What was the reason for the creation of Vienna’s most famous cake? What is it made of? How did it get its name and why was there a legal dispute about the origin of the cake?
The chocolate side of Vienna: The Sachertorte
This is a secret recipe. The dessert consists of the protected Sacher mixture, glazed chocolate and apricot jam. There are other ingredients involved, but they are all part of the secret of the “real Sacher torte” , which has remained a Sacher secret ever since it was invented.
It is assumed that this “secret” cake mixture consists of the following ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, sugar and chocolate. The exact quantities are not known. Most important is the 15% chocolate content with at least 35% cocoa solids . It is important that apricot jam is used and no other jam. The chocolate icing must only consist of chocolate and fat and no other icing containing cocoa.
It is often copied and baked in many households on special occasions. No birthday or public holiday is complete without Sachertorte, as it really tastes good to everyone, from toddlers to grandma. Best served with plenty of whipped cream.
Now to the history and legend of the famous Sachertorte:
When the conscious cake was invented in 1832 , there was no Hotel Sacher to go with it, just one hopeful young man. Franz Sacher, chef at the court of the then almost omnipotent Prince Metternich, was not only talented, but also forward-thinking. The Prince’s chef, who came from France, the motherland of grande cuisine, had fallen ill and a grand soirée was coming up, for which the State Chancellor wanted a new sweet creation.
“That he won’t cause me any shame tonight” is a popular quote.
Is this where the legends begin ? Did Franz Sacher, the 16-year-old apprentice (trainee) in his second year, simply invent a new kind of chocolate cake? Did he leaf through the cookbooks of the Biedermeier period and take inspiration from other cake recipes? We don’t know…
One thing is certain: the prince received his cake and it was a complete success. However, it was a one-off experience at the time and no further attention was initially paid to the cake. Franz Sacher gained further experience in Budapest and Bratislava and returned to Vienna in 1848. He opened a delicatessen including a wine shop.
Now we are getting closer to the legal dispute : his eldest son Eduard trained as a Confectioner at the k.u.k. Court Confectioner Demel. The Sachertorte was offered there, and later also at the Hotel Sacher, which was founded by Eduard in 1876 . The cake quickly became the best and most popular specialty in Vienna. Where did the original come from? Who is allowed to sell the original Sacher Torte ?
During his apprenticeship at Demel , Eduard Sacher had offered the Sacher Torte as the “Original Sacher Torte”. After Eduard’s death, his wife Anna Sacher managed the hotel, which went bankrupt in 1934. The couple’s son, also called Eduard, moved to Demel and gave the former court confectioner sole responsibility for selling the “Eduard Sacher Torte.
In 1938, an already unfortunate year in Vienna, there were differences of opinion with the new owners of the Hotel Sacher. They used the name “Original Sacher-Torte” and had this name registered. Well, the Second World War came and afterwards the hotel owners complained that
In 1963, the following was decided. The Hotel Sacher sells the “Original Sacher Torte” while Demel sells the “Eduard Sacher Torte“. Today, the name Demel’s Sachertorte has become established. What exactly is the difference? The difference lies in whether the cake is filled with jam once or several times.
The “Original Sacher Torte”, available at the Hotel and Café Sacher , has two layers of jam, while the Demel cake only has one layer of jam underneath the chocolate coating. Both cakes are decorated with a
Every year, the Hotel Sacher produces around 360,000 handmade cakes . These are only sold in the
€ 7.90 (as of February 2021) It is exported all over the world and also makes an exquisite souvenir or special gift.
Time Travel Tip: What makes Sachertorte so desirable for all lovers of sweet food? Its inimitable taste and its “dense, luscious sweetness”, confirm the “chocolate side of Vienna”. It’s best to try several to find out which one you like better
Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wien_-_Sachertorte.jpg
