A title that could be read as “A Tempting Sachertorte” perhaps, because I think they might all be exactly that, even this one!
I found it quite difficult to walk past Vienna’s glorious coffee shops without a certain temptation crossing my mind – i.e. a nice fat slice with a cup of the coffee that the Viennese do so well… Sadly the queues at Hotel Sacher were too lengthy even for this cake addict to contemplate each time we ventured past, but we did sample one or two slices of what is perhaps Austria’s most famous cake at a couple of other desirable destinations…
This post is thus named “Attempting Sachertorte” because I wanted to have a go at making one myself. And to be perfectly honest with you I think there might be a reason why people choose to go out to indulge, instead of making it themselves – and it wasn’t even the cake part that I had the found the most troublesome… The outer chocolate shell on an authentic Sachertorte is so shiny and smooth that you could possibly do your make up in it. And mine, as you can see is not… I even followed the Austrian Tourist Office’s recipe instructions for this part, melting chocolate into a sugar syrup at a certain temperature and pouring it over the cake, but that was easier said than done (and made one hell of a mess!) so in the recipe below, I have opted for pure melted chocolate instead…
It might be fiddly in parts, and you might find yourself asking why you’ve bothered at various points throughout the whole process, but I think the outcome is worth it. And if people profess to not liking Sachertorte (and you can’t manage it all yourself) then tell them it’s a jaffa cake cake. That worked for me! Failing that, get yourself to Vienna and sample a slice of the real stuff. I think you might thank me for that advice.
For the Cake (8-12 slices depending on how greedy you are!)
110g Dark Chocolate,
115g Softened unsalted butter,
40g icing sugar,
6 eggs,
125g caster Sugar,
140g plain white flour.
For the Filling & Topping
180g Apricot Jam,
30ml Dark Rum,
250g Dark Chocolate.
Heat oven to 175degC. Grease a 23cm round spring form tin with butter. Line with baking paper, and grease that too.
Gently melt the chocolate in a bowl set in a pan over boiling water. Set to one side to cool.
Beat the softened butter with the icing sugar, then add the melted chocolate and combine. At this stage add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring thoroughly after each one.
In a food mixer beat the egg whites* together with the caster sugar, until you get to stiff peak stage.
Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate/egg yolk mixture, before gently folding in the flour. Pour into the baking tin, and bake for 40-45 minutes (check that it is baked properly with a skewer). Leave to cool completely.
Carefully slice the torte in half. In a pan, melt the apricot jam and the rum together over a low heat, then pass through a sieve to get rid of any lumps. Sandwich the cake together with a generous layer of jam, and then paint the outside of the torte with it, and leave to cool. Melt the chocolate for the covering as above, and gently pour/spread over the cake. Leave to cool completely and set. Serve with a strong coffee and plenty of whipped cream on the side…
*a little tip I learned from my Mum to ensure perfect egg white/meringue creation – add a drop of lemon juice to the empty bowl beforehand and give it a quick wipe around with kitchen paper – does the trick every time!…
Eva Gold says
oh wow! I have yet to try making this myself but its long been one of my FAVOURITE Kuchen :)
bavaria says
Thank you! :)
Emily @amummytoo says
Looks great to me! I would happily eat it, no persuasion required! :)
Thanks very much for linking up with #recipeoftheweek. I’ve pinned and stumbled this :) Also I’ve just put a fresh linky live for this week and would love you to join in.
bavaria says
Thank you Emily! Will be over shortly! :)
Jaime Oliver says
Having only just started my baking/cooking journey this may well be too complex. However it looks delicious!
bavaria says
Jaime, if I can make it… You can too, trust me! :)
A Patchwork Life says
never tried it, but like the sound of a giant rum flavoured jaffa cake! :)
bavaria says
How can you not? :D Thank you… x
Sam @happyhomebird says
Seriously looks delicious. I’d not heard of it before so this is one I may attempt for my cake club. Thank you for the recipe.
bavaria says
Hope it turns out OK! Thank you! :)
Cass@frugalfamily says
That looks absolutely delicious x
bavaria says
Thanks Cass! :) x
Sarah@The View From the Table says
Do people really say they don’t like sachertorte? Are they of sound mind? This looks fabulous. Choc topping and all :)
bavaria says
Yes. My 8 year old (until I told her it was Jaffa Cake cake) and my German teacher who thinks it’s disgusting. I am going to try him with the jaffa cake cake trick too… :D Thank you! x
Trish - Mum's Gone to says
Muffins and brownies are about my limit so may just have to buy cake like this. Like the lemon juice tip, though!
