Torta Sacher

The Sacher Cake, or Sachertorte, is a very famous chocolate dessert originally from Vienna. The traditional Austrian recipe calls for dark chocolate, apricot jam, and a shiny chocolate coating. Here is the recipe in Italian style:

Ingredients

• 130 g of soft butter
• 130 g of powdered sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 130 g of dark chocolate
• 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
• 130 g of 00 flour
• A pinch of salt
• 200 g of apricot jam
• For the glaze:
  • 150 g of dark chocolate
  • 150 ml of whipping cream
  • 50 g of butter

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Separate the yolks from the whites and beat the yolks with the powdered sugar until you obtain a light and fluffy mixture.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and when it is lukewarm, add it to the yolk and sugar mixture.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt and gently fold them into the yolk and chocolate mixture, alternating with sifted flour and cocoa.
5. Pour the mixture into a buttered and floured mold and bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
6. Allow the cake to cool, then cut it horizontally into two disks. Spread a generous amount of apricot jam on one disk and cover with the other.
7. Prepare the glaze by melting chocolate with cream and butter in a double boiler, then let it cool for a few minutes and pour over the cake, covering it completely.
8. Let the glaze cool and set before serving.

For an Italian touch, you can opt to add a splash of orange liqueur to the cake mix to give it a slightly citrusy and distinct aroma.

Curiosity

The story goes that the Sacher Cake was created in 1832 by the Austrian pastry chef Franz Sacher for Prince Klemens von Metternich in Vienna. Today, its recipe is jealously guarded by the pastry chefs of the Hotel Sacher, who sell original versions all over the world.