As I thumbed through a cookbook we got for Christmas, the word "Austrian" immediately caught my eye. You see, Katie, the kids and I spent the summer in Vienna directing a study abroad program. I looked at the incredible photo for the Austrian Drum Torte and read the recipe. Although it would probably be one of those very involved all day affairs, I knew I had to make it, and I knew who I had to make it for. One of my student employees, Rachel, was having a birthday, and she also went on the study abroad with us.
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| Here I am with some of our students at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. Rachel is on the left. |
During my time in Austria, I had never seen nor heard of Austrian Drum Torte, but I didn't really care if this recipe was authentic Austrian because the photo in the cookbook looked so cool. However, I did do a little investigation online and found out there is really such a thing, but there seems to be a little confusion. I guess the cake is actually Hungarian and called a Dobos Torte. Dobos means "like a drum" in Hungarian. I thought the cake didn't look much like a drum, but after a little more research, I found the cake was named after its creator, Jozsef Dobos, a Hungarian pastry chef. He created the cake in 1884, and Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sissi were two of the first to try it. Since Hungary was at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, I think it's OK if Austria claims the cake, too.
Here's the finished product. Pretty amazing, isn't it. And really, it wasn't hard at all. It's just time consuming. But, I was able to multitask and get a lot of other things done while creating this work of art.
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| Wunderbar! |
When I brought the cake to the office, it was a definite showstopper. And of course, it tastes every bit as good as it looks. I can't wait for the next special occasion to make it again.
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| Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, Rachel! |
Making this cake made me wish there were more time in a lifetime to learn several different professions. Training as a pastry chef in Vienna would be on my list. So many wonderful cafés, so many wonderful desserts! If you are wondering which café is my favorite, here are some photos of a little outing Tomas and I took to Café Central. That place is a—ma—zing! I had the Café Central Torte and Tomas had the Schokozauber (chocolate magic). Tomas still talks about how he ate a piece of cake with real gold flecks on it.
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| Yep, I want to run a café like this. |
