For years I could never pass a chocolate cake in a bakery window without stopping to gaze at it – and often buy it, especially if it had the magic word Sacher written in chocolate script on top. So it was quite obvious that I would eventually end up in Vienna. I dragged my husband off for a weekend of Sacher-tasting, earnestly assuring him that we would do all the cultural things too, like Schonbrunn Palace, the Opera, the Prater, Jugendstil house fronts and more. Needless to say, once I got started on my round of bakeries, most of the rest of the tourist itinerary was abandoned.
My expectations soared with each step. I was expecting the ultimate Sacher to conform to my personal idea of a wonderful chocolate cake: rich, satisfying and chocolaty without being over sweet. The great Sachertorte dispute is common knowledge. Both the Hotel Sacher and Konditorei Dehmel claim its creation and took each other to court to try and gain exclusive legal rights to the name. Their cakes are certainly not identical, and although I enjoyed both, neither was what I had expected – or hoped – it would be. The composition was similar: two layers of chocolate cake sandwiched with apricot jam (jelly) and covered with chocolate glaze. The Hotel Sacher’s may have been guaranteed authentic by a chocolate seal but it was lighter in texture than Dehmel’s (so for me at least, less satisfyingly chocolatey), and Dehmel was so generous with the sweet chocolate glaze that I couldn’t finish it. And while Dehmel’s gilt and baroque-type interior was packed with neatly hatted and suited Viennese matrons and their appendages, the sparer Hotel Sacher swarmed with camera-toting tourists, snapping away happily at their Sachertorte in various stages of demolition. Almost every other bakery I visited had its own Sacher-type cake too and many proudly advertised worldwide shipping. Plainly put, Sacher is big business in Vienna.
I often use two sandwich tins for this cake, instead of one springform tin, which is the classic way. The advantage is that the cakes bake more quickly (in approximately 30 minutes) and are, to my mind, moister and more tender. The slight disadvantage is that, unless your tins have absolutely straight sides, you get a cake that is not quite as neat as the one baked in a single tin. The choice is yours. If you decide to use the sandwich tins, be sure to check that both will fit in your oven at the same time.
This is a straightforward cake to make if you use the alternative chocolate glaze. The ‘original’ boiled icing takes more time. Both glaze and icing need time to set.
200 g/7 oz/7 squares dark chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp rum
150 g/5½ oz/1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
6 eggs, separated
200 g/7 oz/1 cup granulated sugar
150 g/5½ oz/generous 1¼ sticks butter, softened
100 g/3½ oz/scant ⅓ cup sieved (strained) apricot jam (jelly), warmed slightly
250 g/9 oz/1¼ cups (superfine) caster sugar
100 g/3½ oz/3½ squares dark chocolate, finely chopped
25 g/1 oz/¼ cup cocoa
8 tbsp water
250 g/9 oz/9 squares dark chocolate, chopped
125 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup cream, single (light) or double (heavy)
24-cm/9-in springform tin
Put the chocolate for the cake in the top part of a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, choose a heatproof bowl that fits snugly on top of a saucepan. Put enough water in the bottom of the double boiler/saucepan so that the pan or bowl holding the chocolate will be just clear of the water. Bring the water to the boil, then turn the heat low and put the pan/bowl with the chocolate on top of this. Leave to melt, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside. Use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites until foaming. Add 75 g/2¾ oz/generous ⅓ cup sugar in a steady stream while still whisking and continue to whisk until stiff peaks hold their shape. Transfer this mixture to another bowl. Rinse and dry the bowl and whisk so that they can be used again.
Cream the butter and the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and whisk until well incorporated. Mix in the melted chocolate.
Use a handheld whisk to fold a third of the egg whites into this mixture. Fold in the flour mixture gradually and gently, followed by the rest of the egg whites. Stop working the batter as soon as the white streaks disappear.
Preheat the oven to 160˚C/325˚F/Gas Mark 3.
Grease the springform tin, then line the base with baking parchment and dust with flour. Transfer the mixture to the tin and level the top, then bake for about 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Loosen the sides with a flexible spatula and release the clip. Invert onto a wire rack, then remove the baking paper and leave to cool.
