Sachertorte
By Jeff Becker Photography by Marty Snortum Studio

An interesting story surrounds the creation of the Sachertorte (pronounced SAH-kuhr-tohrt). In 1832, Franz Sacher (whose family would go on to become famous hoteliers) was a second-year bakery student in Vienna when The Lord Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar Fürst von Metternich-Winneberg-Beilstein, one of the most important statesmen of his time, sent an order to the kitchen for a new cake to be made. Apparently, Lord Metternich enjoyed dining on new foods and often sent his kitchen into a frenzy. Royal guests would be in attendance that evening, so he put forth the order, adding, “Dass Er mir aber keine Schand’ macht, heut Abend!” (“For ye shall not bring shame on me tonight!”).

However, Sacher’s mentor was ill that evening, and the responsibility for preparing this cake fell directly on the shoulders of the sixteen-year-old apprentice. The chef got to work. Imagine it: all sixteen years of him shuddering before the baking fires, chocolate stains on his finger tips, as he began to mix. As JJ Schenebel describes in Who Cooked That Up, with youthful daring, Sacher combined things that had never been combined before, spreading an apricot puree between two layers of slightly bitter chocolate torte and then covering the whole thing in a chocolate glaze. Needless to say, it was a hit. His family went on to reap the financial rewards, and the torte he created that fateful day has enjoyed 150+ years of acclaim as one of the world’s most famous, most sophisticated pastries. In an age when our taste suffers the constant barrage of sugary foods, this torte is no Little Debbie snack cake. This piece of food history is worth trying at home.

Using higher-quality bittersweet chocolate, chocolate glaze, and apricot puree will greatly improve your results. Try either Greenery Market in El Paso,Toucan Market in Las Cruces, or the Wild Herb Market in Ruidoso. (Recipe adapted from Kaffehaus by Rick Rodgers and TheWorldwideGourmet.com and prepared here by Jonathan Bowden of Greenery Market).

SACHERTORTE
Makes one torte, 12-16 servings
For the cake:
4 1/2 oz high-quality bittersweet
chocolate, finely chopped
8 tbsp unsalted butter at
room temperature
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a torte pan or a 9- inch springfoam pan (you may want to line the bottom of the pan with wax paper).
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water or in the microwave. When melted, remove from heat and stir until cool.
3. With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and the confectioner’s sugar. Gradually add the egg yolks. Beat. Gradually add the chocolate and vanilla extract. Continue to beat.
4. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites and the granulated sugar with the electric mixer (you should rinse the blades first) until soft peaks form. Mix 1/2 of this into the chocolate mixture, then lightly fold in the remaining, but do not overmix. Fold in the flour.
5. Pour into the mold and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
6. When done, carefully remove from the pan. Cool completely. Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake in half, horizontally.

For the apricot filling:
1 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon apricot brandy.

1. Mix both ingredients until smooth.
2. Spread the mixture generously over the top of the bottom half of the cake. Be generous and let it soak into the cake.

For the glaze:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
6 oz high-quality bittersweet
chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Over high heat, bring the sugar, water, and chocolate to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and stir to cool and thicken slightly, about 1 minute. Use immediately.
3. Put the top half on top of the bottom half, making sure the apricot glaze extends all the way to the edge. Pour the now barely-cooled chocolate glaze over the cake. Allow it to run down the sides and spread until the cake is completely covered. Make it look nice.

Serve with unsweetened whipped cream or crème chantilly and a smile. Every forkful of Sachertorte is supposed to be dipped in the crème, so don’t be shy.

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