bavaria says
You will just have to make that trip to Munich then, we can get the real things here as well! Thank you, will tell my Mum, maybe I should open up a new blog category… :D
Alison says
This looks gorgeous and now I want some!
bavaria says
Thank you Alison! :)
Kara says
Oh me oh my, that looks amazing. Now if you could make your blog smell like the cake, that would be fab!
bavaria says
Thank you Kara! That would be great wouldn’t it? :D
Aisha from expatlog says
Sachertorte always takes me back to when we’d just moved into our pre-war doer-upper and I made it in a kitchen someone had constructed themselves entirely from scratch. We didn’t even have plumbing for a washing machine, it sat outside the kitchen window and I connected it to the kitchen taps whenever I needed to put a wash on! Happy (long-ago) days. It was delicious, though I’ve never attempted it again. Thanks for the memories!
bavaria says
Thanks Aisha, that sounds like a kitchen and a half! :)
Fozia says
Oh my mouth is watering just looking at that!!
Would love to have a go at making it…. but can you leave out the rum though? and it still tastes ok?
bavaria says
Of course, I think it would still taste good. Thank you Fozia! :)
Jane @northernmm says
Gosh that looks awesome! Loving the mum tip as well x
bavaria says
Thanks Jane. She’s full of good tips my Mum! :D x
Emma @emvanstone says
Ooooh, that looks delicious. I am tempted to have a go, but I am not good with recipes you need to be careful with :-)
bavaria says
Well in general, I think if you are making them for other people you might try to be a little careful. However if you are making them for yourself…. :D Thank you!
Helen Neale says
That looks yummy *tries to eat screen*! I haven’t tasted this before at all, and the look of that photo is making me wonder what I have been missing out on….
bavaria says
This is a poor second to that you can sample in Austria, but it’s better than nothing! Thank you! :D
pinkoddy says
As it is so difficult to make then maybe I should just eat yours :)
bavaria says
Then I will have to make another one! Thanks Joy! :)
Aly says
I need to make cake tomorrow.I made this once at catering college but I never made it ever again.I think you have convinced me to make again.
bavaria says
Let me know how you get on. Bet yours turns out better than mine, the furthest I got in catering college was wandering into the kitchens to find a friend! :D Thanks Aly!
A Mum in London says
Have never tasted it, but would like to.
And I really envy your baking skills, it looks so great!
bavaria says
Thank you! More luck than judgement believe me! :D
Tammy Chrzan says
I’m not much of a cook or a baker, but I do love eating :)
So you’ll just have to save me a slice as it looks delicious!!!
I hope you have a great week,
Tammy
bavaria says
No problem. Thank you Tammy, you too! :)
Sonya Cisco says
OH MY that looks delicious- poo to not having a food mixer, must get one so I can tackle things with excessive whisking required!
bavaria says
I don’t think Father Christmas has read all of the lists yet, there’s still time to add one! ;)
maggy, red ted art says
What are you doing to me? First all those lovely pics from Vienna and now Sachertorte? You trying to make me homesick. Sigh. Send me some of your cake NOW!
Maggy
bavaria says
Sorry Maggy! :D x
Niki says
That looks delicious, maybe not as shiny as the original, but still looks very yummy!
bavaria says
Thanks Niki! :)
Pols80 says
I’ve never tasted Sacher Torte… Clearly I have never lived! it looks delicious and, thanks to your handy recipe, I’ll be attempting it this week.
bavaria says
Thanks Pols, hope you like it! :)
Louisa @ My Family & Abruzzo says
Your picture drew me in Bavarian! I could definitely cope with a slice of that scrumptiousness with my coffee. Liking the jaffa cake comparison for anyone unaware of sacher torte! : )
bavaria says
Thanks Louisa! :) The 8 year old fell for the Jaffa Cake comparison, having said she only liked strudel out of Austrian cakes! :D
Mammasaurus says
Can with rum? You have my vote. Any chance of a slice? *smiles angelically*
bavaria says
Any cake with rum gets my vote! :D Thanks Annie, and yes of course! :D
Funky Wellies says
Looks like I might be a psychic?? ;o)
I do love this cake… I have never attempted to make it myself, having tasted it on more than one occasion at the Sacher Hotel I thought it could only turn out disappointing.
Reading your post, I am however tempted to try it now… xx
bavaria says
You should, it’s definitely worth a try! :D Thank you, yes I did laugh when I read your comment the other day, I have had this post scheduled for a while now, I am trying to be more organised! :D x