White chocolate Sacher torte - recipe

Subscribe to yellowsaffron for more great recipes ➤
The white chocolate Sacher Torte is an amazing almond sponge cake filled with cranberry jam, covered with a smooth white chocolate icing… if you love Sacher Torte, taste both and choose a winner! Find this and many more recipes with pictures on the Giallozafferano App (in English)
***
First prepare the sponge cake by following the warm foaming method: take a mixing bowl with the rounded bottom, called bastardella – if you don’t have it, don’t worry, you can use a metal mixing bowl – add 7 eggs, the sugar, a pinch of salt and the honey. Stir with a whisk to break up the eggs, then place on the stovetop because we’ll use a water bath to bring the mixture to 113°F (45°C). Set the mixing bowl over a larger pot, filled with 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not in contact with the water; then insert a candy thermometer and bring the mixture to 113°F (45°C), stirring constantly. When it reaches the right temperature, transfer the mixture to a stand mixer with whisk attachment, add a teaspoon of bitter almond extract, that brings out the flavour of the almonds and beat at medium speed for about 15-20 minutes. Now sift in the cake flour and the almond meal. Always use a coarse sieve for straining the almond meal, or you won’t be able to strain it. Stir gently to avoid deflation and make sure there are no lumps. Now add the butter, that must be melted and cooled to 104°F (40°C) before adding to the mixture. Pour the batter into a cake pan with removable bottom, buttered and lined with parchment paper, about 9-9 ½ inches (23-24 cm) in diameter. Bake in a preheated static oven at 340°F (170°C) for about 35 minutes, then remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
As for the icing, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan with the glucose; if glucose is not available, you can replace with honey, but honey has a more distinct flavour, of course. When the cream is almost to a boil, add the roughly chopped white chocolate; meanwhile soak the gelatin leaves in cold water until softened. The cream is hot, so add the chocolate and stir to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, squeeze the gelatin and add to the mixture. Once the gelatin is melted, turn off the heat and blend with an immersion blender. After that, strain through a fine sieve and let it cool. This step will give you a smoother texture and remove any lumps. Cover with cling film so that it touches the mixture and place in the fridge until it’s a coating consistency.
Once the sponge cake is cooled, cut horizontally into 3 layers: first score a line all the way around with a small knife, then use a long knife to cut through the centre. Now spread the cranberry jam between the layers and on the outside; as an alternative, use a slightly sour jam, such as raspberry, as white chocolate is already sweet enough. My jam is quite runny, but if your jam is thicker, heat it and thin it out with a tablespoon of water, then strain to remove any seeds or skins. Leave the cake on the wire rack because we will pour the white chocolate icing over the top, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Now the second layer. Make sure the layers are aligned, then brush the outside of the cake. After that, don’t exaggerate, place the cake in the fridge for half an hour, until the jam is set.
It’s time for double icing: yes, because the cake will be refrigerated after the first icing, then iced again to ensure a thick, even coating. Start from the centre. Let the icing run down the sides of the cake; use a spatula to spread it around the top, then cover the sides with more icing until completely coated. Set a plate under the wire rack to catch the drippings, to use again. Remove the icing and place the cake in the fridge; after the second icing, pour the remaining chocolate into a parchment cone and keep in the fridge, because we’ll use it for writing “Sacher” on top.
Decorate the sides of the cake with chopped white chocolate, or sprinkles if you prefer, and now pipe the writing “sacher” on top, using the reserved, cooled icing. Here it is! Meanwhile let’s see together the ingredients needed for this recipe.
Ingredients
for a 9-inch (23 cm) round sponge cake
- 7 medium eggs
- just over ¾ cup (160 g) of white sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- ¾ tbsp (15 g) of honey
- 1 tsp of almond extract
- 1 ⅓ cups (160 g) of cake flour
- just under 1 cup (100 g) of almond meal
- ⅓ stick (40 g) of butter
For filling
- 1 ½ cups (500 g) of cranberry jam
For icing
- 1,3 lbs (600 g) of white chocolate
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) of heavy cream
- 2 tbsp (40 g) of glucose
- ⅟₇ oz (4 g) of leaf gelatin