For the boiled icing, put all the ingredients into a heavy-based saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring gently. Boil over moderate heat until a sugar thermometer registers 110°C/230°F. Pour immediately into a large heatproof bowl and beat vigorously until thick and glossy. It is now ready to be used.
For the alternative chocolate glaze, put the chocolate and cream in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Stir gently to melt the chocolate. If you stir too vigorously, air bubbles will appear in the glaze. As soon as the mixture is homogenous, remove it from the heat and set aside to cool slightly and thicken. A spoonful dipped up and allowed to fall should do so in large blobs rather than a thin stream.
Cut the cooled cake in half horizontally. Keep it inverted so that the bottom will still be on top. This makes it easier to glaze and gives a neater finish. Sandwich the two halves with the apricot jam. Brush the surface of the cake free of crumbs. Pour the glaze onto the centre of the cake and use swift, sweeping strokes to smooth it over the surface and sides. A garnish is optional. Leave to set in a cool place away from strong smells.
To cut the cake, hold a knife under very hot water for a few seconds, then dry it quickly and use it to cut wedges. Hold the knife under hot water and dry it after each cut. That way, the warm knife melts the chocolate and easily slips through the glaze, leaving no ragged edges.
One day, when I was about 12, my friend Ingrid and I thought up a brilliant new hobby: we would adopt a far-off country and learn all about its language, culture and so on. Ingrid immediately opted for Italy and I chose Austria, which I had recently visited with my parents on one of those whirlwind continental tours popular at the time. The picturesque snow-capped peaks (my first sight of snow) and the chalets dripping with vibrantly coloured geraniums had made a deep impression, far more so than the rival attractions of neighbouring countries. Our first step was to go to Georgetown and trawl the stores to see what props we could find. Our luck was in; we discovered that the book section at Bookers department store had several phrase books, including Italian and German ones.
We set to work gleaning what nuggets we could from them and soon started regaling each other with choice morsels of factual knowledge and random sentences pronounced in our own inimitable way. The first German sentence I ever learned was very useful: Muss ich mich bei dem Polizei melden? (Do I have to report to the police?). The craze lasted until my next birthday, culminating in a birthday cake like no other seen before – or since.
When our cook asked what kind of birthday cake I wanted, I had an instant brainwave. I would have the Austrian flag. A large slab of chocolate cake was baked and iced with one white and two red horizontal bands, every bit as vivid as those remembered geraniums. Further inspiration struck and I ran to get the pair of Tyrolean dolls from my bedroom shelf where they resided with Indian (North American and oriental), Thai, British and Spanish neighbours, alongside Marie Antoinette and a Beefeater guard thrown in for good measure. These happily smiling flaxen-haired dolls were given sturdy tinfoil galoshes to complement their dirndl and lederhosen and were firmly implanted into the centre of the cake to beam at all comers. I don’t suppose I need tell you that my guests were in turn perplexed, amazed and taken aback before they managed to compose their expressions and string together a few words of politely insincere admiration.
This is the cake I came up with after my Sacher-eating experiences in Vienna. It stands or falls with the quality of the chocolate, and every chocolate has its own unique flavour characteristics. I generally use Belgian Callebaut, a standard ingredient in my kitchen. We like it best with the chocolate slightly softened, so I usually pop the portions into the microwave oven for a few (very few!) seconds.
These slices are quick and simple to make, and can be assembled and served as soon as the cake is cool enough to handle.
250 g/9 oz/9 squares dark chocolate, chopped
190 g/6¾ oz/1⅝ sticks butter, cut into cubes
3 tbsp rum or brandy
190 g/6¾ oz/scant 1 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs
125 g/4½ oz/scant 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour (see note overleaf)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
about 140 g/5 oz/generous ⅓ cup sieved apricot jam (jelly), warmed
lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Swiss roll (jelly roll) tin, 38 x 25 x 2.5 cm/15 x 10 x 1 in
Put the chocolate and butter in the top part of a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, choose a heatproof bowl that fits snugly on top of a saucepan. Put enough water in the bottom of the double boiler/saucepan so that the pan or bowl holding the chocolate will be just clear of the water. Bring the water to the boil, then turn the heat low and put the pan/bowl with the chocolate and butter on top of this. Leave to melt, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Set aside.
