Sachertorte- A delectable cake!!

I saw it late today that Jagruti has accepted my request to join her Cyber Potluck Party. When I peeped into the group, it was already filled with virtual treats from welcome drink, main meals, pickles etc. and the party was over; but Jagruti was so kind jto give me some extra hours to post a recipe. I took it as a challenge and decided to post this pending recipe as soon as I could.

Sachertorte- the most famous chocolate cake since 1832- is said to have invented by Franz Sacher , then. The first time, when I tried this recipe, a few years back, I was surprised to see the dense texture of the cake and Jab stamped the verdict ' The cake was not baked properly'. I never research on any new recipe so was unaware of its dense texture. But still, that tasted awesome!! It was then I tried to research a bit on this special cake and the story I found was interesting.

The story behind Sachertorte:

In 1832, Prince Wenzel von Metternich charged his personal chef with creating a special dessert for several important guests. The head chef, who was ill, asked his 16 year old apprentice, Franz Sacher to take the charge. The torte delighted Metternich's guests , but still didn't receive any further attention afterwards. 

Sacher's eldest son Eduard carried on his father's culinary legacy, completing his own training in Vienna ,during which time he perfected his father's recipe and developed the torte into its current form. The cake was first served at the Demel bakery and later at the Hotel Sacher , established by Eduard in 1876. Since then, the cake remains among the most famous of Vienna's culinary specialties.

In the early decades of the twentieth century, a legal battle over the use of the label "The Original Sacher Torte" developed between the Hotel Sacher and the Demel bakery. Eduard Sacher completed his recipe for Sacher Torte while working at Demel, which was the first establishment to offer the "Original Cake".In 1963 both parties agreed on an out of court settlement that gave the Hotel Sacher the rights to the phrase "The Original Sachertorte" and gave the Demel the rights to decorate its tortes with a triangular seal that reads Eduard-Sacher-Torte. Read More.... 

Recipe:

The base of this cake is a dense chocolate cake thinly coated with apricot jam and topped with chocolate icing. It is served with unsweetened whipping cream.

I forgot to click a picture of its slice to show the texture.. Here is one I googled which the blogger clicked from the Hotel Sacher. In her own words "Each slice of sacher-torte is adorned with a dark chocolate medallion, engraved with the official seal of the hotel."

Photo Courtesy

Ingredients:

Recipe courtesy: Essentials of Baking by Carole Clements

Dark Chocolate- 115 g( 4 oz)

Unsalted Butter- 85g (3 oz),at room temperature

Sugar 55g (2 oz)

Eggs Yolks of 4 eggs

Egg whites of 5 eggs

Salt 1/4 tsp

Plain Flour 70g (2 1/2 oz)

For the topping

Apricot Jam 5 tbsp approximately

Water 250ml (8fl oz )

Unsalted butter 15g (1/2 oz)

Dark Chocolate 170g ( 6 oz)

Sugar 85 g (3 oz)

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Line a 9*2" cake tin with baking sheet and grease .

2. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over hot water. Set aside.

3. With an electric mixer , cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the chocolate.

4. Beat in the yolks, one at a time.

5. In another bowl, beat the eggwhites with the salt until stiff.

6. Fold a dollop of whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites in 3 batches, alternating with the sifted flour.

7. Pour into the tin and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 45mts. Turn out onto a rack.

8. Meanwhile , melt the Jam with 1 tbsp of water over low heat, then strain for a smooth consistency.

9. For the frosting, melt the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over hot water. 

10. In a heavy saucepan, dissolve the sugar into the remaining water over low heat. Raise the heat and boil until  it reaches thread stage. Immediately plunge the bottom of the pan into cold water for 1 minute. Pour into the chocolate mixture and stir to blend. Let cool for a few minutes.

11. To assemble, brush the warm jam over the cake. Starting in the centre, pour over the frosting and work outward in a circular movement. Tilt the rack to spread; use a palette knife to smooth the side of the cake. Leave to set overnight. If wished, decorate with chocolate icing. It is a practice to write SACHER on top of the cake ,normally.

Linking this to 

Story telling with food event by The Big Sweet Tooth