Skip to main content
Dessert

Sachertorte Squares

A chocolate cake square with apricot or raspberry preserves and a chocolate glaze.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 10 ingredients
Jump to recipe ↓

Why it works: Vanilla and apricot match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 608 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓

Sachertorte Squares

Oven325°F
Time16 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the batter

  1. Heat oven to 325°F.

  2. Melt butter in medium saucepan.

  3. Add sugar and cocoa; stir until well blended.

  4. Remove from heat.

  5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

  6. Stir in vanilla.

  7. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating until well.

  8. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake and cool

  1. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly.

  2. Cool 10 minutes.

  3. Invert onto cookie sheet.

  4. Carefully peel off paper.

  5. Cool thoroughly.

Fill and glaze

  1. Cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise, forming 4 rectangles.

  2. Spread preserves over two rectangles.

  3. Top with remaining two rectangles.

  4. Cut into squares, about 1-1/2 inches.

  5. Place on wire rack with wax paper beneath to catch drips while glazing.

  6. Prepare Satin Chocolate Glaze.

  7. Spoon glaze over each square, allowing glaze to drizzle down sides.

  8. Garnish with almonds.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

932Calories
23 gProtein
28 gFat
145 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Chocolate1 oz (28g) semisweet155
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Black Raspberry1 cup (123g)64
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Apricot1 medium (35g)17
Vanilla1 tsp extract (4ml)12
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Vanilla + apricottop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together608 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).

  2. Cocoa + vanillatop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together357 recipes

    Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).

  3. Vanilla + chocolatetop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together10,020 recipes

    Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).

  4. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together35,032 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  5. Cocoa + chocolatetop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together165 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Butter
Adds richness and tenderness to the crumb and carries the chocolate flavor.
Eggs
Provide structure and lift, setting the cake as it bakes.
All-purpose flour
Forms the cake's structure once heated.
Cocoa
Supplies the chocolate flavor and deep color of the cake.
Sugar
Sweetens the batter and helps give the cake a tender, moist crumb.
Apricot or raspberry preserves
Adds fruity sweetness and acidity and moisture between the layers.

The step that matters

Bake until the top springs back. Baking only until the top springs back keeps the cake moist and set; overbaking dries the crumb and makes the thin layers brittle when cut.

Swap the cocoa

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, apricot, chocolate):

  1. Almondfits better
  2. Hazelnutfits better
  3. Chestnutfits better
  4. Cocoathe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, apricot, chocolate. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

You might also like

Chocolate CreamChocolate Cream171 recipesVanilla Ice CreamVanilla Ice Cream108 recipesChocolate CookiesChocolate Cookies76 recipesChocolate FudgeChocolate Fudge55 recipes