A few months ago, gripped by baking fever, I purchased Mary Berry's Baking Bible. I quickly decided to embark upon a mission to bake everything in the book, and turn myself from an occasional baker into a bit of an expert. My Grandad Ern was a Master Baker by trade; the man responsible for introducing Danish Pastries to England in fact, and I wish it had occurred to me to spend more time learning from him, rather than simply enjoying the fruits of his effortless labours. This project is almost a way of making amends for that; I'd like to follow in his footsteps (if not in my career, at least as a hobby) and continue the proud heritage of baking in my family.
I credit my friend Rachel with the idea to write a blog about my baking exploits, hoping that there will be more successes than failures as I attempt all 213 of the Queen of Baking's recipes.
So as not to bore the husband with a monotonous diet of sponges, followed by weeks of biscuits, I've decided to tackle the recipes by selecting the first bake from each chapter, followed by the second recipe and so on. I'm not going to pick and choose; I'm determined to face my baking demons and learn how to do everything baking-related, even if the consequences are disastrous!
Everything will be photographed, with comment about how I found baking it, and a husband rating (to be taken with a pinch of salt as he has a very selective cake-tooth).


Tuesday, 2 April 2013

38. Sachertorte

This is my first 'project' bake since I had the baby: I did manage to knock out a quick Victoria Sandwich a few weeks ago, after feeling the urge to bake something to help me experience some normality again! I was really keen to get back to the project though, and a bit of time presented itself with the husband being off work, so I decided to tackle the Sachertorte - one of the bakes I'd been worried about and susequently putting off a bit. As it turned out, it really wasn't anything to be scared of: a quck look at the method simply suggested that it would be a bit faffy but not technically complex.
 What made this cake a bit of a mission was the multiple processes involved. It began with melting some chocolate, then beating butter and sugar together. 5 eggs had to be seperated and everything beaten or folded in gradually. I just had to get myself organised and manage my time well. Folding the whisked egg whites in was a satisfying experience, and I could really feel the mixture lightening up as did it. I knew the cake would be very dense, so I was surprised when I took it out of the oven and it had risen a lot. It quickly sank though, and did end up with a dip in the middle. No matter though; the icing filled it!

I made the cake in the afternoon, but found myself still mucking about with icing late into the evening. This was partly due to having a little one to tend to at various intervals, but also because the cake had to be cooled, the apricot jam covering had to set, the chocolate and double cream icing had to cool...and by the time I'd done all that, I decided to leave the piping until the following day. Husband and I had the delicious treat of mopping up the icing with some fresh strawberries - our very own fondue experience. I was dreading doing the piping but actually it was easy and very satisfying - not perfect but not bad for a first attempt. I used a cone of greaseproof paper to pipe with and just went for it! The cake was served an hour later to visiting relatives who were very appreciative! I followed Mary's advice to make it serve 12 and found it very easy to cut and serve - it did end up being a very dense, and very moist 'dessert' cake and the designated portion was sufficient (if you are inclined to take your cake in moderation!)
Baker's verdict: easier to make than I'd feared and actually very enjoyable to prepare. The process was quite prolonged but well worth it for the end result. Really yummy and I'd definitely make it again. It does need an occasion though, as it's not a cake for 'everyday' consumption.
Husband rating: 8/10 - lovely rich chocolate cake. Not a massive fan of the apricot jam. Lovely chocolate icing on top, nice and creamy.
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