This Vegan Sacher Torte recipe is an exclusive from Maja Brekalo’s new cookbook Bake It Vegan: Simple, Delicious Plant-Based Cakes, Cookies, Brownies, Chocolates and More. Click here to find out where you can purchase a copy of the book.
Disclaimer: the cookbooks we feature are independently selected by our Best of Vegan editors and are in no way sponsored by the author and/or the publisher. All content is used with permission.
Maja Brekalo is the founder of Delicious & Healthy by Maya. She teaches vegan cooking and baking workshops, and has been featured in Vogue Paris, HuffPost, Eluxe Magazine, The Chalkboard, Thrive Magazine and more. She lives in Zagreb, Croatia, with her family.

Vegan Sacher Torte
Ingredients
- Cake
- 2 cups 480 ml oat or almond milk, room temperature
- 2 tsp 10 ml apple cider vinegar
- 2½ cups 310 g white spelt flour
- 1 tbsp 10 g tapioca starch
- 2 tsp 7 g baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup 65 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups 195 g coconut sugar
- ⅔ cup 160 ml melted extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup 280 g smooth apricot jam
- Chocolate Glaze
- ⅓ cup 50 g unrefined cocoa butter
- ⅓ cup 80 ml maple syrup
- 5 tbsp 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp 45 ml oat milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
- Mix the milk with the vinegar and let it sit to sour for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Prepare two 8-inch (20-cm) round springform pans. Grease them lightly and cover the bottom with parchment paper.
- Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the oil and lemon juice and pour the mixture into the dry ingredients. Using a silicone spatula or a large wooden spoon, mix gently and add the soured milk gradually. You will get a fluffy, smooth batter.
- Divide the batter equally between the two prepared springform pans. Shake them to level and tap gently a few times on the countertop so the bubbles are settled.
- Put the pans in the oven, and bake the cakes for 25 minutes. After the time has elapsed, test if they’re done with a toothpick. Insert it into the cakes, piercing it all the way to the bottom. If it comes out clean, with just a few crumbs on it, the cakes are done. If there’s any batter on it, bake the cakes for another 5 minutes and test again. If the toothpick is still a little wet, leave it for another 5 minutes in the hot oven with the heat off.
- Transfer the cake pans to a cooling rack and leave them to cool for about 10 minutes. When they’re cool enough to be taken out of the pan, turn the cakes over on the cooling rack. Remove the paper. Leave the cakes to cool upside down so the tops flatten.
- When the cakes are completely cooled down, place the jam in a small pot and warm it over a low flame, stirring until smooth. Turn the bottom cake upside down to get an even surface on top so the cakes will neatly stack. Alternatively, use a knife to cut the tops of the cakes to level them. Brush the top of both cake halves with the jam and place one on top of the other. Brush the sides and top with the jam as well.
- To prepare the glaze, melt the cocoa butter in a double boiler, then add the syrup and stir until combined. Add the cocoa and keep stirring until smooth. Remove it from the boiler and add the milk, whisking continuously until smooth.
- Apply the glaze to the cake using a spatula. Glaze the sides and top of the cake, and smooth it out as best as you can. Place the cake in the refrigerator to firm up.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least half an hour before serving, so both the sponge and the glaze soften. If you’re letting the cake rest for a day or more before serving, keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container to avoid drying out the cake. It will keep for up to 10 days.
Notes
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Reprinted with permission from Bake it Vegan by Maja Brekalo, Page Street Publishing Co. 2021. Photo credit: Maja Brekalo.
Click here or on the photo above to get your copy.
About the Book
Craveable Vegan Desserts Made Easier Than Ever
Making the perfect vegan dessert just got simple! With this approachable collection of treats, you can satisfy your sweet tooth without relying on unhealthy artificial sweeteners or processed ingredients. Maja Brekalo combines all-natural ingredients with a whole lot of creativity and flavor to share desserts that taste decadent but are also good for you.
You can “veganize” classics with recipes like The Chocolate Cake, Buttery Almond Thumbprint Cookies or the Fudgiest Bakery-Style Brownies. Bake vegan for breakfast or tea time with a Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread or Peach and Blackberry Galette. And you should definitely try fun no-bake and raw favorites like Pecan Salted Caramel Slices, Individual Neapolitan Cheesecakes and Nutella Cake.
All of these treats are a breeze to whip up yet sure to impress, with so much variety that you’ll definitely find a new go-to dessert. Whether you’re a vegan or just looking for healthier takes on your traditional favorites, this cookbook has something for you.
I wonder if 480ml isn’t a way to much. Cake is tasty but fell apart and looks like disaster. It was cake for my husbands birthday because he loves Sacher cake. It’s covered with chocolate so no big deal.