Austrian Sacher Torte Cake

5 from 9 votes

Austrian sacher torte cake is in the history books as one of Europe's best cakes, and I'm going to show you how to make it yourself. A moist chocolate sponge is coated and filled with a fine layer of apricot jam before being cloaked in a smooth chocolate glaze. It is a Viennese specialty that defines elegance and this sacher torte recipe takes the famous classic Sachertorte to the next level!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: austrian

Servings:

Calories: 560kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake (Makes 1 x 8 inch /20cm sponge cake)

170 g All purpose flour Any low protein content flour eg. pastry flour can work too.
45 g Cocoa powder Unsweetened, dutch processed
120 g Granulated sugar
120 g Brown sugar
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Baking powder
½ teaspoon Salt
70 g Vegetable oil
2 Eggs Room temperature
165 g Milk Room temperature
120 g Coffee Freshly brewed strong coffee, room temperature

Chocolate ganache glaze

100 g Dark chocolate Good quality semi sweet chocolate eg. Callebaut 811 Dark chocolate callets
100 g Heavy cream 36% fat
10 g Unsalted butter Room temperature

Filling

200 g Apricot jam blend it first so it is extra smooth

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Make the chocolate sponge

Heat the oven to 200°C or 425°F (no fan) and prepare a 20cm / 8 inch baking tin with parchment paper.
With an Electric hand mixer whip together the wet ingredients for 1-2 minutes: Room temperature egg, oil, sugar, coffee and milk.
Sift dry ingredients: Flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients then fold just until combined then pour cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
Reduce oven temperature to 180°C / 356°F (no fan). Bake for 50 min or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the chocolate sponge on cooling rack. Chill it in the fridge before cutting it in half horizontally.

Assembling the Sachertorte cake

Blend the apricot jam then gently heat it so it will be super smooth. Let it come back to room temperature, then apply a layer of jam on top of one of the bottom cake layers, then place the second layer on top and apply a thin apricot jam layer all around the cake. Refrigerate while preparing the chocolate glaze
Heat cream until simmering, pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let the two sit for a minute then stir, then stir in butter until smooth. Let it come to about room temperature.
Test the chocolate ganache texture on a plate or glass. It should not be too runny (too warm) and it should not be too thick neither (too cold), but just at the right consistency that is related to being just at the right temperature when pouring it over the cake.
Apply the chocolate glaze on top of the cake by either pouring ganache on top or using a piping bag. Smooth the top and let the ganache come all the way to the sides.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes for the chocolate glaze to set.
Serve the cake fresh or store for 2-3 days at room temperature or refrigerated.

Video

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES:

Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
All ingredients for the chocolate cake must be at room temperature to properly emulsify: eggs, milk, coffee etc.
Do not skip salt that will balance the sweetness of this cake.
Use high fat content heavy cream (36%) and good quality chocolate (eg. Callebaut) for the chocolate ganache.

TECHNIQUE NOTES:

Make sure you read my Expert tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone is not able to cover all the necessary details, and science behind baking. Consider this recipe more like an in-depth tutorial, literally the only recipe you will ever need to make delicious chocolate sponge cake.
Do not overbake your sponge layers as that will result in a dry texture. Use the toothpick test to check if your cake is ready.
When pouring the ganache on the top of the cake, make sure that the ganache is at the right temperature (consistency) that is neither too thin (warm), nor too thick (cold).

Nutrition