Grease the Swiss roll tin, then line with baking parchment.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160˚C/325˚F/Gas Mark 3.
Use an electric mixer to whisk the sugar and eggs together until the mixture is pale yellow and so thick that it falls off the whisk in a thick ribbon rather than a stream.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Fold the chocolate mixture into the eggs, then fold in the flour carefully. Don’t overwork the mixture. Stop as soon as there are no more pale streaks left. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and level the top with a spatula. Hold the tin about 15 cm/6 in above the work surface (counter) and then let it drop so that it falls with a gentle thud – right side up, of course! If you are reluctant to do this, don’t bother with this step, but your cake will have a slightly spongier, more open texture. The slight impact allows some of the larger air bubbles to burst.
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. A skewer stuck into the centre should come out fairly clean or with a few crumbs, but the cake should be just cooked and not allowed to dry out.
Leave to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then loosen the edges with a small spatula. Turn out very carefully onto a cooling rack. Be gentle – it’s fragile. The best way is to invert a rack over the cake and then quickly re-invert the cake and the rack together so that the cake is now on the rack. Remove the baking paper and leave to cool.
When cool, cut into 3 equal rectangles. Put one layer on a serving plate or board and spread with half of the apricot jam. Sandwich the rest of the cake in the same way. You might like to slip a large piece of cardboard or a thin sheet of metal like a loose pan base under each rectangle as you move each layer; they break easily.
Serve fresh, at room temperature with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream on the side. You can keep it for a day or two, well wrapped, in the refrigerator, but bring to room temperature before serving.
NOTE
This cake is easily adapted to suit a gluten-free diet. Simply substitute very finely ground nuts such as almonds or hazelnuts for the flour and use a gluten-free baking powder. It will be denser than the flour version – but delicious!
Although it uses a different method, this cake is like an extra-special brownie. This is simple and fairly quick if the flavouring ingredients are chopped in advance.
150 g/5½ oz/1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
125 g/4½ oz/1⅛ sticks butter, softened
125 g/4½ oz/generous ½ cup caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten with
1 tsp vanilla extract
35 g/1¼ oz/generous ¼ cup cocoa, dissolved in 100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup boiling water
50 g/1¾ oz/⅓ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
50 g/1¾ oz/½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
50 g/1¾ oz/1¾ squares dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces*
125 g/4½ oz/4½ squares dark chocolate, chopped
50 ml/1¾ fl oz/scant ¼ cup milk
Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease the tin, and line with baking parchment.
Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the beaten egg in two batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour in two batches, then add the cocoa paste and mix gently to blend. Add the cranberries, walnuts and chocolate and stop mixing as soon as they are incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and level the top. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until just done. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean; if it still comes out with some mixture after 25 minutes, be sure to check that this really is batter and not just melted chocolate. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the glaze, put the chocolate and milk in a heavy-based saucepan over very low heat. Stir gently until the chocolate has melted completely. Remove from the heat and set aside for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly.
Pour the glaze over the centre of the cooled cake and use a spatula to spread it over the surface of the cake. Work with swift strokes for a smoother surface (it will start to set as you work) and don’t try to get rid of every blemish – it is a homemade cake, after all! When the glaze has set completely, hold a knife under very hot water for a few seconds, dry it quickly and use it to cut the cake into portions. Hold the knife under hot water and dry it after each cut. That way, the warm knife melts the chocolate and easily slips through the glaze, leaving no ragged edges.
* I use Belgian Callebaut couverture chocolate that comes as small chocolate chips. If you can get good-quality chocolate chips, use them. If not, cut up a bar of good-quality dark chocolate.
Rigó Jancsi, or Johnny Thrush in English, was a Hungarian gypsy who created a major scandal at the end of the nineteenth century. As a violinist in a Parisian restaurant, he caught and held the eye of Clara Ward, a wealthy American beauty married to a Belgian prince. She subsequently deserted her husband and children to roam Europe with her handsome gypsy. Straitened circumstances and public ridicule appear to have taken their toll, and the liaison ended a few years later, Clara going on to marry twice more. This rich chocolate marvel, said to have been created by a tender-hearted pastry chef at the height of their romance, survived the breakdown and continues to be popular in Hungary. My recipe uses a filling of chocolate and cream, but some Hungarians prefer to use a gelatine-based cocoa mousse.
