Margaret Kaiser passed along a link to a recipe for Sachertorte, that über-traditional Vienna confection! Interestingly, it comes from a cruise line... and one might wonder, given the distance of Vienna to an ocean, why a cruise line would feature Sachertorte, until you note that it was a river cruise line, Viking River Cruises... and they cruise the Danube so a Viennese treat makes much sense. Here is their interpretation of this Austrian treasure, first created by Franz Sacher in 1832:

SACHERTORTE
(from Margaret Kaiser)

Ingredients-cake:
  • 9-inch springform pan
  • 5 oz. softened butter
  • 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 8 eggs (SEPARATED)
  • 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate
  • 2/3 cup of flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. apricot jam

Ingredients-glaze:
  • 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
  • 2 Tbsp. butter

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cream together butter and powdered sugar. Separate the eggs 1 at a time, straining the egg whites into a separate mixing bowl, and add the egg yolk to the butter/powdered sugar, mixing until creamy. Melt the 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler or microwave; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in flour.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into a lined 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 50-65 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Heat apricot jam and smooth over entire torte, including the sides.

For glaze, melt the 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate with butter and frost the cake. Serve with whipped cream.

Notes:
Makes 8-10 servings.