The famous Viennese Sacher Torte, a dense chocolate cake, made low carb and grain-free. Come explore Vienna and The Wachau Valley with me aboard a Viking long ship.
Gliding quietly up the Danube on a Viking Longship, you’d barely know you were moving if you didn’t see the landscape on either side slowly slipping by. We crossed the border into Austria sometime during the night, but the green banks of the river seemed much the same as they had in Hungary. I was only sure we were in a new country because my phone sent me a text message that my data plan would now be subject to Austrian charges. That and the fact that the Viking Jarl had lowered the Hungarian flag and raised the Austrian one. While my husband lay sleeping, I watched the boat enter one of the many locks along the Danube and then quietly glide into a remarkably modern-looking Vienna. I am not sure quite what I expected…women in dirndls and men in lederhosen, greeting us with songs from The Sound of Music, maybe? But the port where the ship docked was all glass and steel, and I could have been just about anywhere.
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Vienna State Opera
Vienna
Thankfully, a short walk and a subway ride brought us into the area encircled by the Ringstrasse, and that was more like the Vienna of my overactive imagination. There were indeed women in dirndls and men in lederhosen, as well as many people dressed in 18th century fancy dress, all trying to sell us tickets to various shows, operas, and concerts. Our walking tour came up out of the subway right under the Vienna State Opera, a building so gloriously intricate and so large, I couldn’t get far enough away from it to take a decent picture with my zoom lens. I found this to be true of much of Vienna. Impressive large building after impressive large building, monument after monument, so crowded on top of one another that I could hardly get much sense of them. And our tour went through the heart of the city with such dizzying speed (I guess our boat had arrived a little late) that I couldn’t really keep much of it straight. I take this to mean I need to go again. Soon.
We had free time in the afternoon, and this made seeing Vienna a little more enjoyable for me. Tim and I wandered about, not really sure where we were headed, and came across parts of the city that weren’t included in our hurried tour. And then we sat at the elegant and famous Cafe Landtmann and ordered traditional Viennese coffee in German. We’d had a mini lesson the day prior on the boat, so I was able to say “Großer Brauner, bitte” with only a modicum of embarrassment over my terrible accent. That evening, we were treated to an abridged version of The Marriage of Figaro, put on just for Viking Cruises. How can you be in Vienna and not see Mozart performed?
We were very struck by these handprints on the Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial.
The Wachau Valley
In spite of, or perhaps because of, the grandiosity of Vienna, this was not my favourite part of the trip. That honour goes, without question, to the amazing scenery of the Wachau Valley. After leaving Vienna late at night, we entered this picturesque green valley early in the morning, and I am convinced that there is no better way to see it than from the deck of a longship. From there you can see all the wonderful sights approaching slowly, you can take in the hills and peaks and quaint villages in panoramic style, and you can take photo after photo from the perfect vantage point. I was not alone in this sentiment as many of my fellow travellers were above board, sipping their morning coffees and marvelling at the landscape.
Sweet, colourful towns with church steeples and steep rows of vineyards behind? Check. Castles perched on distant hilltops? Check. Ruins where King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned? Check. Goats clambering up the steep cliffs to eat? Check. This truly felt like Austria now, and the stunning show went on for several hours before we arrived at the beautiful town of Melk to tour the Abbey. I feel that neither my photos nor my words do it justice. But the river cruise is worth it, if only for this one day of sheer beauty.
Ruins of Durnstein Castle, where Richard 1 of England was imprisoned by Leopold V of Austria.
Oh yes, those are goats on the side of the hill!
Melk is a lovely little place with winding cobblestone streets leading up to the Melk Abbey. If I were to head back to Austria sometime, I would make a point of visiting again and possibly even staying there. It had lovely shops and cafes, with far fewer of the cheap souvenir stores you might find in other areas. The beautiful Abbey looms over the surrounding landscape from a rocky outcrop and is impressive not only for its sheer size but for its long history as a Benedictine monastery and children’s school. And it is still fully functional as both to this day.
The stunning Melk Abbey rising above the town of Melk.
The Dry Danube
There was a little drama going on with our Viking River Cruise during all of this. After a hot and unseasonably dry summer, the Danube was quite low in water, making it difficult for large ships to pass certain parts of the river without going aground. Viking was very upfront from day one about the possibility of our tour being somewhat interrupted by this problem. So we were not entirely surprised when, after our tour of Vienna, Viking broke the bad news that the hoped-for rain upriver in Germany had not come and that we were going to have to do a “ship swap”. This would entail packing up our belongings before we reached Passau, Germany, and being delivered by bus to another ship in Regensburg, Germany, thereby skipping the low water in that particular part of the Danube.
Sure looks pretty but does it have enough water?
Although no one was exactly pleased to hear this, we all recognized that it was beyond Viking’s control and everyone was rather agreeable about the matter. However, just as we arrived in Melk the following day, our program director came over the loudspeaker to tell us all that she had just received good news and we were not going to have to swap ships after all. There was much cheering on board and the matter seemed settled. We all assumed this meant that there had been rain and the Danube was in better shape.
