La Mora Romagnola
Austrian Sachertorte – And… I’m Back
Aaaaaand… I’m back.
After a year so difficult that 2020 now feels like a walk through a fairy garden, I think — finally — that bad moment has passed. And with it, my desire to cook has returned.
Opening the blog again feels strange and comforting at the same time, but here I am, ready to whisk, bake, taste, and enjoy.
I’ve just come back from a summer holiday in Austria and Germany, a trip during which I chased breweries, good beer, and peaceful landscapes. And, of course, I brought home a small treasure: a beautiful jar of homemade Marillenmarmelade, the apricot jam traditionally used in the classic Sachertorte, one of the most iconic chocolate cakes in the world.
I’ve eaten Sachertorte many times at Hotel Sacher in Vienna and at the Café Sacher in Innsbruck (I believe Innsbruck has only the café, not the hotel). It’s a fancy, elegant place where even sitting down with a slice of authentic Sacher cake feels like a little ceremony: porcelain plates, silver forks, a quiet hum of tourists and regulars. Expensive, yes — but not exaggerated — and absolutely an experience.
The cake itself has that unmistakable contrast: dense chocolate layers, perfectly smooth chocolate glaze, and the bright, tart apricot jam that cuts through the sweetness. That jam is exactly why I grabbed the jar during my trip. A good Marillenmarmelade has a sharp, fruity edge that a standard apricot jam rarely matches. I don’t know whether it’s the fruit, the recipe, or the tradition behind it, but apricot jam for Sachertorte truly makes a difference.
You can use any good apricot jam if you can’t find the Austrian one — the cake will still be delicious — but the original brings a balance that makes the sweetness shine instead of overwhelm.
I originally planned to jump straight to the recipe, telling you about tin sizes, layers (yes, this one can be cut into three lovely layers), and precise grams — because baking needs precision. But not today.
Today is about the joy of coming back, about chocolate cake memories, about a slice eaten with a silver fork in Vienna, and about the warmth of opening a jar of jam that traveled home in my suitcase.
The recipe will come — eventually.
For now, let’s just appreciate the magic of Sachertorte, a cake that tastes like Austria, tradition, chocolate, apricots, travel, and comfort.
A perfect companion for a fresh start.
Sacher chocolate cake
Ingredients
- 130 gr good quality dark chocolate
- 1 vanilla pod
- 150 gr soften butter
- 100 gr icing sugar
- 100 gr caster sugar
- 140 gr plain wheat flour
- 6 eggs
- 400 gr apricot jam
For icing
- 270 gr good quality dark chocolate
- 190 gr fresh milk cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven at 360°F
- Separate yolks from whites, beat whites with caster sugar until you have a stiff meringue, set aside.
- Beat butter with icing sugar, add yolks one at time until you have a smooth cream.
- Melt the chocolate bain marie, set aside to cool off a little.
- When the chocolate is cool enough mix it with the yolk batter.Once done fold in the meringue and, at last, the sifted flour.
- Butter a 10 inches round tin and pour the dough, bake for 45-50 minutes or until done.
- Let the cake cool off before removing it from the mold, when done let it cool completely on a rack.
- When the cake is completely cool you can cut it in three layers using a cake wire or a sharp knife.
- Spread each layer with apricot jam, stack them to rebuild the cake, when done brush jam on top and sides too.
For icing:
- Bring the cream to a boil, turn the fire off and add the chopped chocolate.Mix well until it's shiny and you have no lumps left.Let it cool a little.Pour gently over the cake, covering sides too.
- If you let the glaze cool more you can write on the cake, with a a pastry bag, the word " Sacher" as it's on the original cake.
- You can serve it with a dollop of plain whipped cream ( no sugar).
[…] The Sacher-Torte is known as the world’s most famous chocolate cake4. It’s a rich Austrian dessert with a moist chocolate cake, apricot jam, and smooth chocolate icing. This mix of flavors has won the hearts of many for years5. […]