It's a production, but well worth it for this classic and famous Austrian chocolate cake, first made in 1832 by chef Franz Sacher.
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Cake Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour (If you don't have it, look here for substitution.) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar, divided in half 8 large eggs, separated, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted Filling and Icing Ingredients: 1 and 1/2 cups apricot preserves 1/4 cup dark rum 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup butter 2 tablespoons corn syrup (If you don't have it, look here for substitution.) |
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For Cake:
- Grease and flour 9" cake pan. If you have baking parchment paper, line the bottom of the pan.
- Put flour, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl and whisk together.
- In a separate mixing bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix just a bit.
- Stir in (slowly) the flour mixture. Don't over beat.
- Melt the chocolate over very low heat in a saucepan, in a double boiler, or in the microwave in 10 second increments. Then SLOWLY stir the melted chocolate into the flour mixture.
- Place egg whites in a separate bowl; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the other 1/2 cup of sugar; beat until stiff peaks develop. Gently and SLOWLY fold into the flour and chocolate mixture - about half at a time. Fold slowly until you can't see eggy streaks.
- Put the batter into baking pan and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick or knife comes back clean.
- Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and put on a wire rack to cool. Make sure it's all the way cool before next steps.
- Stir together the apricot preserves and the rum.
- With a large serrated knife, horizontally split the cooled cake into two layers. Put the bottom layer on a cake plate that is much larger in diameter than the cake. It's going to get messy later and you'll need to wipe up.
- With a knife or spatula, spread part of the preserves onto the top of the bottom layer. Then place the second layer on top.
- Put the rest of the preserves into the microwave or on the stovetop and get them warm. Then push through a fine-mesh strainer. Throw away fruits and use the smooth gel to spread on top of the cake. Let cool for an hour.
- Melt the chopped chocolate and 1/2 cup butter. Stir to keep from separating. Add in corn syrup. Immediately pour over the cake. Smooth any missing spots with a rubber spatula. Wipe up the excess on the plate and let cool and set for at least an hour.
- Use a knife dipped in hot water to cut the cake! Delicious!