Sacher Torte is a dense chocolate cake that originated in Austria. The cake is cut into two or three layers and spread with apricot filling between each layer, and the tops and sides are coated in a chocolate ganache glaze. This cake is well-known as a national favorite in Austria!
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Coffee shops, or coffee houses, in Vienna are special. They are a quiet place to enter and put aside any stress of the day. They are a place where people gather for human connection and relaxation. There is an entire culture surrounding Viennese coffee houses.
Of course, what makes these coffee houses even more magical is the quality of the coffee and the desserts you find there.
Today’s dish is one of those magical desserts. Sacher Torte is rich and somehow still light. It’s decadent yet airy. It’s a simple cake that pairs perfectly with a nice cup of coffee and is an excellent way to unwind and gather with friends.
Sacher Torte is a simple chocolate sponge cake, layered with apricot jam and then covered completely in a rich chocolate ganache. The combination of flavors and textures is perfection!
I will warn you, that this Sacher Torte recipe is probably not for a beginner baker. It takes a few extra steps to achieve the texture and flavor we are going for–but if you are up for the challenge, this cake is worth the effort!
Recipe Origin
This special dish was named after its creator, a 16-year-old apprentice chef named Franz Sacher.
In 1832 Franz was left in charge of creating a new dessert for the Austrian State Chancellor, Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich. The teenager was not the prince’s first choice, but the head chef was out sick and the kitchen staff was desperate.
Luckily, the skilled apprentice was able to bring together the ingredients he had on hand and create an elegant dessert that the prince and his guests adored.
The cake became famous and earned Sacher a prestigious reputation that allowed him to operate several cafes and restaurants during his lifetime. His son eventually opened Hotel Sacher where the original recipe of this cake is served. To this day you can find a Sacher torte served in just about every coffee shop in Vienna.
They may have some minor differences but each generally contains the same elements and most are marked with “Sacher” across the top in chocolate ganache, giving credit to the boy who went out on a limb and created something fantastic.
Why Make This Recipe
- Classic Dish: This rich cake is perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a gathering of the royal court or a quiet afternoon at a coffee shop. You can’t go wrong with this choice.
- Taste of Austria: This Sacher cake is one of the most popular in Vienna and for good reason.
What Do I Need to Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Dark Chocolate: Use anything above 70% cocoa.
- Butter: Unsalted.
- Caster sugar: Caster sugar is a very fine sugar, but not quite powdered. You may see it labeled as superfine sugar, baker’s sugar, icing sugar, castor sugar or bar sugar. If you do not have caster sugar, simply place granulated sugar in a blender and blend it for a few seconds until it becomes finer but not quite powdered.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is low in protein which creates an important texture for this cake. You may also see it labeled as Baker’s flour.
- Apricot Jam: You can buy this at the grocery store or make it yourself!
- Rum: I used unspiced rum.
Tools
- 9” Springform Pan
- Mixing Bowl(s)
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- Knife/Knives
- Cooling Rack
- Sieve
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Prepare the Cake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan, and set aside.
Place your chocolate in a microwave-safe small bowl and microwave in 30-second increments until the chocolate is melted, stirring between each set of 30 seconds. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream the butter and ½ cup of sugar together for about 3 minutes until it is pale, fluffy, and creamy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, blending after each addition. Add the vanilla.
Use a rubber spatula to fold in the melted chocolate, flour, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites for about a minute with a whisk attachment. Add the remaining ½ cup of sugar and then mix on high speed until stiff peaks form (about 5-8 more minutes).
Carefully fold the soft peaks of egg whites into the chocolate mixture batter in 3 parts. Mix until there are no streaks of egg whites. Do not overmix as you don’t want to deflate the egg whites.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least an hour.
Step Two: Prepare the Filling
To make the apricot glaze, add the apricot preserves and the rum into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute or until the preserves are warm and runny. Use a spoon to mix the apricot preserves until the rum is evenly distributed.
Once the cake has cooled, use a long, serrated knife to trim the top off of the cake to level it. Cut the cake horizontally into 2 equal layers.
Place the bottom layer of the cake on a cooling wire rack with a baking pan or cutting board underneath (something to catch the overflow of ganache).
Brush the top of the cake layer generously with your apricot glaze. Feel free to put a little extra as this will be the center of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top.
Run the remaining apricot glaze through a sieve to remove any chunks. You want the glaze to be very thin.
Brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining glaze (you may not use it all, and that is okay). Let it cool for about 10 minutes in the open air.
Step Three: Add the Chocolate Ganache
In a heatproof bowl, add the butter and microwave until melted (you can also use a double boiler method).
Once the butter is melted, add the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted into the hot butter. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and mix again until fully combined.
Pour all of the warm chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, using an offset spatula to gently smooth the ganache over the cake and push the extra chocolate to run over the sides.
Allow the cake to cool at room temperature until the ganache is completely set (at least 1 hour).
Expert Tips
- To melt chocolate in the microwave, put it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time. Stir then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 30 more seconds. At this time, your chocolate will probably be melted.
- You want to make sure your apricot glaze is the right consistency before adding it to your sacher torte cake. You will know your glaze has met the right consistency when it sticks to a wooden spoon and covers it completely, without running off. If it is too thick, mix in a teaspoon of warm water to loosen it up.
