History
The charm of old Europe, fascinating buildings, and an ambiance of elegance.
Most people have heard about the Austrian capital of Vienna, and may even be able to name a few things Vienna boasts, like the invention of the snowglobe, one of the oldest ferris wheels, the oldest operating zoo in the world, palaces, mansions, composers, musicians, and extravagant new year’s balls.
When it comes to desserts, however, the Sachertorte, this simple yet mouth-watering chocolate and apricot cake is surely the one at the top of the list.
Though it is not as pompous or decorated as some of its fellow desserts, it surely is the most popular one, and not only in Austria.
Its inventor, Franz Sacher was a mere sixteen-year-old apprentice in a powerful Austrian statesman and chancellor’s, Metternich’s, kitchen when he came up with the recipe that became well-known all over the world.
Metternich wanted to impress his illustrious guests with a unique dessert, but as his main pastry chef fell ill on that fateful evening, it was up to the apprentice to come up with a genius concoction.
Sacher did not disappoint, and though his cake lacked fancy ingredients and decorations, it was quite plain, but the unique flavor made it attractive and it soon became famous and popular even in the royal court.
It was the favorite of Empress Elisabeth, otherwise known as Sissi. Sacher’s son later opened the Opera Hotel a few steps away from the Viennese Operahouse, which became famous among the locals as “the Sacher”.
They used to sell around 400 Sacher cakes a day, and it is still the place to enjoy a wonderful slice with a dollop of fresh cream along with a cup of Viennese melange or buy it as a gift in pretty little wooden boxes.
Today, the Café Sacher Wien is among the dream companies to work for if you are an aspiring pastry chef. The legacy that this cake left behind is world-renowned.
Though the cake only requires a handful of ingredients, it is quite an elaborate process to prepare this palatable dessert, but it is completely worth your time.
Being a world-famous sweet, the recipe is not fully complete, the secret ingredient remains with the original Sacher family (though some say it may be a hint of cinnamon).
However, this version is as close to the original version as possible, as published by the current owners of the Sacher Hotel.
How to Make It
And now, let’s see the ingredients:
For the cake:
- 130 grams dark chocolate (with a minimum of 55 percent cocoa content, and 32 percent of cocoa butter)
- 1 pod of vanilla
- 150 grams softened, unsalted butter
- 100 grams confectioner’s sugar
- 6 eggs
- 100 grams castor sugar
- 140 grams wheat flour (plain)
Butter and flour for the springform pan 200 grams apricot jam
For the glaze:
- 200 grams castor sugar
- 150 grams dark chocolate
- 125 ml water
A dollop of whipped cream for garnish – sweetened or not, as you prefer.
The process:
Preheat the oven to 170°C (338 Fahrenheit). Line the base of a springform pan with baking paper, grease the sides, and dust it with a little bit of flour. Melt the dark chocolate over boiling water, and allow it to cool a bit Cut the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds from it. Beat the softened butter with the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla seeds by a handheld mixer until bubbles are formed.
Separate the egg yolks from the egg white. Mix the egg yolks into the butter mixture one by one. Gradually add the melted dark chocolate. Beat the egg whites with the confectioner’s sugar until stiff peaks are formed, then place it into the butter and chocolate mixture. Sift the flour over the mixture, then carefully fold in the flour and beaten egg whites with a spatula. Pour the mixture into the springform pan, smooth the top, and bake it in the oven for approximately 12-15 minutes while the oven door is about an inch open. Then close the oven door and bake the cake for about fifty minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and loosen the sides of the springform pan. Carefully place the cake on a baking paper-covered cake rack and let it cool for approximately 20 minutes. Then pull off the baking paper, turn the cake over, and leave it to cool completely.
Cut the cake in half horizontally. Heat up the apricot jam and stir it until it becomes smooth. Using a cake brush, coat both halves of the cake with the apricot jam and put them on top of each other with the coated surfaces facing each other. Next, coat the sides with the apricot jam as well.
For the glaze, put the confectioner’s sugar into a saucepan, add the water and boil over high heat for approximately 5 minutes. Take the sugar syrup off the stove and leave it to cool. Cut up the remaining dark chocolate coarsely, and add it to the syrup slowly, then stir it until it forms a thick liquid glaze.* Pour the lukewarm glaze over the cake and spread it swiftly using a palette knife. Leave the glaze to set for a few hours. Serve with whipped cream, or eat it plain.
*A word of wisdom to the glaze: check the consistency of the glaze by running it over a wooden spoon. It should form an approximately 4 mm thick layer.
If the glaze is too thick, add a couple of drops of sugar syrup to thin it. Make sure the glaze is not too hot, otherwise it will not be glossy.
Enjoy!
This light, flavourful, heavenly chocolate cake has been around for almost two hundred years. It stood the test of time, survived two world wars and a few freedom fights.
It was eaten and adored by princes and paupers, commoners, and noblemen.
This dessert is a classic, if you are an aspiring baker, being able to make it is a definite way of making your resume stand out.
The world went through incredible changes, but if you walk down Kartner Strasse in Vienna today and stop at the Sacher Hotel on the corner, you can still pamper yourself with the same amazing, unassumingly simple Sachertorte the sixteen-year-old apprentice created back in 1832.
Enjoy!