Sacher Torte

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust the pan with flour then tap out the excess flour. Set pan aside.

In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer, whip the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. (I used my stand mixer and poured the beaten whites into a separate bowl when they were done.)

In a small bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour with the almond flour and salt. Set aside.

In your stand mixer bowl (or with your handheld mixer and a bowl), beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until mixture is fluffy. Beat in the chocolate, then beat in the flour mixture. Then beat in one-fourth of the whites. Then, using a spatula, gently fold in the rest of the whites until no streaks remain.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake in the center rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Mine took 45 minutes. Keep an eye on it.

When done remove pan from the oven and set it on a rack. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then remove the ring and let the cake cool completely. Invert the cake onto a plate and peel off the parchment. Turn the cake right side up and set it on a platter. Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally in half. Set cakes aside.

For the filling and glaze:

In a small microwave-safe bowl, whisk 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves with the 1/4 cup of water and microwave until melted. This will take 45 seconds to a minute but make sure to give it a good stir about halfway through.

Set the bottom of the springform pan on a wire rack and set the rack on a baking sheet. Arrange the bottom cake layer, cut side up, on the bottom of the springform pan. Brush the cake with 1/2 of the melted apricot preserves, coating it well. Spread 2/3 to 1 cup of the un-melted preserves on top of that. Flip the top layer over so the cut side is facing up, and brush with the remaining melted preserves. Set the top layer, cut side down, on top of the bottom layer, making sure it is even.

In the microwave-safe bowl, microwave the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves until melted, about 30 seconds. Press the preserves into a bowl through a strainer to remove the solids. Brush the strained preserves all over the cake until completely coated. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until set.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk the corn syrup with the rum and 2 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil. Cook until slightly thickened, whisking occasionally, about 1 minute. Put the bittersweet chocolate into a heatproof bowl and pour the hot mixture on top. Let it stand until melted, then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate glaze is too thick to pour, whisk in another tablespoon of hot water. Let cool until warm.

Slowly pour half of the warm chocolate glaze onto the middle of the top of the cake, allowing it to gently coat the top and spread down the sides. With a spatula (off-set or regular), spread the glaze to evenly coat the torte. Repeat pouring and spreading with remaining chocolate mixture. Allow glaze to finish dripping then scrape up excess glaze and fill in any holes as needed. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to set the glaze, then cut the torte into wedges and serve with the whipped cream. Enjoy!