The Sacher Torte is a dense, rich chocolate cake with layers of apricot jam, often served with unsweetened whipped cream. It was invented by a 16-year-old apprentice chef in Vienna in 1832 and is now Austria’s most famous dessert. The Hotel Sacher version is the only one that can claim to be the authentic original, but many people make their own versions. The basic recipe is simple, but experts suggest using high-quality ingredients. Sacher torte is a cake for serious dessert lovers and is best served with coffee or liqueur.
Sacher Torte is a traditional Austrian dessert, believed to have been invented in the city of Vienna in 1832. It is a dense, rich cake with layers of chocolate, often served with unsweetened whipped cream. The Sacher Torte is perhaps Austria’s most famous dessert and is known around the world for its incredibly rich flavour.
While stories about the cake’s origin vary, most suggest it was created by a 16-year-old apprentice chef at the home of Prince Clemens Lothar Wensel Metternich, the chancellor of Austria. When the head chef fell ill and dessert was ordered, it fell to teenager Franz Sacher to come up with something on the spot. The result could be the most famous chocolate cake in history, the Sacher Torte.
Many years later, the son of the ingenious young pastry chef opened the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, which was to become the first hostel of its era. The hotel claimed to have the only authentic recipe for the dessert, despite similar claims made by a famous pastry shop called Demel. The argument between the two applicants became so serious that the matter was taken to the Austrian courts. As a result, only the Hotel Sacher version can now lay claim to being the authentic original.
The Hotel Sacher version of the cake claims to hold secrets about properly preparing the dessert, yet that claim hasn’t stopped anyone from making their own versions. For a real Sacher cake, you’ll have to travel to Austria and buy one from the hotel or order one from the website online. A standard-sized torte will serve six and can be purchased for around $45 US Dollars (USD) or 29 Euros.
The basic cake recipe is quite simple. It is a chocolate sponge cake, usually made with a high quality dark chocolate. The layers are spread with apricot jam and the cake is iced with a dark chocolate icing and chocolate shavings. The sponge cake is particularly dry and obviously rich. Usually, it’s served with an unsweetened whipped cream to cut through the density and intense flavors.
To create your own version of the controversial cake, some experts suggest using couverture, a high-fat candy bar that needs to be melted. Otherwise, use a high-quality bittersweet chocolate for both the cake and the frosting. The apricot filling can be a simple store-bought jam or try combining it with apricot brandy for a boozy kick. The icing on the cake should be a thin, even shell of dark chocolate, but if you don’t trust your pastry skills, a simple dripping icing works well.
Sacher torte is a cake for serious dessert lovers, and you should expect conversations to stall as guests bite into the intense delicacy. In addition to traditional whipped cream, try serving with a cup of coffee with cream or liqueur. If you are a true chocolate lover, this historical dessert is the cake for you. Find one soon or cook your own and get ready to fall in love with one of Vienna’s best creations.
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