Viennese chocolate cake: Sachertorte
A La Judy Jurmann
Ingredients
9 eggs (separated)
13 oz. sugar
5 oz. flour
10 oz. pareve bittersweet chocolate
2 Tbsp. instant coffee
1 ½ sticks pareve margarine
Raspberry preserves (optional)- melt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350*
In a saucepan, warm chocolate with 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of instant coffee. Mix over low flame until smooth and just pourable (add water in drops if necessary).
Beat egg whites until they just form peaks. Do not overbeat! Set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream the margarine, sugar and egg yolks
Add warm chocolate mixture and mix at low speed until just blended.
Add flour, mix until just blended.
Fold in egg whites- do not overbeat (may use a machine)
Place in a greased springform pan.
Bake at 350* for approximately one hour until tests dry with a toothpick.
Cool and ice.
If desired, place raspberry preserves over cake before icing.
Icing
10 oz. pareve bittersweet chocolate
4 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. pareve margarine
2 Tbsp. instant coffee
2 Tbsp. water
Stir over low heat until smooth. May add water for proper spreading consistency (add by drops).
My Story:
This cake has been in my life for as long as I can remember. From birthdays to Shabbat dinners, my sister and I would annoy my parents with shouts of “can we have Grandma’s chocolate cake” or “ugh I don't want that, I want chocolate cake” after every important meal. Grandma’s chocolate cake wasn’t just a fan favorite because of how rich and delicious it is (I highly suggest you all make it), but also what it meant to me growing up. I have so many fond memories of being dropped off at Grandma’s house after school or after Shul on Saturday afternoons and helping her make thiscake. I loved melting the chocolate( with her help obviously because I was quite a clumsy child), and just felt so accomplished when it came out of the oven. I would always over-ice the cake since that's my favorite part, and she would always let us decorate with sugar decorations and colored icing. It was the highlight of my week every time we baked together.
Grandma’s chocolate cake became an extension of love. She has modifiedthe recipe to fit the dietary needs of everyone we know. From nut allergies to dairy-free, Grandma always wanted to make sure that everyone could eat her cake. Friends and family would get so excited when they cameover for dinner and there was a chocolate cake sitting on the island, perfectly iced and just ready to be cut into. When dessert came around, that was always the first thing people asked for. Whenever I go to friends' houses or am staying with someone for a little while, I always make sure to makethis cake and bring it with me as a thank you, and an extension of my love for them. Just like Grandma did for us.
This cake, even if it's just a cake, has become a symbol of comfort and home for me. Thinking back, I realize how much those afternoons baking and laughing must have meant to my Grandma. Living alone for so long can’t be easy on anyone, and sometimes I worry about her being alone for so long at a time. But baking and taking time just to be together and have a good time meant more to me than she could ever imagine, and I can only hope she feels the same.
While this cake is a Judi Jurmann staple, and everyone knows it as Grandma’s chocolate cake, it isn't just a chocolate cake. Grandma got this recipe and revised it to make it her own. The original recipe comes from my great-grandmother on my dad’s side. My Opa Josh was originally from Austria and when he came to America in his 20s, he brought his family recipes with him. Grandma’s chocolate cake is actually Oma Pauline’s play on Saschertorte or Austrian chocolate cake. As I have gotten older, learned more about my family’s history and become more connected to my true national identity I have only come to appreciate Grandma’s cake more. Now, whenever I take a bite I understand the work that she must have put into perfecting the recipe for my Opa and for my dad and his brothers. I feel connected to Opa and his family and his history. I didn't get to spend a lot of time with him before he passed, but being able to have that connection with him through something as simple as chocolate cake only makes the love it represents grow stronger.
Whether you eat Grandma’s chocolate cake, or you enjoy a delicious Saschertorte, I just want you to think about the people you love when doing so. Bring this cake to a loved one or make it for your next birthday bash. Grandma’s chocolate cake is a symbol of love, life, joy, and most importantly, family. I hope you’ll spread the love that I feel for this cake to those around you because that is what food is about.
