The recipe is taken from several different sources:
www.applepiepatispate.com, original source apparently Professional Baking and Advanced Bread and Pastry
Kaffeehaus: The Best Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague
Cocolat by Alice Medrich
The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
Torte
6 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (91 grams)
scant 1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (50-64% cocoa), melted and cooled
5 large egg yolks
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
5 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3.2 oz/ 91 grams cake flour
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 8 x 2 inch cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and dust lightly with flour.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate, egg yolks, and vanilla extract in stages, mixing to incorporation with each addition.
Whip the egg whites with the salt. Add the sugar and whip to soft peaks.Using a rubber spatula, alternate folding in the flour with the meringue in about 4 or 6 additions. Begin with the flour and end with the meringue.
Pour the batter into the lined cake pan. Place the cake pan on a cookie sheet or sheet pan (not sure why). Level and bake immediately for 45 to 55 minutes, until the sides pull away from the pan and a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Most tortes can sit at room temperature for several days, but this one got a bit... gooey on the edges the second day, so try to use it the day it's made.
Apricot Glaze
1 1/4 cups apricot preserves
2 tablespoons golden rum or water
Bring the preserves and rum to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Cook, stirring often, until the last drops that cling to the spoon are very sticky and reluctant to leave the spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain through a wire sieve into a small bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Use warm. Red currant glaze can be substituted, just use red currant preserves instead of apricot.
OR
Just process the apricot jam in a food processor until smooth and slightly runny, about 20 seconds.
for an 8-10 inch torte, store at room temperature
6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used 60%), cut into pieces
4 oz (1 stick) sweet butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Place chocolate butter, and corn syrup in a small bowl. Melt gently in a water bath over low heat, stirring frequently until almost completely melted. Do not overheat the glaze, there is no need to warm it above 120 degrees. Remove glaze from water bath and set aside to finish melting, stirring once or twice until glaze is perfectly smooth. Or, melt in a microwave on medium (50%) for about two minutes. Stir mixture gently with a spatula or a wooden spoon until completely smooth; do not whisk or beat.
1. Once the torte is cool, level it by trimming the top or pressing it with the bottom of the cake pan. Slice the cake into two even layers with a long serrated knife.
2. Place the bottom cake layer on a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread 1/2 cup of the processed apricot jam or apricot glaze, right to the edges. Place the second layer on top and press lightly to adhere. Spread the remaining jam over the top and sides of the cake, letting any excess drip onto the baking sheet. Refrigerate the cake, uncovered, until the apricot jam is set, about 30 minutes.
3. Warm the chocolate glaze to 90-92 degrees. If there are crumbs or air bubbles in the glaze, pour glaze through a very fine strainer just before pouring it over the cake (Unnecessary step? Bubbles can be popped after the glaze is poured). Center the crumb-coated torte on a platter or turntable, with parchment paper underneath to catch extra glaze. Have ready a clean, dry metal icing spatula. Pour all of the glaze in a puddle in the center of the top of the torte. Working quickly use just two or three spatula strokes to spread the glaze over the top of the torte so that it runs over all sides of the torte. This is easiest if you rotate the turntable or platter as you spread. If there are any bare spots on the sides of the cake, use the spatula or a finger to scoop up excess glaze and touch it to the bare spots to cover them. Don't respread or resmooth glaze once it is poured and starting to set (the best looking glaze is poured, not spread).