Dreaming about the cakes in Vienna? Vienna, city of cakes! Make sure you try these fabulous cakes during your trip to Vienna to get the best possible culinary experience during your time in this fabulous city. We spent three weeks munching our way through Vienna and these were our favorite Viennese cakes that we tried. Read on to discover the best cakes in Vienna and where to enjoy them. If you are excited about exploring the food scene in Vienna, read about wine tasting in Vienna next!
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Cakes in Vienna
There are so many delicious cakes to try in Vienna. This list will help you make sure you don’t miss the best ones during your stay. Plan an afternoon cake break for each day of your stay. Choose a couple cakes to try from this list or try them all during your trip!
Sacher Torte
Probably the most famous cake in Vienna, the Sacher Torte was created in 1832. As the story goes, the court of Prince Metternich requested a dessert be created for a special occasion. The chef was sick at the time so unavailable to make the dessert. Instead, 16 year old Franz Sacher took his place and made a his creation : a Sacher torte for the occasion.
The cake continues to be made using Franz Sacher’s original recipe and is best serve with (unsweetened) whipped cream.
Sacher Torte is a dense dark chocolate cake made with a layer of apricot jam and topped with a dark chocolate glaze.
It is quite a rich chocolate cake.
You have to try the authentic, original Sacher Torte from Hotel Sacher. There are a few ways to try the original Hotel Sacher Sacher Torte.
You can book a table at Café Sacher and sit down and have the cake there. You can also book a table at Blaue Bar, one of the most beautiful bars in the world, also inside Hotel Sacher or one of their other restaurants or cafes, Rote Bar restaurant, Grüne Bar restaurant or Café Bel Etage.
We went to the Sacher Café and Blaue Bar and loved them both.
You can also book the Riding Dinner Sacher Edition, the best horse drawn carriage ride Vienna, that includes a ride in a beautiful horse drawn carriage, a slice of the original Sacher Torte for each person experiencing the ride and a bottle of Hotel Sacher’s very special Sacher Cuvée sparkling white wine.
It is such a fun experience and was one of the highlights of our time in Vienna!
Sisi cake
Chocolate cake, red currant jam, blueberry marzipan, and Massa Ticino liquor come together to make the elegant cake Sisi cake, named after Empress Sisi of Austria.
Try the fabulous Sisi cake at Café Gerstner. There are a few different Café Gerstner locations but head to the Palais Todesco location for the most beautiful experience. The interiors are absolutely stunning!
Banana cake
This banana cake is a Café Landtmann creation so go there to try it.
Reminiscent of a banana split in cake form, this scrumptious cake includes layers of cake, chocolate mousse and fresh banana.
FYI, this is a very popular cake and it’s often sold out at Café Landtmann, especially if you visit in the evening (which we highly recommend, it’s one of our favorite spots in Vienna for an evening drink).
Don’t worry if the banana cake is sold out when you visit Café Landtmann. Café Landtmann delivers their cakes to a few other cafés across the city, so just head to one of the other cafés that serve Café Landtmann’s cakes.
We saw Café Landtmann cakes at both Café Museum and Café Mozart and tried the famous banana cake at Café Mozart.
Chocolate mousse cake
Imagine a rich, creamy, dark chocolate mousse transformed into one of the most fabulous cakes that has ever existed and you will start to have an idea of Viennese chocolate mousse cake. It is do decadent and so tasty!
The best one to try is at Oberlaa. All of the pastries at Oberlaa are stunning, you could spend a week in Vienna trying just their cakes alone. If you must choose just one, make it the chocolate mousse cake. This was one of the best slices of cake we’ve ever had anywhere!
Poppy cake
Poppy cake may be a bit of an acquired taste but if you love nuttier cakes (think walnut cake, pecan pie, etc.), you may enjoy it.
Somewhat similar to the Sacher Torte, this poppy cake is filled to the brim with poppy seeds, a layer of jam and wrapped in a thick layer of dark chocolate.
It wasn’t my favorite cake we had in Vienna but Hugo loved it and it is a classic Viennese cake so I thought it was important to include it for you here!
The best poppy cake is at Conditorei Sluka!
Esterhazy
Esterhazy is a classic Hungarian cake that you will find in coffee houses and pastry shops across Vienna.
