Lidia Bastianich's Sacher Torte Recipe (2024)

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Lidia Bastianich's sacher torte, a classic Austrian chocolate cake layered with apricot preserves, is deliciously moist.

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Lidia Bastianich

Lidia Bastianich

Italian-American chef Lidia Bastianich is a highly regarded restauranteur, cookbook author, and television host best known for her many cooking shows on public television. She has garnered numerous honors over her long and illustrious career, including several James Beard Foundation and Emmy Awards.

Updated on May 29, 2019

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Lidia Bastianich's Sacher Torte Recipe (1)

Active Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

2 hrs

Servings:

10 to 12 servings

Yield:

1 9-inch torte

Sacher torte is a classic Austrian chocolate cake layered with apricot preserves. Lidia Bastianich's version uses the preserves three ways: for moistening the cake layers, as a thick filling between the layers, and as a glaze to seal the cake before covering it in chocolate. The cake is moist and luscious on its own, but it's also delicious served the traditional way, with unsweetened whipped cream.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 6 large eggs, separated

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup almond flour or 2 ounces blanched almonds (1/3 cup), ground

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Filling and glaze

  • 1 3/4 cups apricot preserves, divided

  • 2/3 cup light corn syrup

  • 2 tablespoons rum

  • 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

  • Unsweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

Make the cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

  2. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, whip the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form.

  3. In a small bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour with the almond flour and salt. In another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the yolks, one at a time, and beat until fluffy. Beat in the chocolate, then beat in the flours. Beat in one-fourth of the whites, then, using a spatula, fold in the rest of the whites until no streaks remain.

  4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove the ring and let the cake cool completely. Invert the cake onto a plate and peel off the parchment. Turn the cake right side up. Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into three even layers.

Make the filling and glaze

  1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, whisk 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves with 1/4 cup of water and microwave until melted.

  2. Set the bottom of the springform pan on a wire rack and set the rack on a baking sheet. Arrange the top cake layer, cut side up, on the springform pan. Brush the cake with one-third of the melted apricot preserves. Spread 1/2 cup of the unmelted apricot preserves on top and cover with the middle cake layer. Brush the surface with another third of the melted preserves and spread another 1/2 cup of the unmelted preserves on top. Brush the cut side of the final layer with the remaining melted preserves and set it cut side down on the cake. Using a serrated knife, trim the cake edges if necessary to even them out.

  3. In the microwave-safe bowl, microwave the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves until melted, about 30 seconds. Press the preserves through a strainer to remove the solids. Brush the preserves all over the cake until completely coated. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until set.

  4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk the corn syrup with the rum and 2 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil. Cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and pour the hot mixture on top. Let stand until melted, then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate glaze is too thick to pour, whisk in another tablespoon of hot water. Let cool to warm.

  5. Using an offset spatula, scrape off any excess preserves from the cake so that it is lightly coated. Slowly pour half of the warm chocolate glaze in the center of the cake, allowing it to gently coat the top and spread down the side. Spread the glaze to evenly coat the torte. Microwave the remaining glaze for a few seconds and repeat pouring and spreading. Scrape up any excess glaze. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to set the glaze, then cut the torte into wedges and serve with the whipped cream.

Make ahead

The torte can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Originally appeared: May 2012

Lidia Bastianich's Sacher Torte Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Lidia Bastianich's Sacher Torte Recipe? ›

Is cheesecake a torte? No. We're getting closer; a cheesecake is made in a springform pan, has a dense texture, and is about the same height as a torte, but the primary ingredient of a torte is never cheese, and tortes do not have crusts.

What is the difference between a cheesecake and a torte? ›

Is cheesecake a torte? No. We're getting closer; a cheesecake is made in a springform pan, has a dense texture, and is about the same height as a torte, but the primary ingredient of a torte is never cheese, and tortes do not have crusts.

What does Sacher Torte mean in English? ›

Sacher torte in American English

(ˈsɑkər ; German ˈzɑxəʀ) noun. a usually dry, glazed chocolate cake, often filled with apricot jam.

Where is the original Sachertorte? ›

Hotel Sacher's "Original Sacher Torte" is sold at the Vienna and Salzburg locations of the Hotel Sacher, at Cafe Sacher branches in Innsbruck and Graz, at the Sacher Shop in Bolzano, in the Duty Free area of Vienna airport, and via the Hotel Sacher's online shop.

