Sachertorte!

The most famous and imitated cake in the world is the result of fortunate coincidences that occurred in Vienna in the nineteenth century: the Chancellor Metternich had ordered a cake to amaze his guests and, since his trusted pastry chef was ill, he commissioned the young Franz Sacher, young inexperienced cook but passionate about chocolate who managed to enchant the Chancellor's refined guests.

the recipe became famous and for decades there was a dispute over who owned the original recipe: the Sacher Hotel or the Imperial Pastry chef Demel? The courts agreed with Sacher and the original recipe is therefore his, with two layers of jam in the middle. For Demel instead the layer in the middle is only one but jam must also put under the icing !

We must confess that when we were in Vienna we tried to eat both the Sacher cake and the Demel cake and, despite the court decision, we like the second recipe more...

What do you need

150 g. dark chocolate in pieces or tablets

150 g. butter

150 gr sugar

a pinch of vanilla powder

4 eggs

250 g. flour 00

250g. Ganache cream

150g. Apricot jam to taste

a pinch of salt to taste

butter and flour for the mould

For ganache cream

150 ml. liquid cream

150 g. dark chocolate in pellets or pieces

50 gr honey

40 gr butter

How to proceed

Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat it over the heat.

Bring to the boil, then add the dark chocolate.

Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is completely melted and well blended with the cream.

Collect the dark chocolate in a bowl; then let it melt in a water bath.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whip the butter with the icing sugar, salt and vanilla with a whisk.

When the mixture is well blended, add the lightly beaten egg yolks a little at a time, mix and add the melted chocolate.

Separately, in a large bowl, whip the egg whites with a whisk until stiff together with the sugar and gently fold them into the mixture.

Mix carefully until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Pour everything into a buttered and floured mold with a diameter of about 22-24 cm and place in the preheated oven at 170°C for 35-40 minutes.

Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool; then remove it from the mold, gently turning it upside down.

Cut it in half horizontally with a thin, saw-like knife, in order to obtain 2 discs.

Now prepare the ganache cream. Bring the cream to the boil in a saucepan and pour in the chopped chocolate or in tablets, add butter and honey and mix with a whisk until the ganache is completely emulsified. With a spatula, spread a layer of it on the first disc and close the cake with the second disc.

Spread the jam over the entire surface of the cake; then cover the dessert with the remaining ganache.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes until the glaze sets.