Invented in 1832, the subject of a seven-year legal battle over who makes the authentic version — Vienna's most famous cake is dense, not-too-sweet and served with a mountain of unsweetened cream.
About Sachertorte
The most famous cake in the world — a dense, not-too-sweet chocolate sponge split with a thin layer of apricot jam and encased in a mirror-smooth dark chocolate glaze; invented at the Hotel Sacher in 1832; served with unsweetened whipped cream; the original recipe remains a guarded secret.
The Sachertorte was invented in 1832 by 16-year-old Franz Sacher for Prince Metternich, Austria's foreign minister. The recipe — dense chocolate sponge, split with apricot jam and encased in a dark mirror glaze — was a state secret for decades, eventually becoming the subject of one of Austria's most famous legal disputes. The Hotel Sacher and Café Demel fought a seven-year court battle over who owned the right to call their version 'The Original Sachertorte.' Hotel Sacher won.
“The Sachertorte was invented in 1832 by 16-year-old Franz Sacher for Prince Metternich, Austria's foreign minister.”
The Sachertorte is deliberately not sweet. The chocolate sponge is dense and slightly dry (by design), the apricot jam layer is tart and thin, and the glaze is bittersweet dark chocolate. A large portion of lightly whipped, unsweetened cream (Schlagobers) arrives alongside. The cream is not optional — it's what makes the cake work. Without it, the dryness is pronounced. With it, the whole thing finds its balance.
