Chocolate Cakes in Vienna

Your question startled me because I have never heard of Sacher Torte with rum! I brought the recipe (direct from the Hotel Sacher) and have it in front of me now: 4.5 oz butter 3.9 oz powdered sugar 6 egg yolks 6 egg whites 4.5 oz chocolate 4.5 oz flour 3.9 oz granulated sugar
5.2 oz pureed apricot jam No alcohol. Protein, fruit, dairy products -it's a meal in a wedge. And chocolate is so healthy for your heart. Regardless - I'd go alone if I had to, to have Sacher Torte at the hotel. It's best in the sidewalk cafe just off the bar. Food IS a very important part of the Viennese culture.

Ann, Regarding famous chocolate cakes in Vienna....we thought the famous Sacher Tort was awful - dry, tasteless and very disappointing. However, we found the chocolate cake at the Demel pastry shop just heavenly. Mmmmmmm. Highly recommended. To your point: as a general rule, the alcohol used in cooking is typically baked out, and when you eat the results, there is no alcohol left at all (only the flavor from it). Hope that helps.

Thank you both for your responses. Elaine - That is lovely news to brighten up a rainy November evening in Vancouver. I'm not quite sure why I have always thought that there was rum in sacher torte. Perhaps I saw a "knock-off" recipe at one point where someone had added rum to the original. I'm glad I inquired. David - Thank you for your caution. I have seen posts by others who have not enjoyed sacher torte. However, if I am able to eat it, and it does appear from Elaine's post that I can do so, it would seem a shame to go all that way and not to give it a try. I will also follow up on your suggestion about that other cafe. After all, we will be there for a few days, if we go, and there will be several opportunities for tea and cake. (However, I really do have to do something about the three pounds I gained in Paris earlier this year having afternoon tea every day, even though we did lots and lots of walking!) Thanks again.

Demel is not a café, it is an institution. Another branch in the centre of Salzburg, too. It is an institution which must be savoured, over and over again.

I too found the Sacher Torte dry and not all that flavorful. I was expecting decadent, rich and moist and it was not like that at all. Ah well. Win some, lose some.

So, Nigel, obviously having savoured Demel's again and again, what chocolate thingy would you recommend in particular?

I'm afraid I don't do names. My wife and I are fans of the Salzburg one and what we do is wander upstairs, at the top of the stairs is a choice. Veer left for viewing of trays and trays and trays of scrummy stuff. All is good, have never had a failure. After ogling, veer right and collapse into a delightful sofa or comfy chair, or a slightly more upright one and describe to the highly competent, all multi-lingual, waiter or the occasional waitress and describe what has captured our eyes that day. Watch the folk on the square through the big picture windows and magically your choice of food and drink will appear. Take as long as you like, then calmly wander back down stairs with a big smile on your face. Choccy, yes; 50 other choices too. Just go with what moves you.

Try Sluka across from the Vienna city hall. mmmmm good Rathausplatz 8, Vienna
That's where our relatives who live in Vienna get the goodies.

Agree with the others, Sacher tort was extremely disappointing and dry.

Thank you to everyone who responded. We have now pretty well finalized our itinerary and are looking forward to visiting both Vienna and Salzburg. A final decision on sacher torte will wait until we get there. At least we now have some other options to consider. (I understand what you are saying, David, about the alcohol burning off. However, I think I will be very cautious and ask. Nice to know that there will likely be multilingual staff to answer my questions.) Now I must get back to burning off those three pounds from all the Parisian chocolate thingys!