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Austrian

Sachertorte

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

A dense chocolate sponge layered with apricot jam and enrobed in a glossy, snappy chocolate glaze. Vienna's most famous cake, served with unsweetened whipped cream.

Sachertorte is an Austrian cake, ready in about 3 hours 40 minutes and made with dark chocolate (70–85%) and jam. It serves 12 and is rated advanced to cook.

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Prep
40 min
Cook
1 h
Rest
2 h
Total
3 h 40 min
Serves
12
Level
Advanced
Calories
490

Ingredients

12 slices

For the cake

For the filling

For the glaze

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 170 °C and line a 24 cm springform tin. Separate the eggs (opens in a new tab), putting the whites in a clean, grease-free bowl. Beat the butter (opens in a new tab), powdered sugar (opens in a new tab) and vanilla (opens in a new tab) until fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time and the melted chocolate (opens in a new tab).

  2. Step 2

    Whisk the egg (opens in a new tab) whites with the salt to soft peaks, then gradually whisk in the sugar (opens in a new tab) until glossy. Fold the whites and flour alternately into the chocolate (opens in a new tab) mixture.

    • 8 min
    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Spread the batter in the tin and bake at 170 °C for about 50 minutes, until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool upside down on a rack.

  4. Step 4

    Slice the cake in half horizontally, spread with half the warm jam (opens in a new tab) and sandwich. Brush the remaining jam all over the top and sides and let it set.

    • 10 min

  5. Step 5

    For the glaze, boil the sugar (opens in a new tab) and water for 5 minutes, cool slightly, then stir in the chocolate (opens in a new tab). Stir until it reaches about 32 °C and coats a spoon thinly.

  6. Step 6

    Pour the glaze over the cake in one go, spreading it with a few strokes of a palette knife. Leave to set at cool room temperature.

    • Step 7

      To serve, whip the cream without sugar (opens in a new tab) to soft peaks and add a spoonful beside each slice.

      • 3 min
      Cream being whipped to soft peaks
      How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Vienna, Austria · Well documentedAlso popular in GermanyMore food from Austria
    Dish
    Dessert · Snack · Cakes · Desserts
    Cooking method
    Oven-baked
    Taste
    sweet, rich, fruity
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    Dark chocolate (70–85%) · Jam · Butter · Icing sugar · Vanilla extract · Egg
    Techniques
    Baking

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom dark chocolate (70–85%), butter, heavy cream
    • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
    • May contain: Peanutsfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)
    • May contain: Tree nutsfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)
    • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
    • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
    • May contain: Soyfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    490 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 134 g · recipe makes 12

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 5%
    • Carbohydrate 52%
    • Fat 43%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy490 kcal366 kcal
    Protein6.5 g4.9 g
    Carbohydrate64.4 g48 g
    Net carbohydrate61.1 g45.6 g
    Sugars45.8 g34.1 g
    Added sugars——
    Fibre3.2 g2.4 g
    Fat23.3 g17.4 g
    Saturated fat13.3 g9.9 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol121 mg90 mg
    Sodium140 mg104 mg
    Salt equivalent0.3 g0.3 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    244 mg
    Calcium
    42 mg
    Iron
    4.1 mg
    Magnesium
    64 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    126 µg
    Vitamin C
    —
    Vitamin D
    —
    Vitamin B12
    0.3 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    —

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: heavy cream.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Pour the glaze in a single motion – working it too much leaves streaks.

    Common mistakes

    • Glaze that is too hot runs off thin and dull; too cool, it sets in ridges. Aim for about 32 °C.

    Serve with

    • Serve each slice with a generous spoon of unsweetened whipped cream and a Wiener Melange coffee.

    Storage

    • Keeps 5 days at cool room temperature under a cake dome; do not refrigerate or the glaze dulls.

    History

    The cake is credited to Franz Sacher, who is said to have created it in Vienna in 1832; the Hotel Sacher and Demel bakery later fought a long legal battle over the name 'Original Sacher-Torte'.

    Confidence: Commonly attributed

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    The body of the dish

    For the glaze

    Used in steps 1, 2, 5

    Baker’s notes

    Customise in Bread & Bakery

    Timeline and readiness cues

    1. Mix and knead · about 40 min

      Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail for 3 seconds.

    2. Bake · about 50 min at 170 °C

      Springs back when lightly pressed and is just shrinking from the tin sides.

    3. Cool · about 2 h

      Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

    4. Start to finish: about 3 h 30 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

    If something goes wrong

    • Gummy or wet crumb

      Likely causes

      • Under-baked
      • Sliced while hot
      • Hydration too high for the flour

      What to do

      • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
      • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
      • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
    • Collapsed or sunken middle

      Likely causes

      • Oven door opened too early
      • Too much leavening or sugar
      • Under-baked centre
      • Over-proofed yeast dough

      What to do

      • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
      • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
      • Test the centre before removing
      • Proof less
    • Pale crust

      Likely causes

      • Oven too cool
      • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
      • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

      What to do

      • Check the oven with a thermometer
      • Brush with egg wash or milk
      • Shorten the fermentation
    • Burnt bottom

      Likely causes

      • Tray too close to the heat
      • Dark tray absorbs more heat
      • Too much sugar in the dough

      What to do

      • Bake on the middle shelf
      • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
      • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
    • Cracked or domed top

      Likely causes

      • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
      • Too much leavening
      • Overmixed batter

      What to do

      • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
      • Use the exact leavening amount
      • Fold just until combined
    • Big holes or tunnels

      Likely causes

      • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
      • Air trapped while shaping bread
      • Uneven proof

      What to do

      • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
      • Degas gently and shape tightly
      • Proof covered in an even, warm place
    • Dry or crumbly

      Likely causes

      • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
      • Over-baked
      • Too little fat or sugar

      What to do

      • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
      • Check 5 minutes early
      • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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