Two thick pieces of cake are needed to enclose the chocolate filling, hence the tin specified. If you do not have a suitable tin, bake it on a small sheet with sides or a Swiss roll (jelly roll) tin, adjusting the baking time. You will need correspondingly more filling and glaze to cover the larger surface area created.
This is not a simple cake. The ganache filling is best chilled overnight. And you need to allow time for the filling to set before applying the glaze; the glaze will also need to set.
175 g/6 oz/6 squares dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
250 ml/9 fl oz/1 cup whipping cream
25 g/1 oz/¼ cup cocoa
100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup boiling water
150 g/5½ oz/1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
175 g/6 oz/scant 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
3 eggs
75 g/2¾ oz/generous ½ stick butter, melted
200 g/7 oz/7 squares dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
150 ml/5 fl oz/⅔ cup cream
32 x 22-cm/12½ x 8½-in cake tin
Start preparing the filling first. The ganache whips better if chilled for a few hours and may even be chilled overnight. Put the chocolate and cream in a heavy-based saucepan and place over low heat. Stir gently until all of the chocolate is completely melted. The mixture will look like chocolate milk. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, then chill, for at least 1 hour but preferably more.
For the cake, combine the cocoa and boiling water in a small bowl and stir well to remove any lumps. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in another bowl and set aside.
Grease the tin, then line the base with baking parchment and dust with flour. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4.
Put the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and whisk until thick and pale. Use a balloon whisk to mix in the cocoa, then gently fold in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the melted butter. Stop mixing as soon as the pockets of flour have disappeared and all the butter has been incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, then level the top and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Invert onto a wire rack and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Leave to cool completely, then cut into two equal pieces. If necessary, trim the tops to make them flat.
When you are ready to assemble the cake, make the glaze. Put the chocolate and cream in a heavy-based saucepan and stir gently to melt the chocolate. If you stir too vigorously, you will introduce air into the mixture, and this will result in bubbles in the glaze. Set aside.
Whisk the ganache filling. Transfer the filling mixture to a bowl and whisk until soft peaks hold their shape when you lift the whisk. If you whisk it too much beyond this point, it will become grainy and lose its sheen; it may even separate. Use this filling to sandwich the two pieces of cake and chill briefly so that the filling sets a little before glazing.
The glaze is ready to use when a spoonful dipped up and allowed to fall does so in large blobs rather than a thin stream. Pour the glaze onto the centre of the cake and use swift, sweeping strokes to smooth it over the surface. Leave to set in a cool place away from strong smells.
When the glaze has set completely, hold a knife under very hot water for a few seconds, then dry it quickly and use it to trim the edges neatly and to cut the cake into small squares. Hold the knife under hot water and dry it after each cut. That way, the warm knife melts the chocolate and easily slips through the glaze, leaving no ragged edges.
Pictured on p. 153.
Almonds, chocolate and a hint of cinnamon form a popular flavour combination in Central Europe, and this cake is as much at home on the tea table as on a dessert tray. Use a dark chocolate that has at least 50% cocoa solids to give a nice contrast with the sweeter background flavours. Serve with an optional dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream garnished with a pinch of ground cinnamon.
This recipe is very straightforward and quick, especially if the chocolate is grated in advance.
200 g/7 oz/1⅓ cups blanched almonds, finely ground
100 g/3½ oz/⅔ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
¼ tsp salt
¼–½ tsp ground cinnamon
150 g/5½ oz/5½ squares extra bitter or dark chocolate, coarsely grated
3 eggs
225 g/8 oz/generous 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
125 g/4½ oz/1⅛ sticks butter, melted and cooled slightly
lightly sweetened whipped cream
extra ground cinnamon
24-cm/9-in springform tin
Grease the tin, then line the base with baking parchment and dust with flour. Preheat the oven to 160˚C/325˚F/Gas Mark 3.
Mix the ground almonds, flour, salt and cinnamon together and set aside.