What are the three types of torte? ›

Torts fall into three general categories: intentional torts (e.g., intentionally hitting a person); negligent torts (e.g., causing an accident by failing to obey traffic rules); and strict liability torts (e.g., liability for making and selling defective products - see Products Liability).

What makes a torte a torte? ›

A torte (/ˈtɔːrt/; from German: Torte (German pronunciation: [ˈtɔrtə]), in turn from Latin via Italian: torta) is a rich, usually multilayered, cake that is filled with whipped cream, buttercreams, mousses, jams, or fruit. Ordinarily, the cooled torte is glazed and garnished.

Does a torte need to be refrigerated? ›

Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap any leftovers very well in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature for serving or warm servings briefly in the microwave. For longer storage, this Chocolate Torte can be frozen.

Why is the Sachertorte so famous? ›

– and Franz Sacher certainly refused all but the essentials when creating his recipe. He composed his chocolate chef-d'oeuvre with clever minimalism: butter, sugar, eggs, chocolate, flour, and apricot jam. The perfect harmony of these combined ingredients, in fact, is what makes the Original Sacher-Torte extraordinary.

How long can you keep a Sachertorte? ›

The shelf life of our products can be found in the product descriptions in our online shop. The average shelf life of a Demel's Sachertorte is approx. 7 days.

What is the most famous cake in Vienna? ›

The "Sachertorte" is a famous Viennese cake and probably the most famous chocolate cake in the world since 1832. The delicious treat consists of 3 layers of chocolate sponge cake with thickly spread apricot jam in between and on the top.

Which hotel is famous for Sachertorte? ›

Hotel Sacher is a five-star luxury hotel in Vienna, Austria, facing the Vienna State Opera in the city's central Innere Stadt district. It is famous for the specialty of the house, the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot filling.

How to eat Sacher cake? ›

As Rick Rodgers writes in his book Kaffeehaus, “for this reason, Sachertorte is always served with a big dollop of lightly whipped, gently sweetened, heavy cream. You are actually supposed to dip each bite of cake into the cream to moisten it before eating. So, don't be shy!”

What is the famous cake in Salzburg? ›

The Original Sacher-Torte, a rich chocolate cake filled with apricot jam is best served with whipped cream and a cup of coffee or tea.

What is the rule of torte? ›

Tort law is considered to be a form of restorative justice since it seeks to remedy losses or injury by providing monetary compensation. There are three main categories of tort law, including suits alleging negligence, intentional harm, and strict liability.

Why is it called a Princess torte? ›

Origin and name

The cake was originally called grön tårta (green cake), but was given the name prinsesstårta or "princess cake" because the Swedish princesses were said to have been especially fond of the cake.

What's the difference between a tart and a torte? ›

Writing on the distinction between tarts and tortes, The Los Angeles Times quoted chef Dione Lucas, who explained, "Tarts are usually containers while tortes are absolute containments." In short, tarts are more like pies, baked in a crust, and tortes are generally freestanding cakes.

What does torte style mean? ›

While definitions differ, tortes are generally rich and dense cakes due to the fact that they're oftentimes made with ground nuts or bread crumbs instead of flour. Most are multi-layered and sandwiched with jam, frosting, or other flavorful fillings. Tortes come in various sizes and shapes, too.

What do you think is the difference between a cake and a torte and why? ›

While a cake may also contain other ingredients, these are basic for baking a sponge cake whereas the torte is a flourless cake. Tortes are baked with heavy ingredients, such as groundnuts or bread crumbs along with eggs. The difference in the use of the ingredients makes tortes much richer in taste and texture.

Why do you torte a cake? ›

This simple method helps you achieve the flat, symmetrical layers you see in bakery cakes, and it just means cutting the cake with a long, sharp serrated knife. Now you might be wondering if the term “torting a cake” is also linked to a torte, which is a type of cake, and the answer is yes—they are linked.

What are the two types of cheesecake? ›

Cheesecake is a classic dessert that can be served for any occasion. There is even a Greek cheesecake recipe that dates all the way back to 5th Century BCE! While there are an endless amount of cheesecake recipes available today, they can be sorted into two easy categories - baked and unbaked cheesecakes.

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