Categories: Desserts, Chocolate 
      Yield: 1 servings 
  
           Cake layers:                        1 tb Hot water 
     14 lg Eggs, separated                          Ganache: 
  1 3/4 c  Sugar                           1 1/2 c  Heavy cream 
      9 oz Bittersweet chocolate, melte        6 oz Bittersweet chocolate, chopp 
           - and cooled                             -d fine 
           Buttercream:                             Assembly: 
      1 c  Sugar                             3/4 c  Apricot preserves, heated to 
      2 lg Eggs                                     -ukewarm 
  1 1/2 c  Unsalted butter, softened                Chocolate coffee beans for d 
      3 tb Instant espresso, dissolved              -coration 
           -n                              
  
  Line 2 greased jelly-roll pans, 15x10x1-inch each, with wax paper and 
  butter and flour the paper, shaking off excess.  In a large bowl with an 
  electric mixer, beat the egg yolks.  Add slowly 1-1/2 cups sugar, beating, 
  and beat the mixture until it is thick and pale and forms a ribbon. Add the 
  chocolate and combine the batter well. 
   
  In another large bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they 
  hold soft peaks.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar slowly, and beat until 
  whites hold stiff peaks.  Stir a fourth of the whites into the yolk 
  mixture, fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly, and pour the 
  batter into the pans, spreading it evenly.  Bake the cake layers in the 
  middle of a preheated 375f oven for 18-20 minutes or until pick test. Let 
  cake layers cool in the pans, covered with kitchen towels on large racks. 
  Invert the cake layers onto the racks and remove the wax paper carefully. 
   
  Buttercream:      In a small heavy saucepan, dissolve sugar in 1/3 cup 
  water over moderate heat, stirring.  Bring mixture to a boil, and boil it 
  until it registers240f on a candy thermometer. 
   
  In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat eggs until they are frothy. 
  Add sugar syrup in a thin stream, beating, and beat the mixture until it is 
  cool.  Beat in the butter, one Tbsp at a time. Beat in expresso powder and 
  a pinch of salt.  Beat the buttercream until it is combined well. If 
  necessary, chill the buttercream, covered, until it is firm enough to 
  spread. 
   
  Ganache:     In a large heavy saucepan, bring cream just to a boil and 
  remove from heat.  Add chocolate and stir until it is smooth. Transfer 
  mixture to a bowl and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until it is 
  cool and thickened.  Do not let it solidify.  Beat the mixture until it 
  just forms soft peaks, but do not overbeat. 
   
  Assembly:        Force preserves through a fine sieve into a bowl. Transfer 
  the cake layers to a work surface. Trim edges and halve each layer 
  lengthwise.  On a serving plate, arrange one layer, spread with a third of 
  the preserves, and spread a third of the ganache over the preserves. Top 
  with another layer and proceed with the preserves, ganache and cake in the 
  same manner, ending with a cake layer on top. Spread the sides and top of 
  the cake with a thin layer of buttercream an chill for 30 minutes. Spread 
  on additional buttercream, leaving about 1/3 cup to make rosettes. With a 
  pastry comb or tines of a fork, score the buttercream lengthwise. Draw the 
  back of a knife crosswise across the scored buttercream at intervals. 
  Transfer the remaining buttercream to a small pastry bag fitted with a 
  decorative tip. Pipe rosettes on top of the torte along the long sides and 
  intersperse the rosettes with chocolate coffee beans. Chill. 
   
  Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. 
   
  a 1989 Gourmet Mag. favorite