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Sachertorte {Video recipe}

Eva

I had been wanting to prepare this recipe for some time… Well, more than one at home had been after me for years to make the traditional and wonderful Sachertorte. In the end I have granted them the wish, hahaha. The truth is that it’s a cake I don’t know why I haven’t prepared it before, especially considering that its main ingredient is one of my favorite. The chocolate.

The Sachertorte is a cake made with a chocolate sponge cake that is divided in half and, between the two sponge layers, is filled with a thin layer of apricot jam. Then cover the whole cake with a dark chocolate glaze and serve it with whipped cream or Chantilly.

Sachertorte origin.

This cake is one of the most famous specialities in Austria. It was invented by the Austrian Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna.

Apparently there was some similar elaboration to this cake before. In 1718 a very similar cake appeared in Conrad Hagger’s cookbook and in 1749 another similar recipe was found in the book “Wienerisches bewährtes Kochbuch“.

It is said that Prince Wenzel von Metternich commissioned his personal chef to create a special dessert to receive important guests. The chef fell ill and had to delegate responsibility to his 16-year-old apprentice, Franz Sacher. The prince asked Sacher not to embarrass him in front of his guests, so it was. He made this wonderful cake, which did not have the attention expected at that time.

Franz Sacher completed his apprenticeship in Bratislava and Budapest before moving to Vienna, his natal city. There he opened a shop specializing in delicatessen and wine.

Continuing the tradition.

Eduard, Franz Sacher’s eldest son, continued with his father’s culinary legacy and finished his training in Vienna at the Demel bakery, where he perfected his father’s cake to the look we know it today.

This cake began to be served at the Demel bakery and later at the Hotel Sacher founded by Eduard in 1876. From that time until today, this cake is still a culinary reference in Vienna.

The cake of rivalry.

During the first decades of the twentieth century, a legal battle took place over the use of the name “Original Sachertorte” between the Hotel Sacher and the Demel bakery.

Eduard Sacher perfected and created the current Sacher cake while working at Demel, where this cake was first offered. After Eduard’s death, his widow Anna became the hotel manager and became one of the best hotels in the world where aristocrats and diplomats met.

Anna died in 1930 and the bankruptcy of the hotel came in 1934. Eduard Sacher’s youngest son, also named Eduard, found work at the Demel bakery (where his father worked) and there he took the only right to distribute the Sachertorte.

The new hotel owners began to serve this cake under the brand name “Original Sachertorte”. After World War II, the hotel sued the Demel bakery claiming that they had bought the rights to the name of the cake.

Later it became known that Eduard Jr. had sold his original Sachertorte´s recipe to Demel for some unknown reason. So they both claimed to make the original cake.

Making a deal.

After seven years of rivalry, in 1965, the Sacher Hotel was finally declared eligible to use the name “Original Sachertorte”, while Demel had to settle for the name “Eduard Sachertorte”.

The main difference between the two tarts was, in Demel’s case, the use of jam covering the sponge cake before glazing it with chocolate and, in Sacher’s case, the use of jam between both layers of sponge cake.

Friedrich Torberg was a frequent guest at both establishments, served as a witness during this process and testified that, during Anna Sacher’s lifetime, the cake was never covered with jam or cut in half to fill it.

Preparing the recipe.

I was looking for a recipe I liked about this Sachertorte. As you can imagine, there are hundreds of them. Seeing the final result and inner texture, I decided to prepare one that was present in a high percentage of blogs. Esther’s recipe from Chocolatísimo.

I quote the main source, because the recipe I have followed is based on this one. But in my case I have had access to it thanks to a good friend who does incredible wonders, Raul “The Bear with Boots”/ “El Oso con Botas”. I liked many of the steps that he followed to elaborate this recipe based on Esther’s.

I decided to version a little the traditional presentation and adjust it to my personal taste, trying to maintain its essence. I have chosen the main ingredients that compose it to give a little color to the outside decoration.

Ingredients

FOR THE SPONGE CAKE: FOR THE FILLING: FOR THE GLAZE: FOR DECORATE:

Instructions

Make the sponge cake.
  1. Line a 7 inches (18 cm) removable round pan, set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 340º F (170ºC).
  3. Sift the flour together with the baking powder, set aside.
  4. Melt the chocolate in a water-bath, set aside.
  5. In the bowl of KA add the butter together with the icing sugar. Mix with the flat beater until it takes a whitish and creamy mixture.
  6. Add the egg yolks and continue mixing for about 5 minutes. We'll get a very creamy batter.
  7. While the yolks are being beaten together with the butter, whip the egg whites until you get a meringue. Once the egg whites begin to froth and get volume, add the sugar little by little until you get a merengue that makes soft peaks. Set aside.
  8. Add the ground almonds to the mixture of butter and egg yolks and mix until homogenized.
  9. Pour the melted dark chocolate and mix again until it is fully integrated.
  10. With the help of a silicone spatula, we began to add the merengue little by little to the sponge cake mixture. We will do it with soft and enveloping movements to help them integrate with the sponge cake mixture.
  11. Add the flour and blend into the mixture with gentle, enveloping movements. We'll do it alone until there's no flour left.
  12. Pour the mixture into the pan, smooth the surface slightly and tap gently to settle the batter.
  13. Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted in the center and comes out clean.
  14. Remove from the oven and let stand in the pan for 15 minutes.
  15. We remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely, with the upper part upside down and resting on the rack so that the base is now up, until it cools completely.
  16. Once it is completely cooled, wrap it in film and refrigerate overnight.
Fill the tart.
  1. In a saucepan add the apricot jam and place at medium low heat.
  2. We leave until it gets a little warm so that it takes on a more liquid texture.
  3. With the help of a layer cake cutter, cut the cake in half.
  4. Fill the inside with 3/4 of the jam.
  5. Cover the other half with sponge cake and brush all over the outside with the remaining jam.
  6. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Make the glaze.
  1. In a bowl add chopped chocolate and butter, set aside.
  2. In a saucepan pour the cream and heat to medium low heat.
  3. Remove the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 2-3 minutes and stir until a homogeneous and very bright mixture is obtained.
Give the first coat of topping to the cake.
  1. Using a spatula, cover the entire surface with a thin layer of chocolate ganache. We will try to leave it as smooth as possible.
  2. Rrefrigerate for 10-15 minutes so that this outer layer hardens.
Glaze.
  1. Place the cake on a rack and, under it, a tray that collects the surplus chocolate.
  2. Temperate lightly, in a water-bath, the chocolate glaze and pour over the cake.
  3. Let the excess drain for a few minutes.
  4. Using a spatula, we remove the cake from the rack and trasnfer to a stand.
Decorate.
  1. In a small saucepan add a spoonful of honey along with the chopped apricots.
  2. Place in medium heat and leave 1-2 minutes for it to melt and completely cover the pieces of apricots.
  3. Remove from heat and let drain on a rack.
  4. Put the ganache into a pipingy bag with an icing tip with holes and decorate the surface.
  5. Place some pieces of apricots, almonds and dust with edible golden powder.
  6. Serve.
I must admit that this Sachertorte has a little elaboration, but I must also say that it is a complete and absolute wonder. Its flavor and texture is extraordinary and accompanied by some Chantilly is outstanding. This weekend is going to be perfect for baking because cold days are coming , so it can be the perfect occasion to prepare this cake and enjoy it. Have a wonderful weekend, see you on Monday! Big hugs, Eva Sources: What Cooking America, Wikipedia.
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