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Sachertorte

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Faustina Sachertorte.

Sachertorte
Sachertorte from the Hotel Sacher, Vienna
Place of originAustria
Region or stateVienna
Created byFranz Sacher
Main ingredientsChocolate sponge cake, apricot jam, chocolate chocolate glaze

Sachertorte (UK: /ˈzæxərtɔːrtə/ ZAKH-ər-tor-tə, US: /ˈsɑːkərtɔːrt/ SAH-kər-tort; German: [ˈzaxɐˌtɔʁtə] ⓘ) is a chocolate sponge cake covered with apricot jam and chocolate glaze. The cake was invented by Franz Sacher. According to one story, he created the cake in 1832 for Klemens von Metternich, while Sacher claimed he created the cake in the 1840s. The cake is served at Hotel Sacher and Demel pastry shop in Vienna; in the 20th century, they battled over the cake's ownership and over whether the cake should have one or two layers. Both keep their recipes secret. The cake's ingredients are butter, chocolate, eggs, flour, and sugar. Hotel Sacher also serves the cake with whipped cream. In the United States, National Sacher Torte Day is observed on 5 December.

History

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Franz Sacher invented the cake in the 19th century

Franz Sacher is the inventor of Sachertorte (also spelled as Sacher-Torte).[1] He worked as a chef in Vienna and Pressburg for Klemens von Metternich,[2] and was trained under chef Chambellier.[3] According to one story, he made the cake in 1832 for Metternich and his friends. However, according to Sacher's interview from 1906, he created the cake in the 1840s at his restaurant in Pressburg.[2] His son, Eduard, claimed in 1888 that Sacher created the cake for Metternich.[4] After Eduard opened Hotel Sacher in 1876,[5][6] the cake made its way to the hotel's menu.[2]

By the 1930s, the cake became omnipresent and there were many versions of the cake. Cookbook author Katharina Prato also popularised the cake in her books.[7] In the 1930s, the hotel entered a legal battle with pastry shop Demel over the cake's ownership. The shop introduced the cake as "Eduard Sacher-Torte" in 1934, while the hotel had the cake under the name "Original Sacher-Torte". Hans Gürtler, one of the hotel's investors, took the shop to the court in 1938 and won. However, after the World War II, the dispute resurfaced to the Austrian Supreme Court. This time, there was also a dispute on whether the cake had one layer, preferred by Demel, or two layers, preferred by the hotel.[2] The case ended in 1963,[6] with the Court eventually siding with Hotel Sacher on the ownership and Demel on the number of layers.[2]

After its creation, the cake became widely popular in Vienna, even surpassing the popularity of Linzer torte.[8]

Ingredients and preparation

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The Codex Alimentarius Austriacus describes the cake's ingredients and preperation in detail. Sachertorte has to be a chocolate sponge cake and covered with apricot jam, chocolate glaze, and sugar. Additionally, nuts can be added although the name of the cake has to reflect their inclusion.[2] The cake is modelled after a chocolate biscuit.[9] According to the recipe, the primary ingredients of Sachertorte are butter, chocolate, eggs, flour, and sugar. The recipe calls for whipping butter and melting chocolate; the chocolate and sugar are then combined and mixed. The mixture is then thickened with egg yolks and flour before being folded with egg whites. The batter should be baked for an hour. After baking, apricot jam is placed on top of the cake, which is then coated with chocolate glaze.[10]

Demel puts apricot jam below the chocolate glaze, while Hotel Sacher puts it between the two layers.[11] Both keep their exact recipes secret.[12] Hotel Sacher serves the cake with whipped cream.[10] According to Elisabeth Gürtler, the director of Hotel Sacher, the cake can be also served with champagne.[13]

In culture

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Sachertorte is a popular dish in Vienna and in other regions of Austria;[14] food writer Michael Krondl described it as "easily [the] city's most storied confection". Hotel Sacher ships their cake worldwide.[2] According to food writer Felicity Cloake, it is sometimes attributed as Sigmund Freud's favourite cake.[15] In the United States, National Sacher Torte Day is celebrated on 5 December.[10] In Japan, McDonald's offered the cake for ¥360.[16]

Reception

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According to Krondl, Sachertorte is "almost the personification of the sweet".[2] Roland Mischek of Die Welt described the cake as "sweet, delicate, and with a flawless surface" (süß, delikat und mit makelloser Oberfläche).[14]

References

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  1. ^ Krondl 2011, p. 286.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Goldstein 2015, pp. 588–589.
  3. ^ Goldstein 2015, p. 36.
  4. ^ Krondl 2011, p. 288.
  5. ^ Krondl 2011, p. 291.
  6. ^ a b Friedrich, Lina (19 December 2016). "Wie die Sachertorte zu ihrem Namen kam" [How the Sachertorte Got Its Name]. Deutsche Welle (in German). Archived from the original on 1 December 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  7. ^ Krondl 2011, p. 292.
  8. ^ Goldstein 2015, p. 405.
  9. ^ Krondl 2011, p. 289.
  10. ^ a b c Prinz, Deborah R. (5 December 2015). "Celebrating the Sacher Torte". The Forward. Archived from the original on 2 November 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  11. ^ Rylander, Summer (16 December 2022). "Searching for Sachertorte in Vienna". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  12. ^ Hofmann, Paul (16 January 1983). "Sacher Torte, Viennese Delight". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  13. ^ Bell, Bethany (31 May 2007). "Happy Birthday, Cake". BBC News. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  14. ^ a b Mischke, Roland (19 February 2008). "Das Geheimnis der heiligen Sachertorte" [The Secret of the Holy Sachertorte]. Die Welt (in German). Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  15. ^ Cloake, Felicity (31 March 2021). "How to Make the Perfect Sachertorte – Recipe". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  16. ^ St. Michel, Patrick (18 December 2015). "Vienna's Chocolate Cake Gets the McDonald's Treatment". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 13 January 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.

Sources

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Sachertorte (Original Version) at the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sachertorte.
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