Food experiments

Passport & Plate - Sachertorte

Austria | Tuesday, March 11, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsps confectioners' sugar
4 ozs sweet chocolate
10 eggs (separated)
1 tbsp lemon rind (grated)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
11/8 cups breadcrumbs (toasted, fine)
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup apricot jam
chocolate frosting

 

How to prepare this recipe
1 Preheat oven to 325F and butter/line with waxed paper two 8" cake pans.
2 Beat egg whites to stiff peaks; add salt.
3 In another bowl, cream butter and sugar together; add confectioners sugar and beat thoroughly.
4 Melt chocolate and add to creamed mixture.
5 Add 1 egg yolk at a time, beating well after each addition.
6 Mix lemon rind, cinnamon, cloves and bread crumbs; stir into batter.
7 Fold egg whites gently into batter.
8 Divide batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes.
9 Turn out onto cooling rack and gently remove waxed paper.
10 When cool, melt jam and spread it on one layer.
11 Stack second layer on the first one.
12 Frost with chocolate frosting.

 

The story behind this recipe
Old story beyond the original recipe tells us that the famous cake had been invented by 16 year old apprentice Franz Sacher for Prince von Metterrnich when the main chief got ill. By a funny coincidence, I was 16 too - "Oh that's call of destiny"- and had made up my mind to prepare "Sacher" for my Birthday.Our age was, though, the only thing uniting despicable cook in me and talented Franz. Parents were busy with gardening, and apart from the recipe and kitchen, I got my 2 yo brother at home. He destroyed kitchen when he was 1, so now his main interest was living room and DVD shelf. Exactly then I discovered that some of the ingredients are missing, but the Rubicon had been just crossed. However, according to my Mum's saying, "there're no irreplaceable products". By the time when I've broken 10 eggs stolen from the fridge (no omelette for Dad tomorrow), my bro has broken the first disc, "Mask" with Jim Carrey. What's next? Confectioner's sugar? Oh no, just a bit more of usual sugar, who cares. Melt chocolate? Seriously, I bought it but after all I decided I like chocolate more than cakes, so... No chocolate. Cocoa powder, why not. Bro was peacefully playing frisbee with "Titanic".Following the recipe, I added lemon, cinnamon, cloves, wiped some crumbs from the table (not only bread ones). Living room was quiet and I solemnly put my future cake into the oven, feeling proudly like Franz Sacher (did he have a younger brother?). Very soon my pride was gone since my Sachertorte started bubbling. Weird recipe, thought I, playing with bro who ran out of DVDs.When I was back, I felt far away from Austria - the cake looked like moon surface.Moreover,it had blueish colour.Bro asked what was it and warned he's not gonna eat it.When apricot jam was replaced by peach Haribos, melted and burnt, I realised that baking is probably (most likely) not my thing. Keeping this small secret, me and bro went to shop to buy chocolate mud cake...Next time-pancakes!But it's a new story.