Sacher Torte or Ring Dings
Yes, it’s true. I really resolved to eat cake every day, and I’m still not sick of chocolate cake.
A few days ago, I finished reading The Glass Room, which I think reminded me of my love of Sachertorte. Now, if you had asked me yesterday, I would have vehemently disagreed, citing instead the suddenly brisk New York City air as the reminder that I love this confection. Walking to get my daughter from school yesterday, the craving really set in. Something in the chill and the smell of the polluted air reminded me of going to Vienna when I was nineteen.
Of course, we went to all of the historical landmarks the city had to offer, but the first stop on my list was the Sacher Hotel. I had had Sachertorte before my trip. I had begged my German grandfather, the chef, to bake one for me after most likely reading about it in a romance novel in the 8th grade. He scoffed and said in his barely understandable English: “Vy vould you vant to eat dat? Es ist zo DRY”. He was right, but he made it for me anyway. Then, as a German major, forced into doing some sort of cultural presentation for the end of the semester, I chose to bake a Sachertorte in front of the class over writing yet another paper. It was still a little dry.
And then I went to Austria and had the real thing. It was not dry. But, I will say that the real Sachertorte is to cake as Guinness is to beer. It is dense. And it fills the stomach for what feels like days on end. There is a reason that it arrives to the table as barely more than a sliver.
So, back to today, I really wanted this delicious confection, and I really wanted it to be gluten, dairy, soy, nut and egg-free. I also didn’t have much time. So, I made Sachertorten that only took about 30 minutes from start to finish. I used Cherrybrook Farm gluten-Free chocolate cake mix, a rimmed baking sheet, a biscuit cutter, and voila! Individual Sachertorten that were MOIST and allergy-friendly. Were they gorgeous? Nope. But they were good enough for me, and my kids loved them. If you hate the idea of apricots and dark chocolate, feel free to swap out the preserves for my easy buttercream. And then, you will have an American classic in place of an Austrian classic: the Ring Ding.
1 box Cherry Brook Farms Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake mix
1 cup seltzer
½ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup apricot preserves
2 ½ cups Enjoy Life Foods mini chocolate chips
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with a little canola oil. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom and place it in the rimmed sheet. Set it aside.
2) Pour the mix into a large mixing bowl and add the seltzer and oil. Mix by hand until the batter is completely smooth and no dry bits remain.
3) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and pop it in the oven.
4) Then wait ten minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I had to showcase my husband’s new hour glass. If only my figure looked as good!
5) Let the cake cool completely. I put mine in the window to cool it quick.
6) Then, cut the cake into 20 rounds with the smooth side of a biscuit cutter.
7) Don’t throw that away! Use it to make my gluten, dairy, soy, nut and egg-free cake pops.
8) Place the rounds on a cooling rack set over a piece of parchment. Spread 5 of the rounds with ½ teaspoon apricot preserves or frosting.
9) Place the remaining rounds on top.
10) Microwave the chocolate for 1 minute and stir until it is completely smooth. If you need more time, microwave for 10 seconds at a time and stir until smooth. Spread the top and sides of each cake with melted chocolate.
11) Return to the window sill to set. Serve immediately or when set, store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Makes 10 mini Sachertorten or Ring Dings
