The Sachertorte Forte

My feeling is that it is not the most brilliant cake in the world. Perhaps more of a suspicion, actually. I have had it a couple of times during my short sojourn in Vienna (July 2010), always served with a big dollop of whipped cream. But, the Viennese do like their whipped cream on anything. The other reason for the cream with Sachertorte I read (wikipedia) is that the Viennese find the cake a bit dry to eat on its own. That is quite understandable to me.

So why is it the national cake of Austria?

Another suspicion of mine. Lots of drama and intrigue and some brilliant marketing based on the wonderful tale. So the parents had an ugly battle. Every one cried foul. One parent came out victorious. The child in question was stuck in the middle of all this chaos and mayhem, till some one said, “It's not even a pretty child...” But there are gentle people amongst us, “Come, come! What matters? It's still a sweet child.”

Yes, I suspect that is the story of Sachertorte. One can find out about it from a lot of sources. I shall not get into it. I would rather enjoy my own sense of imagination over what might have actually occurred!

And now, I have been influenced by this drama (more so from my own head). Apparently, the recipe is a secret, kept safely amongst the chosen few working at the Sacher Hotel. But there are so many people who claim to have made it and have shared the recipes on the internet. Again, its a simple cake, that probably isn't that mysterious. I am going to attempt it too with all this hue and cry! Yes, the Sachertorte does that doesn't it?

...to be continued...