The history of the Sacher cake and the accident that made it the most famous in the world

X-rays, viagra, the microwave oven or velcro are some of the many great inventions in history that were created by chance. Or, rather, in an accidental way.

It was the year 1832 when the court of Prince Metternich wanted to surprise some very demanding guests with a delicious dessert. At the time, the head chef was ill and the apprentice had to take matters into his own hands. This young man, named Franz Sacher, let his imagination run wild and created a wonderful chocolate cake that had nothing to envy to the highest confectionery. In that way, that night would mark the birth of the original Sacher-Torte, one of the best-kept recipes that has survived through the centuries.

Entrance of the Hotel Sacher, in Vienna.

A secret kept through generations

Since 1832, this famous recipe has been passed down from generation to generation and kept in a safe. For the elaboration of the cake, something more is needed than a perfect combination of ingredients, an adequate temperature and careful humidity. The cake is made through 34 meticulous steps until it is packed in the wooden box. As for the ingredients, it uses only fresh free-range eggs and various types of high-quality chocolates that are produced exclusively for the hotel brand. However, another of its secrets is that, after 185 years, the original Sacher-Torte is still made by hand, step by step.

Sachertorte. Dreamstime.

A masterpiece with a touch of solidarity

The Sacher Hotel factory ships around 360,000 cakes a year around the world. Since 2009, the Austrian artists Hermann Nitsch, Xenia Hausner, Arnulf Rainer, Heimo Zobernig and Gottfried Helnwein have been involved in a charitable cause by making the wooden box that surrounds the cake authentic works of art, which are on display in the Artists Collection Sacher. Net proceeds from sales of this limited edition are donated to charitable causes.

milestones and curiosities

– The largest original Sacher-Torte was made for the Vienna Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and was 3.5 meters in diameter.

– Between 5,000 and 8,000 eggs are separated by hand daily for the production of the cake. During the holiday season, that number increases to 21,000 eggs.

-Original The Original Sacher-Torte received the Tourism Award of the Vienna Chamber of Economics in 2005.

-Only the family, the head pastry chef and the hotel manager and director of the original Sacher-Torte factory, Reiner Heilmann, know the original recipe.