| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 42 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 2 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
- 3 ounces butter
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 ounce sugar, plus 3 ounces
- 5 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 cups apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon apricot brandy
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
- 1 ounce butter
- 2 ounces heavy cream
- Schlagobers, or whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 by 2-inch cake pan.
- In a bowl, combine the chocolate and butter and melt over a double boiler. Set aside to cool. In a mixer, using a wire whisk, whip the egg yolks with 1 ounce sugar until light and ribbony. Beat in the chocolate mixture.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 3 ounces of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks. Fold in the flour and then fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites, gently but thoroughly. Pour into prepared cake pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until done. To check for doneness, insert a paring knife in center of cake. It should come out dry. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.
- To make the apricot filling: puree the apricot preserves. Stir in brandy.
- Slice the cake into 3 equal layers. Spread half of the apricot filling on the bottom layer. Top with a second layer of cake. Spread the remaining apricot filling and top with the last layer of cake. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the glaze: in a bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Melt over a double-boiler. Bring the cream to a boil. Stir into the melted chocolate. Cool until it reaches glazing consistency. Spread over and around the cake. Chill for another 30 minutes before serving. Serve a slice with Schlagobers or whipped cream.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 482 |
| Total Fat | 25 g |
| Saturated Fat | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 68 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 51 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 96 mg |
| Sodium | 111 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 482 |
| Total Fat | 25 g |
| Saturated Fat | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 68 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 51 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 96 mg |
| Sodium | 111 mg |
Reviews
This is a good recipe. In researching Sacher Torte, I found that there were many strongly held opinions. Some readers consider certain approaches or ingredients to be “sacrilege,” quite funny since the Sacher Hotel recipe is a closely guarded secret, and no one on the outside really knows exactly what the ingredients or techniques are. That said, this version tastes extremely similar to what I’ve had in Vienna (BTW, if you’re there, I would go to Demel’s or another coffee-house for Sacher Torte, not the Sacher Hotel). I would recommend a couple of tweaks to the recipe that really helped me. 1. Add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to the sifted-in flour. This helps stabilize the cake and keep it from falling in the middle — an oft-heard complaint. 2. Do not beat the egg whites until stiff peaks. I stop at medium peaks and get better results. 3. Knock the cake pans firmly on the counter once filled, to help get rid of air bubbles. 4. Also, knock the cooked cake on the counter as well, a couple of minutes after removing from the oven. The seems to help prevent unevenness. I served this Scaher Torte last night at the conclusion of a Viennese dinner and it was the hit of the evening!
Mine fell in the middle. It’s also not thick enough for 3 layers. I’d love to see what others say if they try it.
My cakes fell in height. I don’t think I can get three layers. Any thoughts?
This is a good chocolate cake recipe. However, it is missing 2 key ingredients for the famous Austrian Sachertorte. Well worth making, though.
Just made this recipe again and have been reminded of how awesome it is. It looks a little complicated at first, but is actually quite easy compared to other Sachertorte recipes I’ve seen. And it’s pretty versatile. I often substitute other fruit preserves and types of alcohol. My new favorite is using cherry preserves and amaretto liqueur. I also add a little flavor and moisture by brushing a little bit of whatever liqueur I’m using onto the cake before spreading on the fruit filling. This recipe is definitely worth the effort.
This recipe was easy to follow and the result was delicious! I gave it to a friend as a birthday gift and she loved it.
Instead of using a double boiler for heating the chocolate, I tried Jacques Torres’ method of heating it in a microwave in 30 second intervals. That worked quite well and saved a little time too.
This is a fairly expensive dessert to put together, mostly because of the bittersweet chocolate, but it is definately worth every penny. It was very simple to put together too, Wolfgang makes it look easy simply because it is very easy. Great way to impress your friends.
Don’t be intimidated by Wolfgang Puck’s recipe. It’s easy and very delicious.