Author Notes
Sachertorte is a classic Viennese pastry made from a light chocolate cake, filled with apricot jam and coated with rich chocolate glaze. This recipe comes from Kurt Gutenbrunner's Book, Neue Cuisine. —Yossy Arefi
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Ingredients
- For the cake:
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1/2 cup
semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
-
3/4 cup
cake flour, sifted
-
1/2 teaspoon
salt
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1/8 teaspoon
cinnamon
-
6 tablespoons
unsalted butter, softened
-
1/4 cup
confectioners' sugar, sifted
-
4
large eggs, separated
-
1
large egg yolk
-
1/2 cup
granulated sugar
- For the rum syrup, filling, and glaze:
-
1/3 cup
granulated sugar
-
1/3 cup
water
-
2 tablespoons
rum
-
1 cup
apricot jam
-
6 ounces
bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
-
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
-
1/2 cup
heavy cream
-
1 tablespoon
light corn syrup
Directions
- For the cake:
-
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325° F. Butter a 9-inch cake pan with high sides and line it with a round of parchment paper. Butter the paper, then dust the parchment and sides of the pan with flour. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a double boiler or microwave, melt the chopped chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
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Whisk the flour, salt, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
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In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a bowl with a handheld mixer, cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the 5 egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate.
-
In a clean bowl, with clean beaters, whip the egg whites on medium high speed, until foamy and thickened. Slowly stream in the granulated sugar and beat until the whites hold soft peaks.
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Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Fold in the flour mixture.
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Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, and bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes, then carefully turn the cake out onto a rack to cool completely.
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While the cake cools, prepare the syrup.
- For the rum syrup, filling, and glaze:
-
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium high heat until all of the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Stir in the rum.
-
To assemble the cake: Use a serrated knife to carefully split the completely cooled cake into two layers. Place the top layer of the cake, cut side up, onto a cooling rack. Generously brush the cake with the rum syrup, then spread 1/2 cup of apricot jam over the top. Brush the cut side of the other layer of cake with syrup, then place it on top of the jam, cut side down. Spread the remaining jam over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
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While the cake is in the fridge, make the glaze. Heat the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or microwave until completely melted and smooth. Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan until just simmering. Whisk the cream into the chocolate mixture until smooth.
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To glaze the cake: Place the cake on a rack on top of the parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour the glaze over the top and use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Gently tap the pan to remove excess glaze from the sides of the cake. Move the cake, on the rack, to the refrigerator. Cool until the glaze is set, about 10 minutes.
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Use a wide, flat spatula to move the cake to a serving platter. Cut into slices and serve.
Yossy Arefi is a photographer and stylist with a passion for food. During her stint working in restaurant kitchens, Yossy started the blog Apt. 2B Baking Co. where, with her trusty Pentax film camera, she photographs and writes about seasonal desserts and preserves. She currently lives in Brooklyn but will always love her native city of Seattle. Follow her work at apt2bbakingco.blogspot.com & yossyarefi.com.
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