Sacher Torte

Cake Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan, and set aside.
2. Place 6 oz dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until the chocolate is melted, stirring between each set of 30 seconds. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream ⅔ cup butter and ½ cup of sugar together for about 3 minutes until it is pale, fluffy, and creamy.
4. Add the 7 egg yolks one at a time, blending after each addition. Add 2 tsp vanilla.
5. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the melted chocolate, 1 cup flour, and ¼ tsp salt. Set aside.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the 7 egg whites for about a minute. Add the remaining ½ cup of sugar and then mix on high speed until stiff peaks form (about 5-8 more minutes).
7. Carefully fold the 7 egg whites into the batter in 3 parts. Mix until there are no streaks of egg whites. Do not overmix as you don’t want to deflate the egg whites.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least an hour.

Filling Instructions

1. To make the apricot glaze, add the 18 oz apricot preserves and 2 oz rum into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute or until the preserves are warm and runny. Use a spoon to mix the apricot preserves until the rum is evenly distributed.
2. Once the cake has cooled, use a long, serrated knife to trim the top off of the cake to level it. Cut the cake horizontally into 2 equal layers.
3. Play the bottom layer of the cake on a cooling rack with a baking pan or cutting board underneath (something to catch the overflow of ganache).
4. Brush the top of the cake layer generously with apricot glaze. Feel free to put a little extra as this will be the center of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top.
5. Run the remaining apricot glaze through a sieve to remove any chunks. You want the glaze to be very thin.
6. Brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining glaze (you may not use it all, and that is okay). Let it cool for about 10 minutes in the open air.

Chocolate Ganache

1. In a microwave safe bowl, add ½ cup unsalted butter and microwave until melted (you can also use a double boiler method).
2. Once the butter is melted, add the 8 oz chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted into the hot butter. Add the 1 tbsp corn syrup and 1 tsp vanilla and mix again until fully combined.
3. Pour all of the warm chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, using an offset spatula to gently smooth the ganache over the cake and pushing the extra chocolate to run over the sides.
4. Allow the cake to cool at room temperature until the ganache is completely set (at least 1 hour).