One of the world’s most famous cakes and its popularity may lie in its simplicity. Certainly, there are no multi layers, complicated components, or even difficult recipes. The story of how the Sacher Torte came to be is always contested but you can read a bit more about a version of it HERE.
Hopefully you will make and enjoy this recipe as millions have over the years, we will make a version ourselves for you to try HERE. Give the recipe a try though and of course we would LOVE to see your creations. Please email us at [email protected] or post to social media using the hashtag #CookWithDarren or #BPRecipeOfTheWeek so we can see your efforts and possibly repost them.
Recipe
Makes: 1 X 24cm diameter cake
Prep time: 30 min.
Cooking time: 65 min.
Cooling time: 35 min.
Finishing time: 25 min.
Sponge
Ingredients
140 g Chocolate, dark (min. 55% cocoa content) - BUY HERE
1 Vanilla pod, split & scraped
150 g Butter, unsalted – softened
100 g Icing sugar
6 Eggs, separated
110 g Sugar, caster
150 g Flour, plain
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and line the base of a 22 cm – 24 cm springform cake tin with baking paper, grease the sides, and dust with a little flour.
2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a bain marie, reserve in a warmish spot until needed.
3. Add the butter, icing sugar and vanilla seeds into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and attach the whisk. Beat the mixture until you have a smooth consistency and small bubbles start to appear.
4. Whisk the egg yolks into the butter mixture one by one.
5. Gradually add melted chocolate and mix well to incorporate fully.
6. Beat the egg whites with the castor sugar until stiff, then place on top of the butter and chocolate mixture.
7. Sift the flour over the mixture, then fold in the flour and beaten egg whites.
8. Transfer the mixture to the springform, smooth the top, and bake in the oven (middle rack) for 15 minutes, leaving the oven door a finger's width ajar. Then close the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes. (The cake is done when it yields slightly to the touch.)
9. Remove the cake from the oven and loosen the sides of the springform. Carefully tip the cake onto a cake rack lined with baking paper and let cool for approximately 20 minutes. Then pull off the baking paper, turn the cake over, and leave on rack to cool completely.
Filling
Ingredients
180 g Apricot jam - BUY HERE
Glaze
Ingredients
200 g Sugar, caster
125 ml Water
150 g Chocolate, dark (min. 55% cocoa content)
Method
1. Cut the cake in half horizontally. Warm the jam and stir until smooth. Brush the top of both cake halves with the jam and place one on top of the other. Brush the sides with the jam as well.
2. To make the glaze, put the caster sugar into a saucepan with the water and boil over high heat for approximately 5 minutes. Take the sugar syrup off the stove and leave to cool a little. Coarsely chop the couverture, gradually adding it to the syrup, and stir until it forms a thick liquid*.
3. Pour all the lukewarm glaze liquid at once over the top of the cake and quickly spread using a palette knife. Leave the glaze to set for a few hours.
Serve garnished with whipped cream.
*HOW TO TEST WHETHER THE GLAZE HAS THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY
Let a little of the glaze run over a wooden cooking spoon. It should now be covered by a layer of glaze approximately 4 mm thick. If the glaze is too thick, add a few drops of sugar syrup to dilute it (to do so, loosen any remaining sugar in the saucepan with a little hot water). Make sure the glaze does not get too hot, or it will be dull when cooked and not glossy.