The Austrian Sachertorte is a classic Austrian chocolate cake known for its rich chocolate flavor and delicate apricot jam filling. This dessert is not only delicious, but also has a rich and interesting history.
The origin of the Sach cake
The origins of the Sach cake can be traced back to 1832, when the Austrian Foreign Minister, Prince Klemens von Metternich, was hosting a grand banquet. However, on the eve of the banquet, the chef, who was originally in charge of preparing desserts, suddenly fell ill and could not continue working. At just 16 years old, trainee chef Franz Sacher was tasked with taking on the task.
Sach decided to create a new dessert to meet this challenge. He chose chocolate as the main ingredient to create a chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam in the middle of the cake and a smooth layer of chocolate frosting on the top of the cake. This cake is not only beautiful in appearance, but also extremely delicious, and won unanimous praise from the guests present. This is how the Sach cake was born.
The development of the Sach cake
Over time, Sach Cake’s fame spread and became the darling of the Austrian aristocracy and high society. Franz Sach’s son, Eduard Sacher, inherited his father’s craft and carried the cake to life. Eduard opened the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, and the Sacher cake became the hotel’s signature dessert, attracting tourists from all over the world.
The Legacy and Controversy of the Sacher Cake
The rise to fame of the Sach cake also led to a famous legal dispute. At the end of the 19th century, the Demel Café in Vienna began making and selling the Sach cake and claimed to be the authentic inheritor of the cake. This sparked a decades-long legal battle between the Sach Hotel and the Demer Café, which culminated in a settlement in 1963. Under the agreement, the Sach Hotel was granted trademark rights to the “Original Sachertorte” and the Demel Café was allowed to make “Demel’s Sachertorte”.
The making and tasting of Sach cakes
The traditional sacher cake making process is quite exquisite. The cake consists of two layers of rich chocolate sponge cake with a layer of apricot jam in between. The cake is covered with a smooth layer of chocolate frosting and is usually served with a scoop of whipped cream. This cake has a rich texture, with a rich chocolate flavor and a sweet and sour balance of apricot jam for a long aftertaste.
Sach cake has become a part of Austrian culture and is not only a favorite of food lovers, but also a symbol of Austrian history and tradition. Whether at the Sach Hotel or the Café de Mer, tasting an authentic Sach cake is the perfect combination of deliciousness and history.
