← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 150 g dark chocolate (60–70%), chopped
• 125 g unsalted butter, soft
• 50 g Icing sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 pinch Salt
• 100 g caster sugar
• 125 g plain flour
• 200 g apricot jam
• 150 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 150 ml double (heavy) cream
• 15 g Butter

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Butter a 23 cm springform tin and line the base. Melt the chocolate gently over simmering water or in the microwave and leave to cool slightly.
2. Beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until pale, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time and fold in the melted chocolate.
3. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks, then gradually whisk in the caster sugar until thick and glossy. Fold a third of the whites into the chocolate to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest alternately with the sifted flour.
4. Spread in the tin and bake for 40–45 min until risen and a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 min, then on a rack.
5. Warm the jam and sieve it. Slice the cake in half horizontally, spread half the jam on the base and replace the top. Brush the remaining jam over the top and sides and leave for 15 min to set.
6. For the glaze, heat the cream until steaming, pour over the chocolate and butter and stir until smooth. Cool for 5 min until slightly thickened, then pour over the cake in one go and let it run down the sides, smoothing with a palette knife. Leave to set for 1 hour.

Tips

• Serve each slice with a big spoon of lightly sweetened whipped cream, as they do in Vienna.
• The jam layer seals the cake so the glaze stays glossy; don’t skip brushing the sides.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Food BBC Good Food King Arthur Baking