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April 22, 2024
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The Sachertorte is a delicious chocolate cake, originally conceived by the young Franz Sacher back on 9 July 1832 in Vienna, Austria, for Prince Klemens von Metternich. This exquisite creation came to life during the Restoration period, when Franz Sacher, already a great chocolate enthusiast, was also an apprentice pastry chef under the Austrian chancellor.
His brilliant invention came following a sudden illness of the head chef, forcing the young Sacher to create this delicacy that later became the dessert of an important official dinner.
To this day, the secrets of Sachertorte are closely guarded at the Hotel Sacher’s pastry shop in Vienna, where more than 270,000 pieces are handcrafted each year; the original recipe is branded and protected, with no concessions for the sale of similar products worldwide.
This level of confidentiality has prompted numerous attempts at emulation over time, the most famous of which was by Demel, who adopted a more delicate chocolate icing and a jam filling limited to the outside of the cake.
What will you need?
For the cake:
60 g dark chocolate
40 g fresh cream
130 g butter
90 g caster sugar
120 g eggs at room temperature (approx. 2 eggs)
90 g 00 flour
12 g bitter cocoa
4 g baking powder
100 g apricot jam
3 g salt
For the icing:
200 g dark chocolate
130 g fresh cream
For the decorations (if you wish):
50 g dark chocolate
Let’s cook!
To prepare the Sachertorte, start by melting the chocolate in a bain-marie or in the
microwave, making sure it has a temperature of between 45 and 55°. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat soft butter, icing sugar and salt until creamy.
Gradually add the lightly beaten egg yolks and continue to whisk. Once the chocolate is melted, incorporate it into the butter and yolk mixture.
In another bowl, whip the egg whites with the caster sugar to a frothy consistency, avoiding over-whipping. Add the egg whites to the chocolate chocolate and egg yolks mixture.
Sift the flour and gently incorporate it into the mixture. Pour the mixture into a buttered and floured mould and bake in the oven at 170° for 35-40 minutes.
Once baked, leave to cool completely before unmoulding and cutting into two disks. Stuff with apricot jam between the disks and on top. Prepare the ganache by heating the cream and chocolate, then frost the cake. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes minutes, then transfer to a serving plate. The Sachertorte can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
If you prefer, you can also freeze it without the jam and ganache topping.
Et voilà! Enjoy!
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