Chocolate Cake (with Sacher Torte variation and Chocolate Ganache)
After spending some time trying to replicate a non-vegan childhood favorite, I finally found a way to have my Sacher Torte and eat it too. The base recipe is for a plain 8-inch (20-cm) chocolate cake, although there’s nothing “plain” about it, but you will find a note at the bottom of this recipe on how to make the signature Austrian dessert out of it, the way I remember my mom making it.
This cake tastes even better if you make it the day before enjoying it. If you want to layer it, simply double the recipe and bake it in two separate pans.
Chocolate Cake
(with Sacher Torte variation
and Chocolate Ganache)Non-stick cooking spray
1 cup (240 g) vanilla soy or other nondairy yogurt
1/2 cup (120 ml) canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure chocolate extract, optional
1 1/4 cups (155 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
1/4 cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea saltPreheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Lightly coat an 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk soy yogurt, oil, and extracts.
Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt on top.
Fold dry ingredients into wet, being careful not to over mix.
Place batter in prepared pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Leave in pan for 1 hour on a cooling rack before attempting to remove. Chill overnight.Yield: one 8-inch (20-cm) cake
Sacher Torte Variation:
Double the cake recipe, bake in two separate 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pans.
Spread 1/4 to 1/2 cup (80 to 160 g) all-fruit raspberry jam on one of the cakes, top with second cake.
Decorate with Chocolate Ganache:
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain soy or other nondairy milk
1 cup (176 g) nondairy semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons (30 ml) pure maple syrup or (42 g) agave nectarTo make the ganache:
Scorch the milk in a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chips, and stir until melted. Stir in maple syrup or agave nectar. Let cool outside of the fridge, to thicken just a bit.
Spread on top and sides of cake. Cool for several hours before serving.
recipe index « have cake, will travel! said,
November 5, 2007 at 3:16 pm
[...] Sacher Torte banana pumpkin quiche orange cardamom low fat cupcakes + orange frosting too much chocolate for [...]
VeggieGirl said,
November 5, 2007 at 4:31 pm
ahh, silly me!! I’m sorry that I read your previous post wrong (thinking that you veganized the Sacher Torte from that recipe). THIS looks divine, my friend!! :0D
Reply
Leigh said,
November 5, 2007 at 4:45 pm
It’s beautiful! Thanks for posting the recipe.
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bazu said,
November 5, 2007 at 6:25 pm
looks wonderful!
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Tami said,
November 5, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Wow! That cake is perfection! I love the idea of smaller pans, too.
Reply
jeffrey said,
November 5, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Oh gods. Sooooo good.
Reply
Village Vegan said,
November 5, 2007 at 9:05 pm
yummy, yummy! I love the way your recipes are for small quantities– it’s great because I don’t have to worry about halving or quarting them. I’m sure my waistline loves this. ;-)
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Suzie said,
November 5, 2007 at 9:27 pm
That cake looks sooo heavenly. I always get excited when I see chocolate!
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Vanessa said,
November 5, 2007 at 9:59 pm
so decadent!
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BitterSweet said,
November 5, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Celine, have I mentioned that you’re amazing?
You’re amazing.
Reply
Anna (aka Veganista) said,
November 5, 2007 at 11:25 pm
Mmm, looks great! I think Josh (my hubby) went through his entire time in Austria recently without getting to try the famous sachertorte (hard to find a vegan version). I might just have to whip this one up once he gets home. Thanks for the recipe!
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textual bulldog said,
November 6, 2007 at 1:17 am
…And what a beautiful mission it was! :)
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Lori- pleasantly plump vegan said,
November 6, 2007 at 3:15 am
yeah, this kind of cake does taste better from the fridge
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Hilary said,
November 6, 2007 at 4:57 am
oh, this looks lovely. send me a piece? haha, I wish :D
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Emmie said,
November 6, 2007 at 6:25 am
Ooooh, Alex would love me if I made him this cake! I want to have a small round cake pan, I should go cake pan shopping. I’d rather have a small cake anyway. It looks so lovely!
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rani said,
November 6, 2007 at 6:21 pm
I have a long pre-vegan history making sacher torte. I’m SO glad I saw this – it looks great and rich and decadent!
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melisser said,
November 12, 2007 at 9:03 am
Ooh, this looks GREAT! Is the cake dense or fluffier?
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emma said,
December 15, 2007 at 9:24 pm
i’m making this for Christmas dinner (okay, dessert!) My grandma promised to try some (a lot of my other desserts havn’t gone so well…)
Exciting!!!
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emma said,
December 15, 2007 at 9:30 pm
will it be okay without chocolate extract?
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Celine said,
December 16, 2007 at 6:07 am
you can definitely up the vanilla and forget the chocolate if you don’t have it, emma.
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emma said,
December 21, 2007 at 6:39 am
thank you!
Reply
Recipe Index « have cake, will travel! said,
February 17, 2008 at 8:37 pm
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Seitti said,
February 26, 2008 at 11:19 am
I just came back from Vienna and I definitely have to try this out! Too bad there were no vegan sacher tortes availabe :(
Reply
Celine said,
February 26, 2008 at 1:11 pm
it’s awesome that you got to go to Austria! I wish I could go back some day.
Reply
Pannenkoeken and Cake « Eating with the Rabbits said,
February 29, 2008 at 1:36 am
[...] a friend came over to make Celine’s Sacher Torte. We doubled the recipe (making two cakes) and put them on top of each other with strawberry [...]
Marianne s said,
May 2, 2009 at 6:45 am
Metric measurements and vegan sacher torte – can it be better – thank you <3
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Manu said,
June 19, 2009 at 12:05 am
I put this recipe to the hardest test by giving the cake to my non-vegan colleagues in Vienna :) In a direct comparison to the non-vegan version the most common remark was, that the texture is too dense and moist and the chocolate ganache soft and not crisp. So they told me I should just call it delicious chocolate cake, rather than Sacher-Torte. These Viennese people are very sensitive with their labelling ;) For me it was the best Sacher-like vegan cake I made so far and I will definitely bake it again…… Thx for the awesome recipe!
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Celine Reply:
June 19th, 2009 at 12:17 am
no it totally makes sense. I actually had added an explanation about this when I first posted the recipe, but it got eaten when I typed it again: this version imitates my mom’s version of the Sacher Torte, which I enjoyed in my childhood. it’s 100% similar to my mom’s version, but not a perfect replica of bona fide Sacher Torte you’d find in Vienna.
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Birthday Lemon Cake with Chocolate Ganache | Tales of a spoon said,
February 20, 2010 at 9:10 am
[...] Yield: one 8-inch (20-cm) cake Inspired in Celine’s Chocolate Cake (with Sacher Torte variation and Chocolate Ganache) [...]