“The best chocolate cake in the world”
Claiming something is the “best” in the world is an easy way to get a tourist to part with some of his money just to give it a go. I can’t even remember how many things I’ve tried that were labelled the best in the world, of course none of them really were.
Except this!
The recipe is apparently known only by a couple of people (the head chef baker being one of them of course) and is locked away in a safe in a bank. Those privy to it claim that the secret to the Sacher Torte’s desirability lies not in the ingredients of the cake itself, but rather those of the chocolate icing. The icing consists of three special types of chocolate, which are produced exclusively by different manufacturers for this sole purpose. Maybe such stories contribute to its fame, but I’m a rather discerning eater and this was definitely a chocolate cake of the highest calibre.
Having said all that though, you can find the recipe for it on Wikipedia which apparently came from Mrs. Sacher herself. It’s made with everything you would expect in a chocolate cake: semi-sweet chocolate, eggs, sugar, flour, water and apricot jam (okay, maybe the apricot is a bit different).
The secret which makes it so good then may be hidden in that safe afterall.