Sacher Torte

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 100 g dark chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 1 cup water
• 125 g butter, chopped
• 250 g brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted (150g)
• 1/2 cup almond meal (60g)
• 1/3 cup apricot jam (110 g)
• 200 g dark chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 2/3 cup cream (single cream)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to moderately 160°c (325f.).
• 2 grease a deep 23 cm round cake pan. line the base with a good baking paper.
• 3 combine the chocolate and water in a small saucepan. stir over a low heat until the chocolate is melted. cool. (you can use the microwave for this step. be very careful not to overcook the chocolate).
• 4 using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well combined. beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between addition.
• 5 stir in sifted flour, almond meal and cocoa.
• 6 stir in the chocolate mixture.
• 7 pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 70 minutes.
• 8 when cooked allow the cake to stand in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out a wire rack to cool.
• 9 when the cake has cooled, split the cake in half. sandwich together with the apricot jam.
• 10 return the cake to the wire rack and cover the entire cake wiith a thin layer of ganache. work the ganache over the cake quickly before it has time to set.
• 11 to make the ganache: heat the chocolate and cream in a double saucepan or in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. stir until the chocolate has melted. strain the ganache before spreading over the cake.
• 12 decorate: the torte is traditionally decorated by writing, in chocolate, the word "sacher" a top of the cake.