Classic Hungarian Cakes & Pastries
Dobostorta is one of the most famous cakes in Hungary. It was created by Hungarian confectioner József C. Dobos in 1884.
Hungary is known for it’s variety of cakes and pastries.
Here are just a few of the classical favorites.
Dobostorta
Stacked with several layers of chocolate buttercream and topped with a thin crust of caramel, Dobostorta is a rich and elegant cake. It was created by Hungarian confectioner József C. Dobos in 1884. Dobostorta was first introduced at the National General Exhibition of Budapest in 1885; Franz Joseph I and his Empress Elisabeth were among the first to taste it. Soon afterwards, it became a sensation around the world.
Rigó Jancsi
Rigó Jancsi is a cubed shaped chocolate sponge cake with chocolate cream filling in the centre. The cake was named after Rigó Jancsi, a famous Hungarian Gypsy violinist who seduced and married Clara Ward, Princess de Caraman-Chimay, the only daughter of E. B. Ward, American millionaire and the Belgian Prince de Caraman-Chimays wife. The affair shocked aristocratic Parisian society when it became public knowledge.
Esterházy Torta
"Esterházy Torta" was named after Pál Antal Esterházy who was a member of the noble Hungarian family Esterházy.
Esterházy Torta is a rich layered almond and walnut cake with a fancy fondant glaze. It was named after Pál Antal Esterházy who was a member of the noble Hungarian family Esterházy. The cake is also widely popular in Austria and Germany.
Puncstorta
Puncstorta is a jelly roll sponge cake which is soaked in rum with dried fruits and topped with a bright pink frosting. Underneath the frosting there is a thin layer of strawberry jam.
Krémes
This delightful treat is also known as a custard slice. It features layers of flaky pastry with custard cream and dusted sugar on top. Its exact origins are unknown but its believed the Hungarian city of Szeged or the Italian city of Napoli may have inspired the recipe.
Rákóczi Túrós
Rákóczi Túrós is a pastry with a short crust topped with curd cheese, a lattice of meringue and apricot jam. It was invented by Hungarian pastry chef János Rákóczi in 1958 for the Hungarian restaurant at the Brussels World Fair.
Indiáner
Balls of jelly roll that are sliced in half and filled with whipped cream, and glazed in chocolate. The delicate pastry was invented in the 19th century for a theatre in Vienna.
Related posts:
- Rigó Jancsi Torta – Hungarian Chocolate Mousse Cake
- My Travel Photos – Rákóczi Túrós & Opera Cake
- Hungarian Food & Drink Terms
- Rich Chocolate Frosting
- Black Forest Torte
Category: Desserts
I’ve enjoyed your posts so much! My dad is from Hungary and one of my favorite treats while we visited was a sort of breakfast roll called Kifli (?). We sat under my grandpa’s grape arbor and had kifli and very sweet milky coffee every morning. I’m not sure of the spelling, but if this is familiar to you at all, I’ve searched for recipes all over and never found one.
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Kathy, I wonder if you are talking about Kiefels? I have a recipe for apricot kiefels, but I also fill them with walnut mixture. As a child (from 2 full blood Hungerians) mom made what we call nut horns and apricot horns. They are about 2.5 inches and cresent shaped, does that sound like what you eat under the grape vines? Where do you live, I’m in North Carlolina.
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I lived in Szeged in 1990 and Kifli was a staple food. I am looking for the recipe too if you find one please send it to my email. Thanks
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Kifli is the correct term. They are little flaky cakes filled with either apricot or a sweet walnut mixture. Some older Hungarians put poppy seed or prune filling too. Depends on your tastes.
However, there are many, many, many versions of the cakes. some are made with butterflake dough and are crisp and flaky, others are made with cream cheese and are more cake like.
Here is a simple recipe that is very good.
2 sticks butter – softened
1 package cream cheese – softened
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
rub all ingredients together until flour is fully incorporated. roll into 1 – 11/2 inch balls and refrigerate overnight.
Roll balls out in powdered sugar and fill apricot or sweet walnut merengue filling – roll up. bake at 350 for about 20 min or slightly browned.
Cool and dust with powdered sugar.
Note – you have to have the right filling, you cannot use jam or it will melt and run out in the oven. The proper name is lekvar. Very thick and sweet. sometimes in high end stores you can find apricot “filling”.
