Sachertorte
Viennese chocolate cake with apricot jam and glaze, and the glaze must cool to 40 degrees.
- Preparation
- 45 min
- Cook/bake time
- 50 min
- Total
- 5 hr 35 min
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Calories
- 475 kcal
- Servings
- 12 slices
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cooking & baking
- 50 min
- Resting
- 4 hr
Only 1 hr 35 min of that is hands-on – the rest takes care of itself.
Viennese chocolate cake with apricot jam and glaze, and the glaze must cool to 40 degrees. Applied too hot, it runs off and becomes dull; too cold, it streaks. The narrow range in between yields the mirror-like surface for which the cake is famous.
Why this works
The mirror-like glaze is the result of controlled sugar crystallization. The mixture of sugar syrup and chocolate is cooled to about 40 degrees before being poured over the cake. In this range, it is still fluid enough to spread on its own, but already viscous enough to stay in an even layer. Too hot, it flows off and leaves a thin, dull layer; too cold, it streaks when spreading because crystals have already formed. The apricot jam under the glaze has a structural task: it seals the porous cake surface so that the glaze does not soak in, but stays on top. Without this barrier layer, the sponge absorbs part of the glaze, and the surface becomes patchy instead of reflective.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Mix the batter
Beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, then stir in the melted, lukewarm chocolate and the egg yolks one by one. Beat the egg whites with the sugar until stiff and fold them in alternately with the sifted flour. The cake has no baking powder, its lift comes solely from the beaten egg whites.
- 2
Bake for 50 minutes
Bake the batter in a greased springform pan at 170 °C for about 50 minutes. Do not open the oven in the first 30 minutes, as the temperature drop will cause the egg white lift to collapse. Let cool completely, preferably overnight.
- 3
Split and fill
Cut the cooled cake horizontally, slightly warm the jam and spread it on the bottom half. Place the top layer on and coat the **entire** cake thinly with jam. This layer is the barrier that prevents the glaze from soaking in.
- 4
Cook the glaze
Bring the sugar and water to a boil, let the syrup boil vigorously for five minutes and remove it from the heat. Stir in the chopped chocolate until melted, and let the glaze cool to **40 degrees**. Use a thermometer, the margin is narrow.
- 5
Glaze
Place the cake on a wire rack and pour the glaze in one go over the center so that it runs over the edge on its own. Only drag an offset spatula over the surface once, as every further stroke leaves marks. Let set for four hours, not in the refrigerator.
Our best tips
- Apply the glaze at 40 degrees and in one pour. Hotter, it runs off and becomes dull, colder it streaks, and nothing can be touched up.
- Do not forget the jam layer all around. Without it, the glaze soaks into the sponge and the surface becomes patchy.
- Do not let it set in the refrigerator. The glaze will become matte and get condensation, while at room temperature it remains reflective.
Tasty variations
Without splitting
Do not cut the cake in half, but only coat the top with apricot jam. This is the version that distinguishes Hotel Sacher and Demel, and is still the subject of a decades-long legal dispute.
With whipped cream
In Vienna, unsweetened whipped cream is always served with it. It is not an accessory, but the balance to the very sweet glaze.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 475 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 65 g |
| – of which sugar | 53 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
Where the 475 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my glaze dull?
It was too hot or set in the refrigerator. At over 45 degrees it runs off too thin, in the refrigerator condensation and matte spots form. 40 degrees and room temperature are correct.
How many calories does a slice of Sachertorte have?
Around 475 kcal per slice for twelve slices, without whipped cream. Glaze and jam together contribute about 190 kcal per slice, as the cake is primarily rich in sugar.
Why jam under the glaze?
It seals the porous sponge surface. Without this barrier layer, the batter absorbs part of the glaze, and instead of a reflective surface, a patchy one is created.
How long does Sachertorte keep?
About a week at room temperature under a cake dome. It is well preserved by sugar and glaze and even becomes moister in the first few days, which is why it was traditionally shipped.
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