[2] The real deal from the Hotel Sacher, which garnishes its cake with a chocolate medallion specifying Sacher Hotel Wein (Vienna) (photo © Hotel Sacher).

[3] Another slice at the Sacher Cafe. Note that even the napkin shows the trademark: “Sacher. Das Original. Seit 1832,” Sacher. The Original. Since 1832. (photo © Leqi Luke Wan | Unsplash).

[4] The glaze is labeled over the cake (photo © Confectionary Demel | Vienna | Facebook).

[5] The result: smooth, shiny, thick, and impossibly delicious. Here’s a recipe from Jernej Kitchen.

[6] Some bakers switch the apricot jam or marmalade for raspberry jam or another flavor. Here’s the recipe for this version (photo © Jernej Kitchen).

[7] The original didn’t spell out its name, but subsequent versions show it with pride (photo © Odd Loves Company).

[8] Some bakers garnish the torte with candied orange peel (photo © American Heritage Chocolate).

[9] Some bakers lay on the garnishes, from the spices on top of the torte to the chocolate ribbon on the side (photo © Sale e Pepe).

December 5th is National Sacher Torte Day. In German it’s spelled Sachertorte, in English it becomes Sacher Torte.

Once one of the most sought-after chocolate cakes, two short layers (torte-style), separated by a thin layer of apricot jam and covered with a thick, glossy ganache. The recipe is below, but first:
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SACHER TORTE

The torte was the creation of a young pastry apprentice in 1832 Vienna. Franz Sacher (1816–1907) was a 16-year-old apprentice at the court of the Austrian Prince Klemens von Metternich.

Even if he had been only a prince, there would have been incessant fine dinners at which dazzling food was expected.

But von Metternich was also the Austrian State Chancellor. Diplomats, heads of state, and other dignitaries were invited to his official table.

Franz must have been a star in the making because one day the teenager was asked to create an especially impressive dessert for a reception.

He created what was to become a world-famous chocolate cake: a two-layer torte (see below) filled with apricot jam. The guests loved it, and it became known as the Sacher Torte (Sachertorte in German, pronounced ZAH-chur (guttural ch) TORT).

Eduard Sacher (1843–1892) was Franz’s son, a restaurateur and purveyor to the court. He made his father’s recipe at the Hotel Sacher.

Café Demel in Vienna was once the bakery favored by the House of Habsburg, the Viennese royal family. They also made a Sachertorte.

In the early part of the 20th century, Café Sacher and Café Demel engaged in a lawsuit over who could claim to have made the original Sachertorte.

 
The Sacher Hotel’s owners sued Demel for trademark infringement and won in 1938. The lawsuit was appealed after World War II, and the decades-long lawsuit was finally settled in 1963, when both parties agreed that:

 
For The Chocolate Glaze

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Spray one 9″ x 2″ round cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment. Spray the parchment lightly as well. If your pan isn’t at least 2″ deep, use two pans instead of one.

2. MELT the chocolate slowly over low heat or in the microwave, stirring well.

3. LIGHTLY BEAT the 8 egg yolks in a small bowl. Add the melted chocolate, melted butter, and vanilla. Blend until smooth and satiny, with no lumps or unincorporated yolks.

4. BEAT the 8 egg whites with a pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, until they begin to foam. Slowly add the sugar, then beat on high speed until the whites hold a stiff peak but are still glossy. Using a wide rubber spatula, mix about 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate/yolk mixture to lighten it.

5. POUR the lightened chocolate mixture over the rest of the whites in the bowl. Fold gently, using about 20 to 30 strokes. Sprinkle the cake flour over the chocolate batter and continue to fold gently until there are no traces of egg white remaining.

6. POUR the batter into the pan(s). Bake until the cake is puffed and dry looking on top, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean: 40 to 45 minutes for a single pan, 20 to 25 minutes for two pans. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Be sure to peel off the parchment circle while the cake is still warm. While the cake is cooling….

7. STRAIN the apricot jam through a fine sieve to remove any bits of fruit and make a smooth filling.

8. FILLING the cake: If you used one cake pan, you will need to split the layer before filling. Use a long, sharp serrated knife to split the cake into two even layers. If you used two pans, simply spread the apricot jam between the layers, leaving 1/2 inch around the border so that the jam does not squeeze out over the sides of the cake.

9. MAKE the chocolate glaze: Place the filled cake on a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the chocolate, water, and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently until the glaze is smooth, shiny and slightly thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as the glaze is smooth…

10. IMMEDIATELY pour it over the cake. The excess glaze will drip off of the cake onto the parchment paper. You can scoop up the excess glaze to cover any bare spots on the cake. Use a flexible spatula to help spread the glaze on the top and sides of the cake, but do not overwork the glaze or it will not remain smooth and sleek.

11. ALLOW the glaze to set up at room temperature for a few hours before serving. This cake is best served the day it’s made. Store any leftovers at room temperature for 1 day.
 
 
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAKE & TORTE

What’s the difference between a cake and a torte? It depends on whom you ask.

Essentially, torte is the German word for cake. As opposed to a pound cake or a a loaf cake, a yeast cake or other casual style, a torte denotes a rich, dense cake made with many eggs and little or no flour.

Instead, it uses ground nuts (and sometimes breadcrumbs) for texture.

Tortes are also shorter and wider—often no more than 2-1/2 inches high, and 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Some “flourless chocolate cakes” are made with ground nuts like tortes.

So is a flourless chocolate cake a cake or a torte? Based on the number of eggs, the lack of flour, the low height, and the broad width, the answer is torte.