Sacher Torte – Vienna's Classic Chocolate Cake

Step-by-step method

At a glance

This classic Viennese chocolate cake requires patience and precision over two days—you'll bake a delicate chocolate sponge with carefully folded egg whites, then finish it with an apricot glaze and silky chocolate icing. The trickiest parts are keeping the cake flat during baking (using a wooden spoon to prop the oven door), achieving an even apricot coating so the final chocolate layer looks flawless, and making the temperature-controlled chocolate icing with a candy thermometer.

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Prepare the tin

Prepare a springform cake tin, 26 cm in diameter. Grease the sides with butter and dust with fine plain flour. Cut out a circle of baking paper slightly larger than the base of the tin.
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Assemble the tin

Open up the springform tin, set the ring aside (haha), and lay the baking paper on the base. Fit the ring back around it and close it up. The tin is now ready to use.
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Egg foam, chocolate and whites

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. Add the butter and mix thoroughly. In a stand mixer, whisk the eggs with the sugar until foamy. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, then whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt.

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140 gram
85% Dark Chocolate

140 gram
Unsalted Butter

6 piece
Chicken Eggs

140 gram
Granulated Sugar

3 gram
Salt

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Fold into the chocolate mixture

Once the egg whites are whisked to stiff peaks, fold them gently into the chocolate mixture, alternating with the flour. Do this in about three additions.

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120 gram
Medium-Fine Wheat Flour
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Position the rack

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and place it in the oven, preheated to 200°C, with the rack positioned in the middle of the oven.
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For an even rise

Place the tin in the oven but don't close the door all the way – prop it open slightly at the top with a wooden spoon. This lets the cake rise more gradually so it doesn't dome up in the middle. After ten minutes, remove the spoon and close the oven door fully.
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Bake

Bake at 200°C for a further twenty minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 15–30 minutes. Every oven bakes a little differently, so keep an eye on the cake and after 45 minutes in total, check with a skewer to see if it's done.
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Turn out and weigh down if needed

Done! Turn the cake out onto a wire rack so that the top (from baking) is now facing down, and let it cool completely until the next day. If it did dome up in the middle, turn it out onto the rack and weigh it down. I weighed mine down with a wooden board and a pot.
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Apricot glaze

Make the glaze by simmering the apricot jam together with rum until it thickens slightly.

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350 gram
Apricot Jam

25 milliliter
Rum
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Filling and coating the cake

The next day, slice the cake horizontally once or twice. Spread the filling between the layers. Coat the top of the cake (take your time here, as any unevenness will show through the chocolate icing) and the sides too. Let it cool again for at least a few hours.
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Icing

You'll need a candy thermometer for this. In a saucepan, make a sugar syrup from sugar and water, using the thermometer to guide you. Stop cooking once the syrup reaches 110°C. If you're doing this without a thermometer, cook the sugar until it thickens noticeably.

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220 milliliter
Water

200 gram
Granulated Sugar

160 gram
85% Dark Chocolate
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Smooth chocolate icing

Once the sugar syrup has reached the right consistency and temperature, add the broken-up chocolate. Stir gradually but thoroughly. You can warm it slightly over low heat to get a smooth, fine, fairly runny chocolate icing. Pour it over the cake immediately.
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Dip the knife when slicing

Leave the cake in a cool place until the chocolate icing has set. Slice with a sharp knife, dipping it in hot water before each cut so the icing doesn't crack.

Sacher Torte – Vienna's Classic Chocolate Cake

Name: Authentic Viennese Sacher Torte
Prep time: 31 min
Cook time: 61 min
Total time: 650 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Austrian
Ingredients: 300 gram 85% Dark Chocolate; 220 milliliter Water; 6 piece Chicken Eggs; 3 gram Salt; 120 gram Medium-Fine Wheat Flour; 140 gram Unsalted Butter; 350 gram Apricot Jam; 340 gram Granulated Sugar; 25 milliliter Rum

bohynekuchyne

Prep 31 min Cook 1 h 1 min

Plus overnight of resting (not counted in active time)

9 Ingredients

13 Steps

Hard Difficulty

Ingredients — what you'll need

You only need 9 ingredients

Adjust servings

About this recipe

The original recipe for this fantastic cake is a closely guarded secret owned by Vienna's Hotel Sacher. Plenty of versions circulate among home bakers though, so there's nothing stopping you from trying it at home. I did some digging, tested things out, and combined different recipes. I wanted to nail down the best cake batter, the best apricot glaze, and the best chocolate icing. I think I've pretty much cracked it, and I'm very happy with how my Sacher Torte turned out.

Vegetarian Desserts Austrian To impress Indulgent treats

Step-by-step method

At a glance

Prepare the tin

Assemble the tin

Egg foam, chocolate and whites

For this step

Sacher Torte – Vienna's Classic Chocolate Cake

Ingredients — what you'll need

About this recipe