The Confectionery King: The Visionary Behind Hungary's Iconic Birthday Cake

Crafted with meticulous care, Hungarian cakes are revered as some of the most luxurious and sought-after desserts worldwide.

From the iconic six-layered Dobos cake, invented by the legendary baker Dobos C. József, to the exquisite Esterházy torte, with its meringue and rich chocolate buttercream layers, Hungary’s cake scene is unrivaled in Central Europe.

Baking is so deeply embedded in Hungarian culture that the National Confederation of Hungarian Confectioners hosts an annual competition, at the invitation of the government, to crown the country’s official ‘Birthday Cake.’

Exclusive to the country’s best confectioners, this competition was launched in 2007 to mark St. Stephen’s Day, August 20, a national holiday dedicated to Hungary’s first king.

This year’s champion, Boldogasszony csipkéje, meaning 'Happy Woman’s Lace,' was crafted by Norbert Tóth, one of the proprietors of Tóth Confectionery, a family-owned business located in Dunaföldvár.

Tóth first participated in the prestigious contest in 2016, encouraged by his family and friends.

Elite confectioners from around the world.

"I'm not a fan of competition," he confides to Dinogo. "I thought, fine, I’ll enter this year and maybe then they’ll stop bothering me."

His debut entry was an unconventional cake featuring beer, elderberry, and yuzu.

"I made it to the finals that first time and thought, if I can get to the finals, let’s see what happens next year," he reflects. "That’s when I caught the bug and knew I had to win."

In subsequent years, he entered a variety of cakes made with unique ingredients like violets, marshmallows, coffee, malt, and milk chocolate.

Although each of his creations reached the finals, Tóth struggled to claim the top prize—until this year.

"In all my previous entries, I created modern cakes," he says. "But this one has a more nostalgic feel, like something from 20 or 30 years ago."

"It’s a classic design—but crafted using very contemporary techniques."

The vibrant cake’s star ingredient is raspberries, which make up about one-third of its total weight.

Boldogasszony csipkéje is not only adorned with 100 grams of fresh raspberries, but also incorporates 600 grams of raspberry purée and freeze-dried raspberry powder to "maintain a consistent flavor profile."

A silky cream, made by blending the purée with egg whites, white chocolate, butter, and whipped cream, is used to separate the cake’s layers, which are also soaked in the purée.

"There’s no sugar in the purée, as I wanted to create a cake that wasn’t overly sweet," Tóth explains.

"Happy Woman’s Lace"

The white chocolate cream that delicately weaves through the fresh strawberries on top of the cake symbolizes the "lace" in its name.

The "happy woman" reference comes from the health benefits of raspberry leaves, which are rich in vitamins B and C, along with a range of minerals and antioxidants.

Raspberry leaf tea has been a traditional remedy for menstrual cramps for centuries.

Tóth expresses concern over the decline in raspberry fields across Hungary, with their numbers having fallen by 90% over the past 20 years.

The confectioner triumphed over strong competition from Hysteria Confectionery in Tapioszecso and Gergő Dezse of Mészáros Confectionery in Szombathely to claim the 2019 title.

The judging for Hungary’s Cake competition takes several months to complete.

Confectioners dedicate months to perfecting their recipes, as the competition rules require that the cake has never been sold before.

Live competition

Participants submit their recipes in writing to the National Confederation of Hungarian Confectioners, where a panel of seven experts selects the winning creation after two rounds of baking.

The judges evaluate the cakes based on a variety of factors, including taste, appearance, texture, consistency, how well they represent Hungarian celebrations, as well as their creativity, innovation, and use of technology.

According to László Selmeczi, "The cake doesn’t have to embody Hungarian culture directly, but it must feature a distinct Hungarian flavor, or a dominant Hungarian taste, or even be a modern interpretation of classic Hungarian desserts."

Value for money is also a key consideration, as the winning recipe is shared with confectioneries across Hungary to produce and sell. Bakers who offer Hungary’s Cake must sign a contract agreeing to replicate the recipe exactly, with no alterations.

On a set date, contestants anonymously present their cakes, and the judges narrow down the entries to five finalists.

The cakes are tasted once more, and judges provide written feedback with suggestions for adjustments to the contestants, who remain anonymous at this stage, to enhance the final product.

A month later, the live competition takes place, where finalists have around five hours to bake their cakes in front of an audience of fellow confectioners, who observe closely to ensure that every step of the recipe is followed precisely.

Intense competition

At the end of June, the finalists are informed of the winner, but they are bound by secrecy until the official announcement is made during a press conference at the Hungarian Parliament.

At last, the winning cake is served to the public during the Street of Hungarian Flavours in Budapest, just before the St. Stephen’s Day celebrations, as well as at various confectioneries across the country.

This means that, until next August, Boldogasszony csipkéje holds the title of Hungary’s official cake.

"Once you win, the recipe no longer belongs to you. It becomes the property of the confederation," says Tóth.

"Other bakers can sign up to make the cake, but they must agree to follow the recipe exactly as it’s written," he adds.

So dedicated to maintaining quality, the confederation launched a program a decade ago to sponsor Hungarian confectioners training alongside French pastry chefs.

"They assist with costs for local bakers to travel abroad and train with international pastry chefs, as well as inviting those chefs to Budapest," Tóth explains.

The week-long workshops provide confectioners with the chance to acquire new techniques and refine their existing skills.

Having finally won the title, Tóth says he has no intention of entering the "demanding" competition again.

"It’s an immense amount of work, about 400 hours. After winning, you then spend even more time with the media," he says. "I have three daughters and I want to focus more on my family."

Tóth Confectionery began in 1983 as a gelato shop, opened by Maria Tóth, the family's matriarch.

A decade later, they relocated to their current site and expanded their menu to include cakes.

The 25-strong team includes Maria, her husband István Sr., Norbert and his wife, his brother István Jr., and even Norbert’s grandmother, who once worked there too.

During the summer months, Tóth Confectionery serves up 40 distinct ice cream flavors.

However, customers are always in for a surprise, as the shop has created over 150 different flavors since its opening.