Sacher Torte

Sacher Torte, the Austrian chocolate layer cake spread with apricot jam and covered with a shiny glaze of dark chocolate, was invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 and has become one of the most famous and well-known of all Viennese pastry specialties.

The trademark for the Original Sacher torte was registered by the Hotel Sacher, and the Sacher Torte recipe is still a well-kept secret today. The Original Sacher torte is still only made in two places, Vienna and Salzburg, where, by law, they are permitted to write the name 'Sacher' on the cake, and then is shipped to locations around the world. The only place where you can find the Original Sacher Torte outside of Austria, is in the Sacher shop of Bolzano, Italy.

There are many imitations of the original sacher torte recipe, and since imitation IS the highest form of flattery, this wonderful adaptation of the Sacher Torte recipe would surely have pleased even Franz Sacher!

Sacher Torte

Ingredients:
4 1/2 oz unsalted butter, melted
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 large egg yolks
6 large egg whites
4 1/2 oz chocolate, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups apricot jam, warmed with 1 tblsp water and sieved

Glaze:
10 1/2 oz chocolate, chopped
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F.Grease a 10-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper (or use 2 8-inch pans).
In a bowl, stir together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla. Beat in the egg yolks and then the chocolate.
In a a different bowl, beat egg whites until peaks start to form. Gradually add the sugar, and beat until stiff. Fold egg/sugar mixture into the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour over this mixture and lightly but throughly fold in. Pour into cake pans.
If baking in 1 springform pan, bake about 50 minutes, or until skewer inserted in center of pan comes out clean. If baking in 2 pans, bake about 30 minutes, or until skewer inserted in center of pans come out clean.
Leave to cool in pans.
Remove and place 1 cake on cake plate (If only 1 cake baked, divide the cake in equal halves horizontally through the middle of the cake) and spread with some jam. Place the 2nd cake or 2nd layer on top, and spread with the remainder of the jam over the entire cake.Ice the entire cake with chocolate glaze.

To make the glaze, melt the chocolate over a pot of hot (not boiling) water. Stir in the sour cream and spread quickly over the entire cake.

Serve Sacher Torte with unsweetened whipped cream.

Enjoy!

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