Recipe for merengue
2-3 egg whites beaten
add sugar and beat until very stiff -should taste really sweet and look glossy
Add finely ground nuts – mix should not be soft, very stiff, heavy with nuts.
Enjoy and good luck!
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I just found your website and I wonder if you (or anyone) can help me. My grandmother used to make a wonderful cake. I haven’t eaten in over 30 years, but I remember that it was a traditional round 2-layer cake with a rather spongy texture and after she frosted it, she heaped dollops of the frosting on the top. It almost had a light brownish-gray color to it. My mother thinks it may have had chocolate in it, and quite possibly could have had bits of coffee grounds in the mix or frosting (although it didn’t taste like it). Is this familiar to anyone else out there? I think I would go directly to heaven if I could taste this cake again…
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Carole,
I have never made this cake, but I found a Sponge Cake with Pudding Custard Frosting in one of my Hungarian cookbooks. It is a 2 layer cake that says you can add grated chocolate to the batter. The frosting says it is fluffy. Let me know if you are interested.
Laura
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Laura,
Thank you very much – I am very interested and would like to try the recipe. Can you post the recipe as a reply on this website?
Again, thank you!
Carole
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Carole
There is a sponge cake that is made from walnuts and is frosted with a very light chocolate coffee buttercream frosting. “Csokolade dios torte”. My grandmother made it too and we loved it! There are a couple of versions, some used flour, some used bread crumbs – she used graham cracker.
I have not tried to make it but here is the recipe:
12 eggs separated
12 tblsp sugar
12 tblsp ground walnuts
12 tblsp graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
Cream sugar and egg yolks. Mix dry ingredients, add to first mixture. Add vanilla, blend well. fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. bake in 2 -9 inch layer pans @ 350 for 40 minutes.
Good luck – hope you enjoy!
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SPONGE CAKE
6 eggs separated
1 c sugar
1 c flour
7 T cold water
1 t vanilla
pinch salt
1 1/4 t baking powder
Mix egg yolks and sugar on medium speed of electric
mixer for about 10 minutes. Gradually add water and
vanilla; mix well. Sift flour and baking powder 3 or
4 times. Beat egg whites to which salt has been added.
Mix with egg yolk mixture alternating with flour. Pour
into two 9-inch pans, greasing only the bottoms. If you
desire, 1/2 square grated chocolate may be added to the
batter before it is poured into pans. Bake at 375 for
about 25 to 30 minutes. Spread with pudding custard.
PUDDING CUSTARD FROSTING
1 egg
1/2 c flour
1 t vanilla
3/4 c sugar
1 c milk
1/4 lb. butter
Pinch salt
3 T powdered sugar
Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add egg and little milk at
one time to form smooth mixture; add all milk. Cook until
thick; keep stirring constantly because it will be very
thick. Remove from heat; beat until very smooth; allow
it to get very cold. Mix in mixing bowl with butter and
powered sugar until very fluffy; beat at highest speed on
mixer. Spread on sponge cake.
Good Luck! It sounds like fun. Let me know if it ends up
being anything like what you remember. I just made a batch
of nut horns also called kiefels (I’ve seen it spelled
different also). They turned out great, I’m going to make
more this weekend. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
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Great summary of Hungary’s beautiful cakes, very helpful!
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Thanks! There are so many wonderful cakes from Hungary. Many people don’t realize how many cakes in the world were inspired and influenced from these types.
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Hello!
I love your blog. I recognize many of those desserts when I would visit my grandparents in Hungary. I miss those yummy delights! Would you be interested in being featured in our magazine for our June issue. The magazine is called East&West (www.east-westmag.com). We are profiling Hungary and we would love it if we could put you in our Gastronome section. We like the article you posted above but would request a recipe for one of those desserts. Kindly let me know your thoughts.
Kind Regards,
Nathalie Carby
Editor
East&West Magazine
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I am trying to find the recipe for a wonderful cake my Hungarian grandma made on special occasions. The cakes were called Mazis Kolach?? She would make individual cakes in shapes, put a holy picture on the front, and drizzle with colored icing. Can anyone help me?
Thanks,
Renae
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If anybody has a recipe for Kremes’ – the flaky custard cake – I would love the recipe!
thanks
Mia
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