Sacher Torte...a bittersweet symphony

Ingredients:
150 g (5.2 oz./ ¾ cup) butter

150 g (5.2 oz./ ¾ cup) sugar

150 g (5.2 oz./ ¾ cup) bittersweet chocolate, melted in a double-boiler

8 eggs, separated

120 g (4.2 oz./ ¾ cup) flour

Butter

Dry bread crumbs

Apricot preserves

Icing

150 g (5.2 oz.) bittersweet chocolate

1 tablespoon oil

200 g (7 oz./ 1 cup) sugar, divided

1/8 litre (½ cup) water

Beat the butter together with half of the sugar and the melted chocolate, adding the egg yolks one at a time, until thick and foamy. Sift the flour over the mixture. Beat together the egg whites and remaining sugar until stiff and mound on top of the flour. Fold everything together carefully. Pour the mixture into a springform pan that has been buttered and coated with bread crumbs and bake at 180°C (350°F) for about an hour.

To cool the cake, turn it upside down onto a wire rack. After about 2 hours, remove it from the pan (you may want to cut the top side to make it level) and place it on a platter with the smooth torte base on top. Spread with a very thin layer of apricot preserves and glaze with a chocolate icing. For a special treat, serve the Sacher Torte with whipped cream!

Chocolate icing: Melt the chocolate in bain-marie or double boiler and stir in the oil. Bring the sugar and water to a boil. A spoonful at a time, stir the cooled sugar solution into the melted chocolate until you have a smooth mixture.

Guten Appetit!