The famous Franz Sacher created this classic torte in Vienna in 1832. Traditionally, the word “Sacher” is piped on top of the chocolate-coated cake.

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

For the cake:

85 g/3 oz all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

110 g/4 oz butter

200 g/7 oz caster sugar

4 eggs, separated

To decorate:

2 tablespoons apricot jam

200 g/7 oz dark chocolate, chopped

175 ml/6 fl oz whipping cream

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4. Grease a 20-cm/8-inch round cake tin, then line the bottom with greaseproof paper. Sift the flour and cocoa together into a large bowl.

In a pan, heat the butter gently until melted, then remove from the heat. Stir in the sugar until well mixed. Beat in the egg yolks. Pour this mixture into the flour-cocoa mixture and stir until just combined.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then fold into the chocolate mixture, one-third at a time. Tip the batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing out the surface. Bake for about 40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To decorate, warm the jam slightly to melt, then brush all over the cake. Put the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and warm, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the mixture, then pour the rest over the top and sides of the cake to coat it in a glossy, smooth finish. Spoon the reserved mixture into a piping bag and pipe “Sacher” on the top.