Sachertorte. An original cake at a famous hotel. My impressions and photos.

The Sachertorte cake is known to many. It has become one of the symbols of Austria, and that’s no small feat when the mere mention of an entire country brings to mind a small piece of chocolate cake.

After visiting Vienna, I couldn’t deny myself the pleasure of going to a famous café and trying the original Sachertorte. Read on to find out how it went, my impressions, and a little bit about the history of the cake itself!

The history of this dish began way back in 1832, when Prince Wenzel von Matternich asked his personal chef to create a special dessert for several important guests he was expecting. But the chef fell ill and passed the task on to his 16-year-old apprentice, Franz Sacher. The guests enjoyed the cake.

You probably expected to hear that the prince liked the cake so much that he immediately gave the young man an entire pastry shop? You’re wrong. The cake was praised, and that was it, as expected. Who would have thought that it was destined to become the main dessert of an entire state?

Meanwhile, Sacher completed his training as a chef and went to work first in Bratislava, then in Budapest, and finally returned to his native Vienna, where, having saved up money, he opened a delicatessen and wine shop.

The eldest son, Eduard, continued his father’s culinary business after completing his training as a pastry chef. He perfected his father’s recipe and created the cake in its current form. It was first served in this form at the Demel confectionery (another place in the Austrian capital known to every sweet tooth), and then at the café of the Sacher Hotel, opened by Eduard himself in 1676. Since then, the cake has become one of Austria’s most famous culinary dishes.

Meanwhile, in the early decades of the 20th century, a legal battle ensued between the Hotel Sacher and the Demel bakery over the right to use the Original Sacher Torte brand name. Ultimately, in 1954, the hotel was granted exclusive rights to the Original Sacher Torte trademark.

Thus, the original recipe for Sachertorte, which is kept strictly secret, is only prepared in the café at the Hotel Sacher.

In fact, just a minute’s walk away, you can buy this cake for half the price at a nearby store. And anyway, it’s easy to buy not only in Austria, but also in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Plus, there are tons of recipes online for making it yourself.

However, I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t go to that famous hotel and order a slice of the original cake.

The hotel itself is pretentious, I would even say very pretentious. To be honest, I don’t like this kind of interior. Although, rooms here start at 600 euros per night, by the way.

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And finally, the waitress appeared, carrying a small piece of cake with whipped cream and a cup of tea… I froze in anticipation… I breathed in the aroma… I tasted it…

Well, if you’re interested in my opinion, no, it’s not tasty. It’s dry, without any special flavors… They say that in Budapest they make it juicier, adding more jam, even inside. I’ll have to try it.

However, a good point is worth more than money. Especially if it’s not a lot of money. So, if you dream of trying zakher and happen to be in Vienna, why not stop by?

Of course, I didn’t buy a whole cake as a gift. That’s not something I’m willing to spend €45 on. Besides, I can bake a cake myself.

My verdict is that it’s just a hyped-up brand supported by owners and tourists who suffer from the “wow effect” of everything foreign.

What did you like? The cool Christmas decorations in the café, definitely! And anyway, Vienna is always beautiful at Christmas!

Have you tried Sacher cake anywhere else? What are your impressions?