Catherine Stroud Vodrey loves to bake, make chocolate, and write. She shares all three skills with Table Magazine with this unique (and uniquely beautiful) recipe. Be sure to scroll down for a photograph of the many layered beauty of her recipe.

Dutzend Schichttorte is a wow of a cake that depends for its visual effect not on trendy ombré icing or three-dimensional decoration, but on a stunning interior. Better yet, it’s smashingly good: chocolate-y, vanilla-y, moist, tender, delicious — and all without being crazy-sweet.

 

This German dessert (whose name translates simply to “dozen layer cake”) traditionally features twenty layers — which would be a Zwanzig Schichttorte — but a dozen layers will do.

 

Dutzend Schichttorte is baked under the broiler. Set your oven rack to the upper middle level and watch the first couple of layers very carefully to figure out exactly how hot your oven is. You’ll broil each layer for somewhere between 60 and 90 seconds, but you do have to watch those first couple of layers to acquaint yourself with the timing that works best for your oven.

 

There can be no distractions while you’re in the kitchen with this beauty: no scrolling through social media, no throwing in some laundry. She will demand the entirety of your attention, rather like the Valentine for whom you’re concocting this treat. 

 

Top with your favorite icing. A simple chocolate glaze works well, and doesn’t distract from the showstopper of the cake’s interior. So: melt together over low heat 1 1/4 cups (about 7 ozs.) coarsely chopped dark chocolate (we like Callebaut 52% cacao) with about 2/3 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk occasionally as it melts, and once it’s completely smooth, pour over the cooled cake. Allow to set an hour or two before serving.

 

Be prepared to be showered with kisses and compliments upon presenting this to your Valentine!

 

Dutzend Schichttorte (Dozen Layer Cake)

Makes 1 10” round cake, for 8 to 12 servings

 

3 cups (12 ozs.) cake flour

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

2 cups (14 ozs.) sugar

1½ sticks (6 ozs.) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups well-shaken buttermilk, room temperature, divided

1/3 cup (1½ ozs.) unsweetened cocoa

 

1)   Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. Generously grease a 10” round springform pan and set aside. Set the oven rack at the upper middle level and turn on the broiler.

 

2)   In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again briefly.

 

3)   Alternating between the two, beat in the flour mixture and 1½ cups only of the buttermilk (set aside the remaining ½ cup of buttermilk). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat at medium-high speed for 1 minute.

 

4)   Divide the batter in half, giving you about 3½ cups each per batch. Set one batch aside and to the second batch, beat at medium-low speed while adding the remaining buttermilk and the cocoa. Now you have a chocolate batter and a vanilla batter, which you’ll alternate in making the cake.

 

5)   Starting with the chocolate batter, pour between 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup into the springform pan, using a spatula to spread the batter all the way to the edges. It will be a very thin layer, but this first layer is the most difficult to spread, so don’t fret! REMEMBER: each of the layers must be thin, because you are only using the broiler to bake them. If you use too much batter for the layers, they won’t bake completely through, but the tops will burn.

 

6)   Put the pan into the oven on the upper middle rack and broil for 60 to 90 seconds, watching closely to gauge how your particular oven works. The layer will be done when it looks done and springs back lightly when you touch it. Don’t wait for things to cool before proceeding to the next step.

 

7)   Do the next layer with the vanilla batter the same way. You’ll be putting the vanilla batter directly on top of the hot, just-broiled chocolate layer, and the vanilla batter will start to sort of melt and spread — almost like butter in a hot skillet. You will see a little bit of the chocolate layer through the uncooked vanilla batter, and that’s good —  that means you’re keeping the layer thin enough! The heat of the first layer will help you spread it all the way to the edges. Broil for 60 to 90 seconds, just like the first chocolate layer. Allow the vanilla layers to get deep golden brown, but watch closely because it’s only a matter of seconds between deep golden brown and burned.

 

8)   Repeat the process, alternating batters, until you have a dozen total layers. You may have a little bit of extra chocolate batter left over (you can discard this).

 

9)   After you’ve broiled the final layer, allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then gently run a knife around the perimeter of the cake and release the springform sides. You can ice the cake when it’s completely cool — about another half hour. If you're freezing the cake (see below), don't ice it.

 

Storage

This keeps for several days in an airtight container. It also freezes well after baking. To thaw, remove from freezer and allow to come up to room temperature for two to three hours before icing and serving.

 

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