But that’s not the end of this little drama, so you will have to stay tuned for next time when I write about the German part of our tour…
Low Carb Sacher Torte
And now, as my tribute the the loveliness that is Austria, I present you with a recipe for low carb Sacher Torte. This is a traditional and somewhat controversial Viennese dessert, with two local institutions (The Hotel Sacher and Demel Bakery) laying claim to “The Original Sacher Torte” recipe. I will leave you to look that little bit of history up yourself, but suffice it to say that the Viennese are quite proud of this chocolate cake with its thin layers of apricot jam. I tried only a small taste of my husband’s while we were in Austria, but I knew it would be easy to put together a healthier version when I got home.
There are several companies that make sugar-free apricot jam. Most of them do so with sucralose, of which I am not a fan, so I stuck with the Nature’s Hollow version that is made with xylitol. I do find that xylitol raises my blood sugar a little more than erythritol, so I counted half of the carbs in this jam in the final carb count. But you could really use any jam here you like best.
Sacher torte is traditionally served with whipped cream that is unsweetened. I love this little touch because the cake itself is plenty sweet and the two combine so nicely together. But you could sweeten yours a little if you prefer.
The famous Viennese Sacher Torte, a dense chocolate cake, made low carb and grain-free.
- 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 6 large eggs separated and at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated Swerve Sweetener
- 1 cup almond flour sifted to remove any clumps (do not skip the sifting!)
- 1/3 cup sugar-free apricot jam Nature's Hollow or Polaner's*
- 2 tbsp water
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 1/3 cup confectioner's Swerve Sweetener
- 3 oz unsweetened chocolate finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch springform pan very well. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
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In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool.
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In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Beat in powdered sweetener for several minutes until well combined and smooth. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl and beaters as needed. Add chocolate and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
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In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add granulated sweetener and beat on high until soft peaks form. Stir about one quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites until almost combined but not quite.
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Add almond flour and fold in until just combined. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until set and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely.
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Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and then remove pan sides. Flip cake out onto a wire rack and carefully cut into two horizontal layers. Carefully transfer one layer to a serving platter (use two large flipping spatulas to help you move the layer without cracking).
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In a small bowl, whisk together the apricot jam and water until well combined. Spread about 2/3 of the filling over the first layer of cake. Carefully top with the second layer of cake and spread with remaining filling. Refrigerate while preparing the glaze.
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together whipping cream and powdered sweetener. Bring to just a simmer, then remove from heat and add chopped chocolate and vanilla. Let sit 5 minutes to melt and then whisk until smooth. Let cool 10 minutes to thicken.
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Pour glaze over the top of the cake, spreading to the edges. Let it drip slowly down the sides, spreading all over to cover completely.
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Refrigerate until glaze is set, about 1 hour. To cut into slices, warm a sharp knife in hot water. Serve with whipped cream (in Austria and Germany, they serve it with unsweetened whipped cream, but you can sweeten yours if you like. I love the creaminess of the unsweetened whipped cream).
Serves 12. Each serving has 10.7 g of carbs and 4.14 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 6.56 g.
Food energy: 350kcal
Total fat: 28.61g
Calories from fat: 257
Cholesterol: 133mg
Carbohydrate: 10.70g
Total dietary fiber: 4.14g
Protein: 8.23g
*you could really use any flavour of sugar-free jam you like best but apricot is traditional for sacher torte
Rachel says
Isn’t Europe amazing? I found it very humbling to see all the ruins and monuments that withstood the test of time. Made me realize that I am just a teeny tiny part of history. Very cool.
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
Wow – what an amazing experience!! Can’t wait to hear more. This torte is beautiful – love the apricot filling!
Becky Gardiner says
I’m following every installment of your trip since my husband and I are considering a river boat cruise in the next year or two. So far this one sounds like just what we want. Can’t wait to hear about the (ahem) challenges you experienced. I also look forward to making this torte!
Carolyn says
Wonderful! So glad I can provide the information.
Martha @ A Family Feast says
Wow – what an amazing trip! And that torte – equally amazing! Can’t wait to read about the rest of your cruise.
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says
I love reading about your trip! cruises are such a great way to travel.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Ah, this brings back so many memories! Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing your experience! And this sacher torte…WOW!
Kim Beaulieu says
This torte looks positively amazing. I want to reach through the screen and grab a slice. Love the photos of the trip.
Sandra says
I so enjoy reading about your travels and I am buying my apricot jam after I type this…..yum, yum!
Amy says
Your Sacher torte recipe looks delicious! I would love to have the option of going on a cruise that offered a low carb menu. It would make it possible to go on a dream vacation and not blow my diet. Imagine going on vacation, eating gourmet low carb food and not having an excess 10 pounds or so of carb induced fat to lose when you return home!
Margie says
Actually, there is a low carb cruise that happens every year. Just google it for details.
Jkim says
Carolyn,
I’m curious. Given that you were in Hungary, Austria, Germany, did you see refugees or get a sense of the magnitude of their plight?
