Who, during a weekend in Vienna, has not indulged in a tasty slice of Sachertorte? This rich chocolate dessert, recognized all over the world as a gastronomic symbol of Austria, is among the most copied by pastry shops but its original recipe is still jealously kept in Vienna, where it was born.
But who created this legendary dessert consisting of two layers of spongy chocolate cake, with a layer of apricot jam or cherries inside, covered entirely in a dark chocolate glaze? And where can you enjoy a slice of the original Sachertorte? Let's find out more about the history of the legendary Sacher cake.
Sachertorte - the history behind the cake
We owe the invention of the Sachertorte to pastry chef Franz Sacher who created it in 1832 in the capital of Austria. Sacher was asked by Prince Klemens von Metternich, heir to a wealthy family of hoteliers of Jewish origin, to prepare a special dessert for a guest because the official court pastry chef was ill.
Sacher, then 16, loved chocolate very much, so he decided to use it for his recipe: the result was this extraordinary dessert that, legend has it, made Metternich rejoice at the first taste.
Sachertorte - modern times
Since its invention, the Sacher cake successfully spread throughout Austria, then to the rest of the world. The original recipe is protected by a trademark but that hasn't stopped other bakers from attempting to create their own Sachertorte.
The Hotel Sacher in Vienna is the only one that produces the 100% authentic Sachertorte (with a trademark, strictly in chocolate, applied on the cake). The hotel produces over 270,000 pieces a year, which can also be purchased online.
Sachertorte - where to enjoy the original
Aside from Hotel Sacher in Vienna, the original Sachertorte can also be found at the Hotel Sacher in Salzburg, the Sacher Café in Innsbruck and Graz; and at the airport duty-free shop in Vienna.
A curiosity: there is only one other country in the world, in addition to Austria, where you can find the Sachertorte: Italy. The Italian town of Bolzano is home to the Sacher Shop, where the iconic cake and other sweets are on sale .
Sacher torte recipe
