The world’s most famous cake, the Sachertorte, is the result of several lucky twists of fate. The first was in 1832, when the Austrian State Chancellor, Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, gave his kitchen staff the task of concocting an extraordinary dessert to impress his special guests. As fortune would have it, the chef had fallen ill that evening, leaving the apprentice chef, then 16-year-old Franz Sacher, to perform this culinary magic trick. Metternich’s parting words to the talented teenager were, “I hope you won’t disgrace me tonight.” Franz Sacher seized the moment and conjured up the confection of a lifetime, the chocolate cake that would go down in history as the ne plus ultra of desserts: the Sachertorte. The cake soon gained a cult following, and was deemed “presentable at court.” From then on, it was a favorite at the Imperial Court and soon went on to win the hearts (and palates) of the world. 2 SERVINGS