Carolyn says
We did not see any refugees, but it was discussed quite a bit by our tour guides at every stop and it was on everyone’s mind. It was an interesting discussion on so many levels, getting the local views of what was happening. It’s a huge crisis and the systems are very overwhelmed, there’s no question about that.
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
Caroyln!! That torte is gorgeous! I can’t believe the top is so smooth and glassy looking! Perfection! The Ruins of Durnstein Castle may be ruins but wow, it’s so pretty!
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado says
This torte looks so rich and chocolately !!!
Sarah G says
So, do you whip heavy cream first before whisking with powdered sweetener?
Carolyn says
In the glaze? No, it’s not whipped.
Sarah G says
Hmmm, so is there any difference between whipping cream and heavy cream?
Carolyn says
No, in most cases they can be interchangeable. It’s often referred to as “heavy whipping cream”.
Sarah G says
Got it. Thanks.
Marilyn H says
Thinking about baking ahead for the holidays: do you think this torte would freeze well? With or without the glaze?
Carolyn says
Yes, I think it would freeze well but definitely without the glaze. Make the glaze only the day of. It’s much better fresh and starts to recrystallize after day 2 or 3.
Tom says
I’m not sure what happened with this one, but it was a complete disaster for me! I subbed gluten free flour for the almond flour, but it shouldn’t have made that much of a difference. I followed directions and used the minimum baking time, but it came out heavy, very dry and with not much flavor, except sweetness. Really disappointing given how labor intensive and expensive this was to make.
Carolyn says
Well, actually, I do think the substitution would be a big part of the problem. Almond flour has far more moisture and fat than a gluten-free flour blend made with grains. Also, gluten-free flour is meant to measure like regular flour, whereas I used less almond flour to avoid a heavy cake. So yup…it would make a big difference.
Margie says
This looks like an exquisite dessert. I always hesitate to bring low carb substitute foods to pot-luck events at work or other places. But this looks so amazing that I feel like I could bring it to an event with confidence that it could hold its own against other dishes.
BTW, I have to congratulate you on successfully combining a travel review with a recipe. It was all a delightful read and seems to be a great combination.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Margie! If I do more travel posts, I think that will be my “schtick”. I think it works well too.
Mindy says
Carolyn I just wanted to say thanks so much for your recipes! I made this Sacher Torte last night along with your Chicken Pot Pie with the cheesy biscuit crust and both recipes were a big hit with my date who is not doing low carb! I am so grateful to you as for years I thought I had to give-up on yummy comfort foods. (I refused to use dangerous artificial sweeteners, and I have a gluten intolerance.) I like using the Swerve and it tastes great! So far, every recipe I’ve used of yours is wonderful! I wish you had a recipe book as I would buy it! Do you have a recipe for a hot mocha coffee? I have been trying to create one like Starbucks but mine falls short. Mindy
Carolyn says
Working on the cookbook! I have a couple great hot chocolate recipes and you can add a shot of espresso…I do!
Gabriella says
Carolyn,
I’ve been d joking several of your recipes already, and yesterday I made the Sacher tort for an intimate Christmas dinner with my hubby and in laws. It was a huge success!! Thank you so much! I also tasted the original in Vienna 15 years ago on our honeymoon and I am so grateful for your scrumptious ,low carb version! Tasted just like the original! ( I sliced up the rest into half sized portion and froze them for treats for me:):)
Thank you for your hard work and have s wonderful new year!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Gabriella! Glad it met with your expectations.
Mihir says
thanks for the recipe! quick question: are powdered Swerve and confectioner’s Swerve the same thing?
Carolyn says
Yes, and I use them interchangeably.
Sabine says
I can’t wait to try this recipe – especially as I am Austrian, living a low carb live – mostly 😉 and do have cravings for chocolate 🙂
Barb says
My husband and i are eating low carb and are looking for travel where the menu is low carb rather than having dry meat and veggies lol. Not sure if you are offering a low carb river cruise or not but we would be very interested!
Sandra / sabo says
Thank you so much for sharing. I put it into german measures and have it sitting on my blog now.
Merry Christmas!
Sandra
Jackie says
I was just reminiscing about our trip to Vienna with my husband and your recipe for Sacher Torte popped up in my Pintrest (honestly, within the hour…it’s like the computer was eavesdropping) For us, Sacher Torte is a running joke. When we were in Vienna, I really wanted to go into the Hotel Sacher and sample this cake that I had been reading about. My husband was not interested and wanted to go to a different place for a snack. 5 years later he finally tried Sacher Torte, and now counts it amongst his favorite desserts. I rub it in…often (LOL) We are both Low Carb now and only indulge on vacations. I am looking forward to treating him to this low carb variety of one of his favorite treats.
Debbie says
Your cruise sounds lovely. I am not a fan of apricot anything…do you think i could sub sf raspberry jam instead? Or leave out the jam altogether? It wouldnt be the traditional torte but ….
Carolyn says
Sure, raspberry jam would be fine.