- This sacher torte cake is even better on day two when the glaze has had time to soak into the cake. I recommend making it a day before serving.
- If you are nervous about cutting the cake horizontally you can pour all the apricot glaze over the top, instead of layering it in the middle. You can also bake two separate cakes and then stack them. However, for the most authentic experience and a true torte, the cake should be split.
- Give your glaze time to set before you try to add the chocolate ganache over the top of your sacher torte. If your glaze is still warm it may be pushed off the cake by the ganache or mixed into the layer.
FAQs
This cake is thick and decadent so it freezes very well. To store it well, allow it to partially freeze uncut and whole. This makes cutting and wrapping even slices much easier. Slice the partially frozen cake and wrap each slice individually to store in the freezer.
Thaw at room temperature to serve. You can store this cake for up to three months in the freezer.
Sacher Torte traditionally has “Sacher” written across the top in chocolate ganache. If you don’t care to be that authentic, feel free to decorate with chocolate ganache however you please.
Did you enjoy this Sacher Torte Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these recipes I picked out just for you:
- Swiss Roll Recipe with Raspberry Cream
- Kaiserschmarrn Recipe from Austria
- Rum Cake from the Bahamas
- Easy Tres Leches Cake
Sacher Torte
Equipment
- 9” Springform Pan
- Mixing Bowl(s)
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- Knife/Knives
- Cooling Rack
- Sieve
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 6 oz dark chocolate, chopped then melted
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup caster sugar, divided
- 7 eggs, separated
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup cake flour
- ¼ tsp salt
Apricot Glaze
- 18 oz apricot jam
- 2 oz rum
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 8 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan, and set aside.
- Place 6 oz dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until the chocolate is melted, stirring between each set of 30 seconds. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream ⅔ cup butter and ½ cup of sugar together for about 3 minutes until it is pale, fluffy, and creamy.
- Add the 7 egg yolks one at a time, blending after each addition. Add 2 tsp vanilla.
- Use a rubber spatula to fold in the melted chocolate, 1 cup flour, and ¼ tsp salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the 7 egg whites for about a minute. Add the remaining ½ cup of sugar and then mix on high speed until stiff peaks form (about 5-8 more minutes).
- Carefully fold the 7 egg whites into the batter in 3 parts. Mix until there are no streaks of egg whites. Do not overmix as you don’t want to deflate the egg whites.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least an hour.
Filling Instructions
- To make the apricot glaze, add the 18 oz apricot preserves and 2 oz rum into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute or until the preserves are warm and runny. Use a spoon to mix the apricot preserves until the rum is evenly distributed.
- Once the cake has cooled, use a long, serrated knife to trim the top off of the cake to level it. Cut the cake horizontally into 2 equal layers.
- Play the bottom layer of the cake on a cooling rack with a baking pan or cutting board underneath (something to catch the overflow of ganache).
- Brush the top of the cake layer generously with apricot glaze. Feel free to put a little extra as this will be the center of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top.
- Run the remaining apricot glaze through a sieve to remove any chunks. You want the glaze to be very thin.
- Brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining glaze (you may not use it all, and that is okay). Let it cool for about 10 minutes in the open air.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a microwave safe bowl, add ½ cup unsalted butter and microwave until melted (you can also use a double boiler method).
- Once the butter is melted, add the 8 oz chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted into the hot butter. Add the 1 tbsp corn syrup and 1 tsp vanilla and mix again until fully combined.
- Pour all of the warm chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, using an offset spatula to gently smooth the ganache over the cake and pushing the extra chocolate to run over the sides.
- Allow the cake to cool at room temperature until the ganache is completely set (at least 1 hour).
Notes
- Dark Chocolate: Use anything above 70% cocoa.
- Butter: Unsalted.
- Caster sugar: Caster sugar is a very fine sugar, but not quite powdered. You may see it labeled as superfine sugar, baker’s sugar, icing sugar, castor sugar or bar sugar. If you do not have caster sugar, simply place granulated sugar in a blender and blend it for a few seconds until it becomes finer but not quite powdered.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is low in protein which creates an important texture for this cake. You may also see it labeled as Baker’s flour.
- Apricot Jam: You can buy this at the grocery store or make it yourself!
- Rum: I used unspiced rum.
- To melt chocolate in the microwave, put it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time. Stir then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 30 more seconds. At this time, your chocolate will probably be melted.
- You want to make sure your apricot glaze is the right consistency before adding it to your cake. You will know your glaze has met the right consistency when it sticks to a wooden spoon and covers it completely, without running off. If it is too thick, mix in a teaspoon of warm water to loosen it up.
- This cake is even better on day two when the glaze has had time to soak into the cake. I recommend making it a day before serving.
- If you are nervous about cutting the cake horizontally you can pour all the apricot glaze over the top, instead of layering it in the middle. You can also bake two separate cakes and then stack them. However, for the most authentic experience and a true torte, the cake should be split.
- Give your glaze time to set before you try to add the chocolate ganache over the top. If your glaze is still warm it may be pushed off the cake by the ganache or mixed into the layer.
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