Vegan Sacher Torte (GF)

This vegan version of a classic cake from Vienna, Austria called sacher torte (or sachertorte) is a chocolate cake layered with apricot preserve and normally wrapped in a chocolate glaze finish.

This cake is close to my heart and have loved it since I was a child.

I remember growing up in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and going to a tea house down the road from my home. The place always smelt amazing. I would usually go with my dad. His favourite tea was the black tea flavoured with wild cherries. One other thing that he always used to get that we would share was a slice of the Vienna classic chocolate cake, sacher torte.

Since then, over 20 years later, I may have had that cake less than a handful of times. It holds a special place in my heart because it takes me back to my amazing childhood.

A traditional sacher torte with a twist

I’ve enjoyed recreating those memories and this recipe but with my own take on it.

I’ve made the cake itself quite sweet and married it with the apricot jam, I find that a ganache would make it too sweet.

I wanted to simplify this recipe and have kept it naked, with no glaze. The other major component that is different, besides it being vegan, is that I’ve made it gluten-free.

Sacher torte is a moist but dense chocolate cake with apricot jam in the middle, finished off with a ganache on the outside and if you’re going very traditional, an ‘S’ or ‘Sacher’ is also added on top of the cake pipped with the ganache in thin letters.

As well as the cake, I thought I’d share with you some images from my childhood area just around my house from photos my husband Michael and I took when we were there in 2015.

The image of me above is with my childhood street behind me. Our house was just around the bend. Like most houses in old towns of European cities, our house was technically an apartment, however, the size of a large house.

This is the path that leads to a forest and an ancient castle that overlooks the city of Ljubljana. The door on the left is the back entrance to the three-tier garden that we had.

I mean, can this sound any more like a fairytale? I feel so grateful that this was my childhood…

No back to the recipe.

An eggless sacher torte

What I love the most about this cake is that it gets better with age. You can store it in your fridge for up to 4 days. It will be denser which is how I actually prefer it.

Note that the images in this post are taken of the cake on the first day.

This vegan sacher torte is:

• Egg-free
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Nut-free
• Moist
• Melt in your mouth
• Decadent
• Fudgey, yet fluffy
• Free from specialty ingredients

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I tested this recipe so many times and really love the way that it has turned out. Considering that it’s ‘healthy’ (in comparison to most other cakes), it tastes amazing.

It could compete with any other cake out there, vegan, gluten-free, or not. You can use this cake recipe as a great gluten-free chocolate cake and top it with whatever you like.

Other recipes you’ll love: 

1. Vegan Baklava
2. Vegan Semolina Cake with Lemon Syrup
3. Vegan Tufahije Recipe (Bosnian Walnut Stuffed Poached Apples)
4. Thick Italian Vegan Hot Chocolate
5. No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake
6. Chocolate Orange Cake (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

If you try this recipe, let me know! We’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest. 

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