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Inspired by Hotel Sacher 🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria Kid-friendly

Sachertorte

Vienna's dark chocolate torte with a ribbon of apricot and a mirror-glossy glaze

Prep
45 min
Cook
55 min
Total
4 hr 40 min
Yield
One 9-inch torte (12 slices)
Level
Intermediate
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The legend behind it

The Sachertorte is usually traced to 1832, when Prince Metternich asked his kitchen for a new dessert. With the head chef ill, the job is said to have gone to Franz Sacher, a 16-year-old apprentice, who made a chocolate cake brushed with apricot jam. His son Eduard later refined the recipe while training at the pastry shop Demel and served it at the Hotel Sacher, which he opened behind the Vienna State Opera in 1876.

The cake's fame led to one of the best-known food disputes in Europe. For years the Hotel Sacher and Demel argued in court over who could sell the original Sachertorte, a fight Viennese called the Sweet Seven Years' War. It ended in 1963: the hotel kept the name Original Sacher-Torte, with apricot jam in the middle of the cake, and Demel sells an Eduard-Sacher-Torte with jam only under the glaze.

This is our home version inspired by Hotel Sacher's torte, not their closely guarded recipe. In the Viennese way, serve each slice with a big spoonful of lightly whipped, unsweetened cream to offset the dark chocolate.

This is our own home recipe inspired by the dessert served at Hotel Sacher. It is not the official recipe and we are not affiliated with Hotel Sacher.

Tips for success

  • Pour the glaze in one confident motion. Going back over it as it sets leaves streaks.
  • For an easier glaze, use a ganache of 170 g (6 oz) chopped chocolate melted into 180 ml (3/4 cup) hot heavy cream. It will look glossy but will not have the classic sugary snap.
  • Sachertorte tastes better on the second day, once the jam has moistened the cake.
  • Keep it covered at cool room temperature for up to 4 days. The fridge dulls the glaze.

Sachertorte

A classic Sachertorte recipe inspired by Vienna's Hotel Sacher: dense chocolate sponge, tangy apricot jam and a glossy chocolate glaze, served with unsweetened whipped cream.

Prep
45 min
Cook
55 min
Total
4 hr 40 min
Yield
One 9-inch torte (12 slices)
Calories
~455/serving

Ingredients

For the cake

For the apricot layer

For the chocolate glaze

To serve

Instructions

Bake the cake

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, line the base with parchment and dust the sides with flour.
  2. Melt the chocolate gently in a bowl set over barely simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, then let it cool until barely warm.
  3. Beat the butter and powdered sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla and melted chocolate.
  4. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks. Gradually add the granulated sugar and whip to glossy, firm peaks.
  5. Stir a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it. Fold in the rest of the whites and the flour alternately in gentle additions, keeping in as much air as you can.
  6. Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool completely, upside down, on a rack.

Add the apricot

  1. Warm the jam with the brandy or water until runny, then press it through a sieve.
  2. Level the top of the cake if needed and slice it horizontally into two layers. Spread about a third of the warm jam over the bottom layer and replace the top.
  3. Brush the rest of the jam over the top and sides of the cake. Let it set for 1 hour so the glaze has a smooth surface to cling to.

Glaze

  1. Boil the sugar and water in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, then take it off the heat and cool for 2 minutes.
  2. Stir in the chopped chocolate until smooth. Return the pan to low heat and stir until the glaze reaches about 225°F (107°C) and coats the back of a spoon in a thick layer.
  3. Set the cake on a rack over a sheet pan. Pour all the glaze over the top in one go, then spread it over the top and down the sides with a few quick strokes of an offset spatula.
  4. Let the glaze set at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Slice with a hot, dry knife and serve with unsweetened whipped cream.

Tools we use

Recipe from Miss Confection · https://missconfection.com/recipe/sachertorte

Questions, answered

What is Sachertorte made of?

Sachertorte is a dense chocolate sponge layered with apricot jam and covered in a firm, shiny chocolate glaze. In Vienna it is served with unsweetened whipped cream.

What is the difference between Sacher and Demel Sachertorte?

Hotel Sacher's Original Sacher-Torte has apricot jam in the middle of the cake as well as under the glaze. Demel's Eduard-Sacher-Torte has jam only under the glaze.

Does Sachertorte need to be refrigerated?

No. It keeps for several days, covered, at cool room temperature, and the fridge can make the glaze look dull.

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