Talk of a Gustav Klimt painting in one of my groups got me reminiscing about Vienna, the beautiful Belvedere museum, the magnificent StaatsOper, the numerous smoky cafes, the elegant confectioners (Demel!), and the majestic Hotel Sacher with its infamous chocolate and apricot cake. (How on earth a branch of Starbucks prospers just a few yards away from this hotel is unfathomable to me. I can only assume that the good people of Vienna need mediocre coffee and cookies as an occasional relief from the coffee and confectionary paradise they find themselves immersed in.) Since I am a good 9 hours flying and countless dollars away from an authentic slice of Sachertorte, I shall overcome my cravings by entering Delia Smith's recipe for the cake here. I followed this recipe once, a couple of years ago, for a friend's birthday, and I can vouch for a close-to-the-real-thing-ISH taste, even if my own presentation was nowhere near as elegant as the Hotel Sacher's.

Here is what Delia has to say:

"Sachertorte

I don’t pretend that this is from the original recipe from the Hotel Sacher, in Vienna, where it is supposed to be a closely guarded secret. However, it is a very good variation. In Vienna, slices of Sachertorte are always served with a dollop of thick whipped cream – but I leave that up to you!

Ingredients

For the cake:
6 oz (175 g) dark chocolate (50-55 per cent cocoa solids)
4 oz (110 g) soft butter
4 oz (110 g) golden caster sugar
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz (110 g) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
5 large egg whites

For the icing:
6 oz (175 g) dark chocolate (50-55 per cent cocoa solids)
5 fl oz (150 ml) double cream
2 teaspoons glycerine
2 teaspoons smooth apricot jam

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2, 300°F (150°C).

You will also need an 8 inch (20 cm) springform cake tin, lightly greased and the base lined with baking parchment.

Start off by melting the chocolate for the cake. Break it up into a heatproof bowl, then place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and leave it to melt slowly, being careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water or the chocolate will overheat. While that’s happening, using an electric hand whisk, cream the butter and sugar until very pale and fluffy. Now beat in the egg yolks, a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.

Then, when the chocolate has cooled slightly, fold it gradually into the creamed butter mixture and then add the vanilla extract. Next, sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl, then put it all back into the sieve and sift it into the mixture a little at a time, carefully folding it in with a large metal spoon. When all the flour is incorporated, wash the whisks in warm, soapy water and dry them thoroughly. Next, in a large, clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to the stiff-peak stage, which will take 3-4 minutes, and then carefully fold them into the mixture, bit by bit, still using a metal spoon. Now pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, level the top and bake it on the middle shelf of the oven for about 1 hour, or until firm and well risen. When it’s cooked, allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning it out on to a cooling rack. Then leave it to get quite cold.

Now warm the apricot jam and brush the cake all over with it. Next, to make the icing, melt the chocolate with the cream, again in a bowl over simmering water. Then remove the bowl from the heat, and stir in the glycerine, to give a coating consistency. Pour the icing over the whole cake, making sure it covers the top and the sides completely. Then leave it to set, which will take 2-3 hours."

Recipe is taken from The Delia Collection: Chocolate.