Categories: Chocolate, Cakes/choc. 
      Yield: 16 servings 
  
------------------------------------CAKE------------------------------------ 
  2 1/2 c  Cake flour                        1/3 c  Unsweetened cocoa 
      1 ts Baking soda                       1/2 ts Salt 
      1 c  Butter                              2 c  Sugar 
      3    Eggs                                1 ts Vanilla 
  1 1/3 c  Water                          
 
----------------------------------FILLING---------------------------------- 
      1    10/12 oz jar apricot preserv   
 
---------------------------CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM--------------------------- 
    1/4 c  Butter, softened                    1 c  Sifted powdered sugar 
    1/4 c  Sifted cocoa                      1/4 c  Milk 
    1/2 ts Vanilla                        
 
-----------------------------------GLAZE----------------------------------- 
      1 c  Sugar                             1/2 c  Unsweetened cocoa 
    1/4 c  Heavy cream                       1/4 c  Water 
  
      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans. 
      To prepare the cake, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking 
  soda and salt.  In a large bowl, with electric mixer on medium, beat butter 
  and sugar until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a 
  time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla.  With mixer on low, 
  alternately beat in flour mixture and water.  Pour batter into pans.  Bake 
  for 30 - 35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 
  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans: cool on rack. 
   
      Using a sharp knife, split each layer in half horizontally.  Spread 3 
  layers with the preserves. 
   
      To prepare the butter cream filling, beat butter until light and fluffy 
  Alternately beat in sugar, cocoa and milk.  Add vanilla.  Spread 1/3 of the 
  butter cream over each layer with apricot preserves.  Stack layers, ending 
  with the plain layer. 
   
      To prepare the glaze, in a small saucepan, mix sugar, cocoa, heavy 
  cream and water.  Cook over low heat, stirring, until smooth.  Bring to a 
  boil: Boil for 1 minute.  Cool slightly. 
   
      Place cake on rack over wax paper.  Pour glaze over the cake, spread- 
  ing to evenly coat.  Chill 30 minutes or until set.  Garnish with whipped 
  cream piped around the top edge and spot the chopped pistashios around the 
  top of the whipped cream. 
   
  This is from one of my MIL's clippings from Women's Day.  Date unknown 
   
  Shared by Robert Rostrup