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5 from 1 vote

Sacher Torte

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!
Course Dessert
Cuisine austrian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 612kcal

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

  • 6 oz dark chocolate chopped then melted
  • 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

Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 612kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 790IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 5mg