Sachertorte

Rich chocolate sponge cake, glazed in apricot and iced in bittersweet chocolate ganache. 

Subject to a court case, this cake recipe was developed almost 300 years ago by Franz Sacher. 

Now, there is no argument about the exquisite taste of this Viennese creation. Cut in the middle and layered with apricot jam, or just covered with it on tor and the sides, the cake always proudly wears the signature "Sacher" chocolate stamp. 

I decided to prepare Sachertorte, trying to find the most genuine recipe for it - not the contemporary versions with new additions. One of the issues, discussed in court was if the cake should be cut in half and layered with jam, or just covered. I chose not to cut my beautifully baked chocolate sponge.


for the cake:

170 g dark chocolate
140 g butter, softened
170 g custard sugar
120 g egg yolks (about 6 extra large eggs)
320 g egg whites (about 8 extra large eggs)
150 g all purpose flour

for the glaze:

200 ml apricot jam
1 Tbsp lemon juice

for the ganache:

50 g sugar
1 Tbsp glucose or white corn syrup
190 g heavy cream
230 g dark chocolate - 75% cocoa

Have a 8" cake pan buttered and covered with parchment paper.


prepare the cake:

1. Melt the chocolate over bain marie. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and pale.
3. Beat in the egg yolks one by one, beating well after each addition.
4. Beat the egg whites, until stiff. Fold in one quarter of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it.
5. Gently, fold in the yolk mixture into the whites.
6. Sift over the flour and fold gently.
7. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the middle of the oven at 175C for 40-50 min, or until ready. (check with a toothpick).
8. Turn the cake onto a wire rack to cool.

 prepare the glaze:

1. Heat the apricot jam and the lemon juice and allow to boil.
2. Strain through a fine sieve.
3. Brush the top and sides of the cake, while the jam is warm. Distribute the jam evenly.
4. Leave to cool and set.

 prepare the ganache:

1. Chop the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.
2. Bring the cream, glucose and sugar to boils.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Leave to stay for 5 min.
4. Stir to homogenize.

Tailoring:

1. When the jam is well set on the cake and while the ganache is still warm, place the cake on a wire rack and fit the rack into a deep pan.
2. Pour the ganache over the cake (over the centre).
3. With a flat spatula, evenly distribute the ganache on top of the cake and let it cover freely the sides. Use the spatula for the sides, if needed.
4. Leave the cake on the rack until the ganache hardens and sets.


Serving:

Serve at room temperature. Traditionally, Sachertorte is served with unsweetened whipped cream.
Store in a cool place for up to 4 days.

Comments

Cathleen said…
This cake is gorgeous!
9 December 2014 at 23:35
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