Sacher Torte

9in cake from Vienna.  For best results, use high quality ingredients: it is a simple recipe, without almonds, hazelnuts, coconut butter, rum or vanilla.  Either a Sacher glaze or ganache glaze is good.

• Preheat oven 350F;
• Melt chocolate gently, preferrably maintaining temper, cooled, pref to about 89F;
• Line 9in springform base, grease sides;
• Cream butter  (beat 1 min);
• Cream in powdered sugar (beat 2 min);
• Stir in yolks 1 or 2 at a time (beat 10 secs each);
• Beat until smooth, about 1 min;
• Gradually beat in melted chocolate (beat to mix, do not let it solidfy);
• Beat egg whites, then beat while adding sugar gradually;
• Beat until medium stiff;
• Fold egg whites into batter in 2 or 3 additions;
• Fold in flour a bit at a time;
• Bake, reducing temp to 325F, for 50-60 mins, until the cake springs back when lightly pressed, or when a cake tester comes out clean;
• Cool in tin for 10 mins;
• Loosen side by running a knife around, and release springform;
• Place bottom-down on rack (normally use base for bottom);
• Allow to cool completely;
• Cut in half horizontally;
• Heat half jam and strain  to sandwich the two layers together;
• Heat and strain remaining jam to coat the torte thinly with the remainder of the hot jam. Gently emphasize the rounded edges of the top. The apricot masking is a base for the icing. It also helps to keep the cake moist and the chocolate glossy.
• Fill center pureed jam;
• Thin layer of warmed and sieved jam top and sides

• Best served fresh with freshly beaten, lightly sweetened cream, which the Austrians call "Schlagobers."

• 2007/01/27: Cake as recipe, 50mins.  6T strained jam inside, 4T outside.  Refigerated.  Topped with Ganache: 7oz 815 choc, 1/2c cream, 3T syrup.  Topping was viscous but not easy to set.  Left in garage over night.  Total chocolate: 11oz.