a chocolate lover, too. So, today I offer you the chocolate version. Keep in mind, however, that I have never seen a Doberge cake with green and orange cake layers, that is entirely Andrew's creation. When I began researching a recipe for the Doberge, I came across a cookbook entitled Let's Bake with Beulah Ledner: a legendary New Orleans Lady by Maxine Wolchansky. Maxine is Beulah's daughter. The cookbook is out of print, but I was able to borrown the cookbook from the State Library of Louisiana, via inter-library loan.
Typically, a Doberge has both buttercream and a poured fondant, but I chose to stop at the buttercream.

Halloween Doberge Cake
For the cake
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Scant teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Orange and green gel food color.
6 8" disposable cake pans, buttered and lined with parchment rounds or buttered and floured

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla.
Add eggs, one at a time.
Beat in lemon juice.
In a small bowl, use a fork to mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture.
Remove half of the batter to another bowl.
To one half, add orange food color until desired depth of color is reached; to the other half, add green food color.
Divide the orange batter amongst 3 of the prepared pans; repeat with the green batter.
Bake for 13-14 minutes and allow to cool before filling with custard.

Chocolate Custard
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons corn starch
4 tablespoons cocoa
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 quart milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 1-oz squares of unsweetened chocolate
2 1-oz squares of semi-sweet chocolate

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt together the unsweetened chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and butter until smooth; stir in the vanilla and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, flour, cornstarch, and cocoa.
Beat the eggs and milk into the sugar mixture.
Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick.
Pour custard into a shallow dish, cover with plastic wrap, and chill.

Assembly

When cake layers and custard is cool, assemble cake, alternating orange and green layers with custard filling.
Chill cake for 30-45 minutes before applying the buttercream frosting. Store cake in refrigerator.

Chocolate Buttercream
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup cocoa
1 box powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk, +additional if needed
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, cream together butter and cocoa. Mix in vanilla. Add powdered sugar, milk, and salt and slowly cream together until fluffy. If necessary, add additional milk if too thick or more powdered sugar if too thin.

Cake and custard recipes from Let's Bake with Beulah Ledner: a legendary New Orleans Lady
Chocolate buttercream is a Louanne's Kitchen original.