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).
- Includes: 1. Austrian Sachertort
- See also: 1. Cakes & Tortes Menu; 2. Using a Springform Pan, and an Alternative; 3. Chocolate Torte: Two Flourless Cakes
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
- Cake:
- 8 local farm-fresh eggs, yolks and white separated, room temperature
- 5 oz (142 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 10 Tbsp (143 g) softened butter
- ½ cup (65 g) sifted Rapadura powdered sugar, or Make Your Own Unrefined Powdered Sugar
- ⅔ cup (82 g) sifted whole wheat pastry flour, whole grain spelt flour, or unbleached white flour
- ½ cup (96 g) Rapadura or white cane sugar
- 2 Tbsp (44 g) apricot jam (GMO-free
- Glaze:
- 8 oz (227 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 Tbsp (29 g) butter
- Garnish:
- Whipped cream
- Equipment:
- 9″ springform pan
- bakers’ parchment
- knife for chopping chocolate
- 2 small saucepans
- Stand mixer with bowl (or hand mixer and large bowl)
- Separate large bowl
- Wire cooling rack
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
- vikingrivercruises.com/why-viking/community/viking-recipes/desserts/sachertorte.html
- Pro Flowers blog on cake vs torte (proflowers.com/blog/difference-between-torte-and-cake)
