Sachertorte

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan ovens 10 °C lower) for 15 min. Take the butter and eggs out of the fridge in advance. Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a clean, grease-free bowl.

   oven

2. Line the base of a 12 cm round springform tin with baking paper and lightly butter the sides. Chop the chocolate, put it in a bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water and melt on low heat for 4 min, stirring, then let it cool until just warm. Don't let the bowl touch the water or any water get in, or the chocolate will seize.

   Add in this stepDark chocolate (60–70% cocoa) 45 g

   low heat

3. Beat the soft butter with the icing sugar and vanilla for 3 min until pale and fluffy. Beat in the yolks one at a time, then mix in the lukewarm chocolate until even.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter, softened 45 gIcing sugar 30 gVanilla extract ½ tspEggs, room temperature 1

4. Whisk the whites with the salt until foamy, then add the sugar a little at a time and whisk for 3 min more to a glossy meringue whose peaks just curl over. Stir a third of the meringue into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest of the meringue alternately with the sifted flour, lifting from the bottom with a spatula. Stop as soon as no white streaks remain.

   Add in this stepEggs, room temperature 1Salt 1 pinchCaster sugar 30 gPlain flour 45 g

5. Pour the batter into the tin, level it and bake in the oven at 170°C for 30 min. It is done when a skewer in the centre comes out without wet batter and the top springs back when lightly pressed.

   oven

6. Leave it in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, 1 h. Slice it in half horizontally with a bread knife. Warm the apricot jam in a small pan on medium-low heat, stirring until runny, and push it through a sieve. Spread jam on the bottom layer, replace the top and brush the remaining jam thinly over the top and sides; leave for 10 minutes. This jam layer is what lets the chocolate glaze go on smoothly.

   Add in this stepApricot jam 70 g

   medium-low heat

7. Chop the glaze chocolate into a bowl. Heat the cream in a small pan on medium-low heat for 2 min, until it bubbles at the edge, pour it over the chocolate, wait 1 minute, then stir slowly from the centre until glossy. When it has cooled enough to coat a spoon thickly, pour it onto the middle of the cake in one go and use a palette knife for just 2 or 3 strokes so it runs down the sides. Leave to set in a cool place for 1 h.

   Add in this stepDark chocolate for the glaze 70 gCream for the glaze 70 ml

   medium-low heat

8. Whip the serving cream, without sugar, for 2 min until softly spoonable. Cut the cake with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped between slices, and serve with a generous spoonful of cream.

   Add in this stepCream for serving (whipped, unsweetened) 100 ml