Sacher Torte

The Sacher Torte comprise two layers of deep, dense and dark chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam in the middle.  The cake is then glazed with dark chocolate and served with a dollop of whipped cream on the side.  Based on the description, one might think that this is merely a simple chocolate cake.  However, this torte is a symbol of Viennese confectionery and actually has a long history behind it.

The Sacher Torte was created by pastry chef Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince Clemens Lothar Wensel Metternich of Austria, the Austrian State Chancellor. The prince enjoyed trying new dishes and ordered the chef to create a new cake. Orders were sent to the kitchen where it was instant pandemonium. The head chef was sick and the team of cooks in the kitchen had no idea what to prepare. Franz Sacher, a 16-year old apprentice cook, rolled up his sleeves and created this famous chocolate cake with the ingredients that were available.

A generation later, the Sacher Torte became involved in a tussle between Hotel Sacher and Demel Patisserie, both claiming to produce the original Sacher Torte. These two world-famous institutions were engaged in a lawsuit which lasted for years. In 1965, the judgement went in favor of Hotel Sacher, giving them the right to the “Original Sacher Torte” while Demel had to be satisfied with the “Original Eduard Sacher Torte”. The main difference between the two recipes is that in Sacher's case, the layer of jam is between two layers of the cake, while in Demel's version the jam is on top of the cake but under the chocolate covering.  Interesting ? You can read more about it here.

Back to my version of the Sacher Torte, whose recipe I had adapted from the Cafe Boulud Cookbook by Daniel Boulud.  In his recipe, Boulud had recommended raspberry jam for the filling, but since I did not have any on hand, I applied the traditional apricot jam.  This cake is indeed a very dense, deep and dark cake.  My first reaction was that the cake is too bitter, but then it gets better with every bite.  I don't know why, but this cake also conjures the image that it is a dessert that the gentlemen of yesteryears would savor with their cigar and brandy.

You will need:

Cake:
6 tbsp almond flour
1/4 cup all purpoe flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch processed
115 g extra-bittersweet chocolate, preferably one that is at least 70% cocoa solids, finely chopped
115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
5 large eggs, 4 separated and 1 left whole, at room temperature
1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup apricot jam

Chocolate glaze:
140 g extra-bittersweet chocolate, preferably one that is at least 70% cocoa solids, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Icing sugar for dusting

Preparation:

To prepare the cake:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 220 deg C.  Butter the inside of an 8- by 2-inch round cake pan, dust the inside with flour, tap out excess, and set aside.

Sift together the almond flour, all purpose flour and cocoa powder and set this aside.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave set on low to medium power.  Set aside.

Working in a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale and creamy.  One by one, add the whole egg and the yolks and continue to beat until the mixture is thick.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and wash and dry the mixer bowl.

Fir the mixer with the whisk attachment and the clean, dry bowl.  Working on medium-low speed, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice just until they are foamy.  Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the whites hold soft peaks.

Using a large flexible rubber spatula and a light hand, fold the melted chocolate into the egg yolk mixture, followed by the almond flour mixture.  Next, fold in the beaten egg whites in 3 additions, and scrape the batter into the prepared pan, it will fill it only to the halfway mark.  Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Unmold the cake onto a cooling rack, invert it, and cool to room temperature right side up on a rack.

If the top of the cake is domed or a little uneven, use a long serrated knife to slice away a sliver of the top to level.  Then cut the cake horizontally into half.  Place the bottom half of the cake, sut side up, on a cardboard cake round or the removable metal bottom of a tart pan, preferably one that is slightly smaller than the cake.  Spread the top of this half evenly with the apricot jam, top with the other half of the cake, and put the cake aside while you make the ganache.

To make the chocolate glaze:
Put the chocolate in a bowl.  Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  At the boil, pull the pan from the heat and slowly pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, whisking the mixture gently until you have a smooth, glossy ganache.  Using an offset metal icing spatula, spread a thin layer of the ganache over the sides and top of the cake - this is just a coat to keep the crumbs from spoiling the final coat, so don't overdo it; it should be a very thin gloss.  If the ganache doesn't stick to the cake, cool the ganache for about 3 minutes.  Slide the cake into the freezer for 5 minutes to set the crumb coat; keep the ganache in a warm place.

Pull the cake out of the freezer and pour remaining warm ganache over the cake and smooth it across the top and sides with the offset metal icing spatula.  The glaze will set in about 20 minutes, at which point the cake can be served or set aside at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.

Note:  The recipe did not recommend this, but I dusted some icing sugar all over the top of cake.