"O prazer de nos elogiarmos a nós próprios..."*

Fernando Pessoa, O Livro do Desassossego


... Today I celebrate!!


*["free" translation: "The self-appraisal's pleasure..."]

Sachertorte

Serves 10-12:

200 g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
125 g butter
8 egg yolks
10 egg whites
16 g vanilla sugar
120 g caster sugar
125 g wheat flour
200 g apricot jam
100 g apricots, diced

Prepare the cake the day before:

Pre-heat the oven to 180º C.
Grease a pan (28 cms diameter).
Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler.
In a pan melt the butter in low heat.
Add the butter to the chocolate stirring gently.
Add the egg yolks stirring constantly.
Whip the egg whites and the sugars until the mixture form firm peaks (meringue).
Seive the flour.
Add 1/3 of the meringue to the chocolate mixture.
Gradually and gently fold the flour.
Add the remaining meringue.
Pour the mixture into the pan.
Bake for 40 minutes
Let cake cool a few minutes then carefully remove onto a cake plate and set aside for one day.

Chocolate glaze

Chocolate sauce:

50 g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
100 ml water
30 g caster sugar
50 ml heavy cream

Chocolate icing:

100 g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
160 ml cream
40 g de butter, softened

Start with the chocolate sauce:

In a pan bring to boil in low heat the chocolate, sugar and cream.
Stir constantly until it gets creamy
Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the chocolate icing:

Bring the cream to boil.
Pour the cream over the chocolate, stirring gently in an outward movement.
Let it cool down for a couple of minutes and add the softened butter, stirring as less as possible.

Fold the chocolate sauce into the icing.

Carefully cut the cake twice making three layers.
Whisk the jam and bring to boil.
Spread the jam between layers and add the apricot.
While the glaze is still slightly warm glaze the cake by gently pouring and spreading on the top and sides.
Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Keep the cake for 2 hours at room temperature before serving.

Serve with semi whipped cream, chocolate glaze, apricot jam and chocolate.

Note: I had an hard time trying to figure out the english terms for "chocolate sauce" and "chocolate icing" (frosting?)... If this doesn't sounds correct please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail. Thank you!

Labels: apricot, chocolate, glaze, recipes, sachertorte