Franz Sacher is a classic pastry chef from Austria famous for his invention of chocolate cake called Sachertorte.
Born in 1816 in Vienna at a Jewish household, Sacher began his cooking career as an apprentice chef at the Prince Klemens von Metternich’s court at the young age of 16. It so happened one day that some high profile guests were expected at the Austrian palace and the minister of foreign affairs wanted to get an exclusive dessert made and presented to honor them. The head chef of the palace had fallen ill and the task of making and presenting the dessert fell on Sacher’s shoulder while serving the second year of apprenticeship in the kitchen of the palace. He quickly contrived a chocolate cake that was fluffy containing a coating of apricot jam bearing his name that he piped in a gusto with white frosting- the recipe of which he maintained a secret since long. Upon the completion of apprenticeship, Sacher was included into the Count of Esterhazy as a traveler, making extensive travels beginning from Bratislava to Budapest. Thereafter, he established his own set up that made and sold the delectable cake. Franz Sacher died in Baden bei Wien in the year 1907.
His son Eduard began the lavish Hotel Sacher in Vienna in 1876 opened, close to the Opera.
Chocolate cake popularly known as Sachertorte is the greatest food invention of Chef Sacher. The original recipe is maintained as a secret even today and the use of the name Sacher on the cake is protected by law. It is permitted only in two places to be inscribed on the cake- at the Cafe Sacher situated in Hotel Sacher and in Demel's Coffee house, where a somewhat varied adaptation of the recipe bought from Franz Sacher is served.
In the traditional version of the recipe, Franz Sacher included a blob of the conspicuous whipped cream fondly called by Austrians as "schlagober" at the side of the cake –the right way the cake is served even now.
Presently the cake is prepared with adapted variations by numerous chefs/people across the world.
Although the recipe is quite a secret, the commonly used ingredients to make it include- egg yolks, egg whites, butter, vanilla, semi sweet chocolate, sugar-granulated and powdered, flour, apricot jam, water, heavy whipped cream and baking powder.