The cake was invented by a 16-year-old apprentice chef named Franz Sacher. He created it for an important dinner when the head chef was ill and Franz had to take charge. The guests loved it. Franz grew up, opened his own hotel, and the Sachertorte became famous across Europe and eventually the whole world.
What makes a Sachertorte special is the combination of ingredients. The sponge is dense and slightly dry on purpose — this is intentional, not a mistake. A thin layer of apricot jam is spread in the middle of the cake, and the whole thing is covered in a shiny dark chocolate glaze. It is served with a cloud of unsweetened whipped cream on the side.
A famous dispute once raged for years between the Hotel Sacher and the Demel bakery (another famous Viennese institution) over who had the right to call their cake the 'Original Sachertorte'. The dispute went to court and was only resolved in 1963. The Hotel Sacher won.
Today the Hotel Sacher ships Sachertorte in wooden boxes to people all over the world. The recipe is kept secret and the cakes are still made by hand. The chocolate glaze on the top always has the word 'Sacher' written on it in chocolate — a signature you can eat.