21 Apr 2017

The origin of the sacher cakes

We all know the Sacher cake: at any age, it is always a strong reminder, for its impeccable and uniform aesthetics, for its strong but delicate flavor and for its large quantity of chocolate, which is magic for the taste buds of the sweet tooth .
Elegant to bring to the table, loved by all children and peculiar in taste, is one of the few cakes that ensures success among the guests.

But what are its origins and what is the traditional recipe?

Origins and traditions

The original recipe of the Sacher includes the use of 18 egg whites and 14 egg yolks, a light chocolate biscuit as a base, a central filling of apricot jam and a covering of cocoa icing and dark chocolate. Tradition has it that each slice is accompanied by a semimonted sour cream froth, but many Viennese consider it too dry and therefore prefer to accompany it with a good cappuccino.

However, over time the recipe has evolved and differentiated from place to place, so it is not uncommon to meet the tasty variations (which mainly concern the central filling, which is often of cherries).

For the origin of the Sacher there is a very precise date to refer to, which falls during the period of the Restoration: July 9, 1832.

That day, in Vienna, Austria, a young Franz Sacher (just 16 years old) found himself, despite being heir to a wealthy family of hoteliers, to be not only the court baker of the Chancellor of State, Klemens von Metternich, but even his confectioner, as the one in the role was ill.

The chancellor was keen to make a good impression with a special guest, for which he commissioned the boy a dessert worthy to bring to the table.

At that moment, what was just a big chocolate-loving kid, he managed, sharpening his wit, to create a cake that would then become famous all over the world and whose taste would come to us.

The enthusiasm at the table was such that, it seems, Metternich even cheered!