WHAT'S WITH THE CAKE? WALA LANG TIDBIT


Perhaps one of Chocolate Cake's most worthy traits is the inventive nature of each section. Her recipes include ingredients as unlikely as chili pepper and black tea and cakes that include dozens of mix and match frosting options. While the section on garnishes works easy tricks into beautiful decoration, the recipes are a bit limited. With only a few options to choose from, fortunately one can rely on her more extensive section on plating the cakes. From her sugarcoated edible flowered plates to caramel drippings, the resulting tips would wow any cast of diners.

Not only are the recipes impressive, but the methods and execution also prove worthy. With a degree from the French Culinary Institute and experience as a pastry chef, Urvater's skills are revealed and explained to her readers. In her discussion of ingredients, Urvater probes the many kinds of chocolates, nuts, creams and sugars as an explanation of why particular ingredients are requested. Likewise, her instructions for careful measurement and a discussion at the beginning of each chapter make the recipes foolproof for the attentive reader.

Finally, the book's simple three star system allows bakers of any skill level to enjoy the book. While I was not daring enough to try a three-starred recipe, the one star chocolate tiramisu was absolutely delicious and the two star Sacher Torte, while more complex in its preparation, still turned out perfectly. Overall, the book deems itself a perfect addition to any shelf, particularly in time for the holidays. After all who could resist Berry White Chocolate Cheesecake or a Boozy Mud Cake?

There are many stories and myths about the origins of this famous cake. The version I know was told to me by Jurgen David, one of my pastry teachers at the French Culinary Institute. He is Austrian and worked for a few years at the Sacher Hotel, making countless numbers of Sacher tortes, and he swears this is the only authentic recipe for Sacher torte.
Sometime in the 1830s, Emperor Franz Josef, of the Austro-Hungarian empire, asked his pastry chef, Eduard Sacher, to create a less filling cake than the whipped cream-filled ones then in vogue. At the time, Mr. Sacher was working at Demel's pastry shop in Vienna, where he created for the emperor the jam filled cake we know today as Sacher torte. However, after he left Demel's pastry shop and established his own establishment-the Sacher Hotel-he continued to bake his cake. This is how a dispute arose between Demel's and the Sacher Hotel about which was the authentic cake. Eventually the dispute was settled and laws were put into place about which ingredients are allowed in an authentic Sacher torte and how it must be prepared. Today, only Demel's and the Sacher Hotel in Vienna are allowed, by law, to inscribe the name Sacher on their cakes. The only change I have made is to substitute unsweetened chocolate (which Europeans do not use) for the bittersweet chocolate so that the glaze is less cloying.

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