The residue from powdered chocolate will give the cake a slightly muddy appearance, so sift any powder out from the grated pieces, making sure that you still have the correct weight left. Add to the flour and nut mixture.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together until thick and pale and the mixture falls off the whisk in a thick ribbon rather than a thin stream. Gently fold the flour mixture into the eggs. I find a balloon whisk better than a spatula – but don’t whisk, just make light figures of eight with the whisk.
Add the melted butter and fold in with the whisk until there are no more streaks of butter evident in the batter. Don’t overwork the mixture.
Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a scraper or spatula. Bake in a preheated oven for 45–55 minutes, or until light golden brown. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean except for the odd smudge of melted chocolate.
Leave in the tin for about 5 minutes, then release the clip and transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
Well wrapped, the cake will keep for a few days at cool room temperature.
Strictly speaking, I should call these ‘Lamington-inspired slices’, as I have taken a few liberties. This unwaveringly popular Australian favourite is made at home and by professional bakers, but the homemade version is much better than any commercial product. After numerous samplings in Queensland, I concluded that the latter can be uniform and unexciting in taste, albeit generous in size. The home baker, unhampered by troublesome things like profit margins, is fortunate to be able to create a far superior article. For the original, cubes of sponge cake are cloaked in chocolate and desiccated coconut, creating an irresistible treat. A simple icing is generally made from powdered sugar, cocoa and milk, and a layer of jam or butter cream is sometimes added. I prefer to use real chocolate and take the easy and lazy way out by glazing the entire cake before cutting it into slices, instead of fiddling around with coating each cube separately. However, instructions follow for those of you who prefer to do it the right way.
The origin of the name poses a bit of a puzzle. The most plausible explanation is that the cakes were named after Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland from 1895 to 1901. The oldest known recipe was printed in The Queenslander newspaper in January 1902 and appeared for the first time in a cookery book a few years later, in the same region.
This is fairly quick if you make the slices, though cubes take longer. Allow enough time for the glaze to set before serving.
125 g/4½ oz/scant 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
25 g/1 oz/scant ¼ cup cornflour (cornstarch)
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4 eggs
150 g/5½ oz/¾ cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
50 g/1¾ oz butter, melted and cooled slightly
200 g/7 oz/7 squares dark chocolate, chopped
100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup milk
about 2–3 tbsp seedless raspberry preserve or jam (jelly)
50 g/1¾ oz/generous ½ cup fine desiccated (dry, unsweetened) coconut
20-cm/8-in square tin
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4. Grease the tin and dust with flour.
Sift the flour with the cornflour, baking powder and salt, and set aside. Use an electric mixer to whisk the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla extract until thick and pale. It should fall off the whisk in a ribbon rather than a thin stream. Gently fold in the flour mixture in two batches using a balloon whisk. Add the melted butter with the second batch of flour and mix just until there are no more streaks of flour or butter apparent in the batter.
Transfer the mixture to the baking tin and level the top. Bake for 20–25 minutes. When you press the top with a fingertip, the indentation you create should slowly regain its original shape. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
For the glaze, put the chocolate and milk in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Stir gently to melt the chocolate. As soon as the mixture is homogenous, remove it from the heat and set aside to cool slightly and thicken. A spoonful dipped up and allowed to fall should do so in large blobs rather than a thin stream.
Cut the cooled cake in half and sandwich it with the raspberry preserve. Trim the sides if necessary. Brush the surface of the cake free of crumbs. Pour the glaze onto the middle of the cake and use swift, sweeping strokes to smooth it over the surface and the two long sides. Leave the glaze to set for about 15 minutes.
Scatter the desiccated coconut over the top and gently press some against the sides of the cake. Leave to set completely in a cool place away from strong smells.
To make ‘real’ Lamingtons, omit the raspberry filling and cut the sponge into 16 cubes. You will need 2½–3 times the amount of chocolate glaze and coconut to coat 5 sides of each cube.
Use the glaze while it is still fairly liquid. Hold each cube on a fork over the bowl or pan of glaze and use a spoon or small jug to pour the glaze over the cake. That way, you can catch and re-use all spills.
When the glaze has almost set, put the coconut on a plate. Prick the unglazed bottom on a fork and lightly press each glazed side in the coconut.
