Austrian Sachertorte

The Original Sacher Torte

By Cat, May 27, 3017 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

My first exposure to a real chocolate torte was the famous Austrian Sachertorte, from the Hotel Sacher in Vienna (photo, right). After a good friend spent her honeymoon in Europe, a package arrived on my doorstep from Vienna. Inside was a wood box, about 8″ square, with “Hotel Sacher” printed in black ink on the top. Inside was a small Sachertorte, still fresh and wonderful, along with a gift card telling about this famous cake. I was in heaven for a week as I consumed this wonderful treat. Thanks again, Terra.

For an interesting read about the difference between “cake” and “torte,” see Pro Flowers (blog (2).

Austrian Sachertorte

This recipe is adapted from Viking River Cruises (1), and makes 8 servings.. I’ve not yet tested it, mainly because I no longer eat sugar, and stevia will not work well in this recipe (real sugar is needed to help the eggs hold stiff peaks).

My understanding is that a true Torte contains no flour, but this recipe uses a small amount. I would like to try eliminating the flour using my Chocolate Torte: Two Flourless Cakes as a guide. They use a mix of broken-up dark chocolate and unsweetened baking cocoa (Dutch process, or regular), which may be the key.

Buy the best bittersweet chocolate you can find (75% cocoa mass), such as Belgian dark chocolate; see Chocolate (about) for more information.

Apricot jam can be a problem (unless you make your own)because most commercial brands use HFCS, which is a GMO product. Bonne Mamam (available on Amazon) is a good non-Organic brand that uses cane sugar (so far not GMO) and contains no HFCS. If there is a Trader Joe’s near you, they have an Organic brand. Crofter’s Organic is available on iHerb.

The original recipe gives ingredient measurements in English and metric; I have not changed this.

Ingredients and Equipment

Method:

  • Prep: Remove eggs from refrigeration, and allow to warm to room temperature before separating.
  • Chop bittersweet chocolate and melt.
  • Line bottom of springform pan with bakers’ parchment (see Using a Springform Pan, and an Alternative for more).
  • Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  • Batter: Cream together butter and powdered sugar. Add 1 egg yolk at a time, mixing until creamy. Gradually add melted chocolate to the creamed mixture; fold in flour.
  • In separate bowl, beat egg whites and sugar until holds stiff peaks; fold by hand into chocolate mix with a spatula or wooden spoon.
  • Pour batter into a lined 9-inch springform pan.
  • Bake in preheated oven, 50-65 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
  • Finish cake: Heat apricot jam and smooth over entire torte, including sides, or alternatively, slice cake in half crosswise and also add jam between layers.
  • Make glaze by melting chocolate with butter; then pour over cake; let dry before slicing, and garnish with whipped cream.

References

  1. vikingrivercruises.com/why-viking/community/viking-recipes/desserts/sachertorte.html
  2. Pro Flowers blog on cake vs torte (proflowers.com/blog/difference-between-torte-and-cake)

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