A friend of mine bought a half cake at the local farmer's market. This cake was a yellow cake and had 15 very, very thin layers with chocolate icing in between. My friend and I marveled at this, wondering how in the world you slice the layers that small?!?!?!?!?! (Maybe freezing the cake before slicing???) I would love to try this, so I would like to hear any tips and tricks that I know are out there on how to make this wonderful cake. Any suggestions would be helpful!

TIA!

<Starkie>

It sounds like it was a dobos torte. The layers would have been baked in thin rounds on a cookie sheet and then layered with frosting. No slicing involved!

I made a 16 layer cake before. The directions had you put grease the heck out of a 9" cake pan, spread 3 Tbsp of batter the bottom and bake for 15 minutes @ 350... I did them 4 at a time so it didn't take all day to bake!

I actually used 5 Tbsp of batter and only baked for about 10 minutes. It was a LOT of work, and althought it was good, it wasn't worth it IMO.

If it had caramel then it was a Dobos torte. They are usually baked in six 9" pans and then cut in half. Chocolate buttercream in between the layers of cake and caramel on top!
YUMMMMMY

I have heard of people doing this w/their cakes. The agby leveler probably would help and a cold cake (if it's fzn the cutterr (be it knife or leverler or whatever) might not cut straight.

Bijoudelanuit has likely got it exactly right. I haven't made one of those since culinary school. They are impressive!

Yes - we make a cake like that in Germany. It's called "Prinzregententorte".
The layers are individually baked.

Really? 'Cause the whole thing looked no taller than a regular two-layer round cake. Of course, the half cake was $16, so maybe that is taking into account the labor of baking 15 layers...

you can also bake very thin layers in a sheet pan (think jelly roll) and cut them with a cake ring as many layers as you want. I did several cakes like this in culinary school. This was actually the method we used to make the dobos sponge for our dobos torte (one of my FAVES!)

Same as Thousand Layer Cake?

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://kumo-confect.com/img/lapis.jpg&imgrefurl=http://kumo-confect.com/product-lapis.html&h=299&w=370&sz=33&hl=en&start=1&sig2=7r0AjMvWBpqqZewPRkWaoQ&um=1&tbnid=qMqlO4BmwcNNVM:&tbnh=99&tbnw=122&ei=-6OsSPeHEIjiggLcm7nwDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthousand%2Blayer%2Bcake%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address%26rlz%3D1I7ADBF%26sa%3DN

lizamlin, that looks just like it, except it was a round cake! I can't imagine baking that many layers, though... Is there a special recipe you would need to make the layers bake up that thin and evenly?

This might be of interest to you:
http://www.recipezaar.com/64948

Somehow I think it might be a crepe cake from the first time I read this post.
Does it look like something like this:
http://static.flickr.com/26/67825534_a85108ea45.jpg

you can google "Crepe Cake" and click at images to be certain. some are darker than the other depending how brown they make the crepe

I don't think it's a thousand layer cake because this is a traditional southeast asian cake with spices (I am from southeast asia). This cake take probably 7 hrs to make depending on how big it is because you have to add the batter every 5-10 minutes or so to get those layers.

I might be wrong though.

bertha
www.gourmetbaking.blogspot.com

They are very popular in the south. I lived in Savannah, Ga most of my life and it was a dessert that was always around. You do bake a few tablespoons in a 8 or 9 inch pan. Then layer with chocolate. They are so good.

Or a Mille Crepes cake?
http://www.ladymconfections.com/

They do it in lots of flavors - hazelnut, chocolate...

OMGosh, Grace, that looks SOOOOO complicated to me!!!! But it sounds delicious! Melonie, I am in the South, too (NC), and I have seen these cakes many, many places. I have been asked about making one once, but I couldn't get it right...

I've been meaning to try this - have another version of recipe also .
This is Emeril's from Food Network

2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground anise
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
12 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs confectioners' sugar



1 Preheat the broiler. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan. Line with parchment paper and butter the paper. Set aside.

2 In a small bowl, combine the nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mace, cardamom, ginger and anise. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold the flour into the batter with a rubber spatula.

3 In a clean bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until stiff. Fold into egg yolk mixture, being careful not to overmix. Divide the batter between 2 bowls. Add combined spices to 1 bowl and stir well.

4 Pour about 1/2 cup of the spiced batter into the prepared pan, spreading to form a thin layer. Place the pan under the preheated broiler for 2 minutes, or until the layer is firm and very lightly browned. Remove from the oven and spread about 1/2 cup of the plain batter over the top and broil until firm. Repeat layering spiced and plain batters in the pan and broiling until all the batter is used. Note that the cake typically has between 12 and 15 layers.)

5 Let the cake cool on a wire rack then turn out from the pan. Place on a cake plate and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Thinly slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

I have to admit that the only times I've ever had a Dobosh Torte were the two times I've tasted them from Swiss Colony. I don't know if they're "proper" Dobosh Tortes (probably not), but I think they're delicious.

http://www.swisscolony.com/Postpaid-Dobosh-Torte.pro?omSource=crossSell&crossSell=0F1630