It consists of buttercream filling, generous layers of dacquoise and toasted hazelnuts and the top is always a signature feathered glazed design.
You will see Esterhazy tortes on many menus, but the best one we tried was at L. Heiner.
Chocolate and raspbery pastry
I always think the combination of chocolate and raspberry is absolutely magical and I adored this cake.
This cake is composed of a rich chocolate mousse layer, a crunchy base and rasberry cream and is topped with a homemade raspberry marshmallow and a fresh raspberry. Perfection!
It is one of the creations at Café Central so head there to try it!
Chocolate dome
We also had this incredible chocolate dome at Café Central.
The chocolate dome has a dark chocolate mousse center and is wrapped in a layer of crunchy dark chocolate. It also has a gorgeous piece of chocolate on top. Such a tasty dessert!
Drink pairings
Coffee is typically the drink of choice to go with your cake in Vienna. Traditional coffee houses in Vienna offer a long list of different coffee drinks (classic black coffee, coffee with milk, coffee with milk and a wide variety of liquors…).
We were excited to try coffee in our Viennese coffee house adventures, but sadly, we didn’t think the coffee was very good. It is also quite expensive.
It is typical to pay 6-10€ for coffee in a typical Viennese coffee house. We are used to paying a lot for coffee (we live in Paris!) but at those prices, we expect the coffee to be excellent.
A great alternative drink to pair with your cake(s) of choice, is wine! We were delighted to discover Austrian wine during our three weeks in Vienna.
Grüner Veltliner is a classic, local choice and a safe bet in any coffee house across the city. This Austrian white wine has notes of citrus and hints of white pepper. It is slightly acidic, making it a refreshing choice when paired with something sweet.
Sparkling wine is a delicious choice as well. Hotel Sacher offers their oven Sacher Cuvée of sparkling wine which pairs perfectly with their Sacher Torte. You will also find Prosecco and Champagne on most coffee house and pastry shop menus.
Another fantastic sparkling wine on most menus in Vienna is Schlumberger sparkling wine. We did a wine tasting in Vienna at the Schlumberger wine cellar and loved learning more about how their wine is made and trying three of their sparkling rosés and one of their sparkling white wines.
Make reservations where you can in advance!
A lot of the best known coffee houses and konditorei fill up quickly and you don’t want to spend your precious time in Vienna waiting on line.
Reservations at Café Sacher, Blaue Bar, and Café Central are absolutely essential but reserve any where you can in advance. It will save you time, hassle and stress and make for a smoother and happier trip!
Activities to book in advance in Vienna
- Belvedere Palace – book your tickets in advance to see the largest collection of Klimt in the World, including the famous Kiss
- Schönbrunn Palace – no trip to Vienna is complete without experience the majesty that is Schönbrunn Palace!
- Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Concert in Karlskirche – don’t miss a classical music concert during your time in Vienna.
- Light of Creation Votive Church Immersive Light Show – we absolutely loved this beautiful light performance inside the gorgeous Votive Church!
- Spanish Riding School Training Practice – another one of our favorite experiences was watching the Lipizzaner horses during their morning training
- Spanish Riding School Performance – if you time, catch a performance as well!
- Kunsthistorisches Museum – one of the best museums in Vienna, see the secret Klimt paintings in the staircase and more
- Schlumberger Sparkling Wine Tasting – learn about, and taste, some fantastic sparkling Schlumberger local Austrian wine!
- Riding Dinner Sacher Experience – read all about our experience tasting Sacher Torte and Sacher Cuvée sparkling wine while enjoying a beautiful horse drawn carriage ride
- Café Sacher (& all other Hotel Sacher cafés and restaurants)
- Café Central
- Café Landtmann
- Café Gerstner
Where to stay in Vienna
- Hotel Sacher – a beautiful hotel, home of the famous Sacher Cafe and directly across the street from the World-famous Vienna Opera House
- Hotel Imperial – a stunning, historical hotel located right on the Ringstrasse
- 25 Hours Hotel Vienna – this hotel is more affordably priced and still well-located, close to many interesting museums
Read more about Vienna
- Discover the Light of Creation Immersive Light Show in Vienna
- Discover what to eat in Vienna
- Enjoy the most romantic things to do in Vienna
Cakes in Vienna
Enjoy these cakes in Vienna!
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