A TASTE OF VIENNA 
DELECTABLE SWEETS ON SHOWCOOK

SACHERTORTE (CHOCOLATE CAKE)

250 g plain chocolate
125 g unsalted butter
200 g sugar
5 eggs
90 g ground almonds or other nuts
45 g self raising flour
jam for filling
for the icing:
150 g chocolate
75 g butter

This most famous of Viennese cakes takes its name from the restaurant in Vienna where it was first served. There are many slightly varying recipes for it, each claiming to be the original one. Though no such claim is made here, this cake is certainly delicious, and will keep exceptionally well. Melt the chocolate over a l ow heat; when it is soft, cream it with the butter, sugar and egg yolks, then fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites, the almonds and flour. Put in a greased and lined cake tin and bake in a moderate oven (175°C) for at least 45 minutes, then test with a steel knitting needle - this cake should remain very slightly moist in the centre.

Cut the cake in half when quite cold, fill with a layer of jam, and coat with chocolate icing; melt the chocolate over low heat, mix it with the melted butter, leave for 20-30 minutes, to cool to a coating consistency, and pour over the cake. Decorate with cream.

This cake may also be baked in a flat tin, in which case retain a small amount of ground almonds to sprinkle on the top before it is baked.

APFEL STRUDEL

300 g flour
1 level tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
a little melted butter
fine breadcrumbs
1 1/2 kg Golden Delicious apples
125 g seedless raisins
90 g chopped almonds
grated rind of 1/2 a lemon
250 g sugar

Put the flour on a board and make a hollow in the centre. Mix salt, egg, 125 ml water and 1 tbsp melted butter, and pour carefully into the flour. Gradually work in the flour to form a sticky dough, then knead lightly on a well floured board, keeping hands floured. Stretch the dough out, re-knead and leave to rest  for 1/2 hour, covered with a warm dish. Cover a table with an old table-cloth and sprinkle well with flour. Place the dough in the centre and roll it slightly , then pull it out, using the backs of the hands, with thumbs tucked in. Pull until the dough is paper thin - when one part becomes transparent, leave it and start on another area. Any thick pieces left around the edges should be trimmed off. Sprinkle half the pastry lightly with fine breadcrumbs. Combine the thinly sliced apples, chopped raisins and remaining ingredients, and cover the dough with this mixture to within and inch of the edge. Roll up like a Swiss roll and pinch together at the edges. Place on a baking sheet brushed with melted butter, bake for 1/2 hour in a moderately hot oven (220ºC) and reduce to moderate (180ºC) for a further 1/2 hour; baste occasionally. Serve hot or cold sprinkled with icing sugar.

MOHR IM HEMD

For the pudding:
 90 g butter
90 g caster sugar
5 eggs
90 g plain chocolate
90 g ground almond
2 tbsp sponge cake crumbs
For the sauce:
90 g plain chocolate 
90 g caster sugar
15 g butter
125 ml water

Cream butter and sugar and add egg yolks and melted chocolate. Stir in almonds, crumbs and stiffly beaten whites. Pour the mixture into a buttered and sugared pudding basin; cover and steam for 1 hour. For the sauce, melt together the chocolate, sugar and butter in a double boiler. Add the water and pour over the pudding when cooked. Serve with whipped cream.

SALZBURGER NOCKERL

90 g butter
5 egg whites
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp flour
icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 230ºC . Melt the butter in a flat fireproof dish over a low flame. Whip the whites very stiffly and stir in the yolks very carefully, with the flour. Turn up the flame so that the butter in the dish foams but do not let it get brown. Carefully drop the egg mixture into the butter in large, pointed mounds. The bottom of the mixture will begin to set in a minutes; then transfer the whole dish to the hot oven until the tops of the Nockerl are browned - about 3 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve at once.  

VIENNESE STRAWBERRY CAKE

For the cake:
250 g cake flour
2 heaped tsp baking powder
90 g butter
4 eggs
250 g caster sugar
100 ml cream
For the filling and Decoration:
strawberries
sherry
cream

Mix and sieve the flour and baking powder. Melt the butter, taking care not to overheat it. Put the eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk over a pan of hot water until thick and light; remove from the heat, and continue whisking for a few minutes. Add the cream, then quickly fold in the flour, and lastly add the melted butter. Pour the mixture into a buttered 25 cm cake tin or into 2 buttered sandwich tins, and bake in a moderate oven (180ºC) for 40-50 minutes, until firm and golden-brown, then cool. When the cake is quite cold, cut in half and fill with a thick layer of sliced strawberries soaked in sherry and a layer of whipped cream. Join the cake together again firmly, spread the top with whipped cream, and decorate with whole strawberries.  

BACK TO VIENNA OR VIENNA PART TWO.
With LESLIE BACK