Sachertorte full of surprises

Given that Zagreb was once a part of the Habsburg Empire, a consignment of exquisitely baked sachertorte might not raise any eyebrows in the Croatian capital.

Indeed, cake-lovers across Europe and beyond take delight in savouring the fabled confection, so indelibly associated with Vienna and the legendary Hotel Sacher.

However, Slovenian police seized a legion of cakes destined for Zagreb after suspicions were aroused that something was not quite right about the men driving the custom towards the border.

As it turned out, the chocolate-covered cakes which had come via Germany from South Africa - contained 100 kilograms of cocaine, with a current market value of 8 million euros.

Three Croatian men have been arrested in connection with the crime.

The authentic sachertorte is a sponge cake with a layer of apricot jam and chocolate icing. It is traditionally served with whipped cream.

The Hotel Sacher in Vienna sends tens of thousands of the cakes, around the world each year. However, the aforementioned cakes were not created by the hotel's confectioner.