The lawsuit ran for seven years. Hotel Sacher argued that the 'Original Sachertorte' could only come from them — the hotel founded by Eduard Sacher, son of the creator Franz Sacher — and that Café Demel, which had been selling a Sachertorte since Eduard's wife Anna had sold the recipe to Demel in the 1930s, was using the name illegally. Café Demel argued that their recipe was the older, original one. The Austrian court eventually distinguished between the two: Hotel Sacher's version had one layer of apricot jam (inside the torte, between the two cake halves); Café Demel's version had the jam applied only under the chocolate glaze on the outside of the whole cake. The court gave Hotel Sacher the right to call theirs 'Original'; Demel won the right to the description 'Eduard Sacher Torte.' Both are still sold today, both behind glass counters, and both claim historical legitimacy.
The torte is served with unsweetened whipped cream (Schlagobers) — always on the side, never on the cake itself. This is a rule. The combination of dense, slightly dry chocolate sponge + tart apricot jam + bitter chocolate glaze + cold unsweetened cream is specific and deliberate.
The Chocolate Sponge: Dense and Dry
Sachertorte sponge is not the same as a moist American chocolate layer cake:
The texture: Dense, slightly dry, fine-crumbed — meant to absorb the apricot jam and contrast with the thick chocolate glaze. Leavening is provided by beaten eggs (the butter-sugar-chocolate base + separately beaten egg whites, folded in) rather than baking powder alone.
The chocolate: Dark chocolate — at least 60% cacao — melted and cooled. The flavor is distinctly bitter-dark, not sweet.
The technique: Classic torte method: butter beaten with sugar until pale; melted chocolate stirred in; egg yolks added; flour folded in gently; beaten egg whites folded in carefully. The egg whites provide lightness in what is otherwise a dense cake.
The Apricot Jam: Two Applications
The traditional Hotel Sacher application:
First application (inside): The baked and cooled torte is sliced horizontally into two layers; a thin layer of smooth apricot jam (heated and strained to remove chunks) is spread on the bottom half; the top is placed back on.
Second application (outside): The entire exterior of the torte (top and sides) is brushed with a second thin layer of smooth, heated apricot jam. This layer serves two functions: it provides a barrier between the sponge and the chocolate glaze (preventing the glaze from soaking in and becoming dull), and it adds the characteristic Sachertorte tartness.
The jam must be smooth: Apricot jam is heated and strained through a fine sieve to remove all fruit pieces. Any chunks under the glaze will create lumps visible through the mirror-smooth surface.
The Chocolate Glaze: The Technical Challenge
Kuvertüre (couverture chocolate): High-cocoa-butter dark chocolate — at least 32% cocoa butter — provides the glossy, smooth glaze finish. Regular chocolate chips or baking chocolate do not produce the same result.
The glaze: Melted couverture chocolate combined with sugar syrup (water + sugar, simmered briefly) — the syrup keeps the glaze fluid at room temperature and contributes shine.
The pour: The assembled and jam-coated torte is placed on a rack over a sheet pan. Warm (not hot) chocolate glaze is poured over the center and spread to the edges with a single pass of a palette knife — too much manipulation creates streaks and dulls the surface.
One pass: The glaze must be smooth with one pass. Going back to fix imperfections re-melts the set edges and creates streaks. Perfect Sachertorte glaze is a skill developed through practice.
The Complete Recipe
Serves: 10–12 | Time: 3 hours (including cooling)
Sponge
- 130g dark chocolate (60%+), melted and cooled
- 130g unsalted butter, softened
- 80g powdered sugar
- 6 eggs, separated
- 80g caster sugar
- 130g all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
Apricot Filling and Coating
- 200g apricot jam, heated and strained smooth
Chocolate Glaze
- 200g dark couverture chocolate (60%+), chopped
- 100ml water
- 200g caster sugar
Method
1. Make sponge: Beat butter and powdered sugar until pale. Add cooled melted chocolate; beat smooth. Add egg yolks one at a time. Separately, beat egg whites with caster sugar and salt to stiff peaks. Fold flour into the chocolate-butter base alternating with the beaten egg whites, in three additions. Transfer to a greased and floured 24cm round cake tin. Bake at 170°C for 50–55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely in the tin, then unmold. Rest overnight for best slicing.
2. Apply jam: Split torte in half horizontally. Spread a thin layer of heated, strained apricot jam on the bottom half; replace top. Brush entire exterior with a second thin layer of jam. Let set 15 minutes.
3. Make glaze: Combine water and sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil; simmer 3–4 minutes (soft ball stage, 115°C). Remove from heat; add chopped couverture chocolate; stir gently until melted. Cool to 35–38°C — the glaze should coat a spoon but still be pourable.
4. Glaze: Place torte on a rack. Pour warm glaze over the center; tilt the rack or use a single pass of a palette knife to cover the top and let the glaze run down the sides evenly. Do not go back over set areas. Let set at room temperature 30–60 minutes.
Serve: With unsweetened whipped Schlagobers on the side. Never refrigerate a glazed Sachertorte — the glaze clouds.
Related reading: Apfelstrudel Austrian Apple Strudel Guide | Kaiserschmarrn Austrian Emperor's Pancake Guide | Black Forest Cake German Cherry Torte Guide
The full recipes live in the book.
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