Sachertorte their cakes have become an integral part of Viennese culture. Bookstore/coffee houses often provide the same type of environment, a place to relax, meet friends or family and talk about important issues in peoples lives. A number of new franchises being established shows a sign that America has embraced part of this exported Viennese culture. Sachertorte Sachertorte () is a specific type of chocolate cake, or torte, invented by Austrian Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties. December 5th is National Sachertorte Day in the
Merveilleux (cake) Merveilleux (cake) The merveilleux (marvelous) is a small cake that originated in Belgium and is now found in France and some U.S. cities. It consists of a sandwich of two light meringues welded with whipped cream which has been covered with whipped cream and dusted with chocolate shavings. A candied cherry sometimes decorates the cake. The confectioner and chocolatier Pierre Marcolini developed his own version, as did the French confectioner Frédéric Vaucamps, and Etty Benhamou of Le Mervetty. Vaucamp named each of his variations using comparable adjectives– "Impensable" or "unthinkable" for coffee, "Excentrique" or "eccentric" for cherry, and "Magnifique" or