Sachertorte

If you stroll by almost any bakery in Vienna, you’re guaranteed to find this signature dessert on display. Named after its creator, the Austrian pastry chef Franz Sacher, sachertorte is a dense chocolate cake layered with apricot jam and covered in a silky dark chocolate glaze. It’s traditionally served with schlag, a lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Sachertorte (judge Kyla Kennaley’s all-time favourite!) was the Technical Bake for Chocolate Week in Season 6 of The Great Canadian Baking Show.

Sachertorte

Ingredients

Cake:

• 180 g bittersweet chocolate (70%)
• 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (113 g) icing sugar
• 7 large eggs, separated, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ⅔ cup (140 g) granulated sugar

Apricot Jam:

• 2 (398 ml) cans apricot halves in light syrup, drained
• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• ½ tsp fine kosher salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Chocolate Glaze:

• 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup water
• 180 g semi-sweet chocolate (54.5%)

Schlag:

• 1 cup 35% cream, cold
• 3 tbsp (21 g) icing sugar
• ½ tsp vailla extract
• ¼ tsp fine kosher salt

Chocolate Garnishes:

• 600 g semi-sweet chocolate, divided (54.5%)

Preparation

Place a large bowl in the fridge to chill (for the schlag).

Cake:

Heat the oven to 340 F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray, then line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. 

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and set aside to cool to room temperature. 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. 

Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and icing sugar and beat on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.

Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg yolks one at a time, waiting until each yolk is fully mixed in before adding the next one. Add the vanilla and the melted and cooled chocolate, beating until fully incorporated. 

Place the egg whites in a clean stand mixer bowl, and whip them on medium speed until foamy and opaque, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and continue whipping until it forms soft peaks. Gently fold the meringue into the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the flour mixture. Fold until there are no streaks of meringue or flour in the batter, but try not to deflate the meringue too much. 

Scrape the cake into the prepared pan and level the top with a small offset spatula. Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, 50 minutes. Let the cake rest until cool to the touch (if you’re pinched for time, you can cool it in the freezer).

Apricot Jam:

Purée the apricots in a blender or food processor until completely smooth, and transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the rest of the jam ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and continue to cook until it reaches 220 F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Maintain the temperature at 220 F for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. With a spoon, skim off any impurities that have risen to the top, and pour the hot jam onto a quarter-sheet pan. Chill the jam in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the cake, stirring occasionally to prevent lumps from forming. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.

Schlag:

In the chilled bowl, whisk all of the schlag ingredients by hand or with a hand mixer until it forms medium peaks. Transfer to a small bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Assembly:

Remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Using a serrated knife, trim any hard, cracked areas from the top and level out the cake. Place a 9-inch cake board on top of the cake and invert it onto a cake turntable. Remove the parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into two even layers, each about 1 inch tall. 

Set the top layer of cake aside. Evenly spread about one-third of the apricot jam on the bottom layer (if needed, warm the jam to make it easier to spread). Place the other layer of cake on top, flat side up. Pour the remaining jam onto the cake and smooth it over the top and down the sides to create a thin layer. Make sure there are no lumps, which will show through the chocolate glaze. Run a small offset spatula around the bottom of the cake to remove any excess jam. Chill the cake in the freezer until the glaze is ready.

Chocolate Glaze:

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and chocolate and place over medium heat. Stir with a silicone spatula until the chocolate has melted. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Continue to cook until a candy thermometer reaches 232 F. Remove the pan from the heat and wait until the bubbles dissipate and the glaze cools slightly. When the temperature of the glaze reaches 158 F, pour it over the cake.

Place a small flat-bottomed bowl or plastic container upside down on a sheet pan. Remove the cake from the freezer and place it on top of the bowl. Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake, starting in the middle and letting the glaze flow over the edges, then move out to the edges to ensure full coverage. The glaze will set very quickly on the chilled cake. (Don’t use a kitchen tool to spread the glaze; it will leave imprints.) Return the cake to the fridge while tempering the chocolate for the garnishes. 

Chocolate Garnishes:

Melt 450 grams of the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat, stirring often, until it reaches 122 F to 131 F. Using a silicone spatula, stir in the remaining chocolate, a few pieces at a time, allowing them to melt before adding more. Continue stirring until the chocolate reaches 82 F, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to avoid buildup. It will be noticeably thicker and shinier. Place the pot or bowl over the simmering water and heat the chocolate to between 88 F and 90 F, its working temperature. To test whether it’s properly tempered, drizzle a bit across the back of a spoon — it should set quickly.   

Keep the chocolate at its working temperature as you make your chocolate garnishes. You can pour the chocolate onto acetate to create shapes to your liking. Once the chocolate is firm and shiny, remove the acetate. Place the tempered chocolate in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, then write "Sacher" in cursive on top of the cake and add the chocolate garnishes. 

Transfer the cake to a plate and serve with schlag.

Makes one cake