Cheat's Sachertorte

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
75g soft, unsalted butter
75g caster sugar
2 large eggs
½ tsp lemon juice
100g ground almonds
3 tbsp self-raising flour
100g good apricot jam thinned with a little water (or brandy) and warmed.

For the chocolate glaze:
100ml water
150g caster sugar
1 tbsp good quality cocoa powder

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 190°C and line an 18cm cake tin with non-stick paper.

For the glaze, whisk the water, sugar, cocoa and lemon juice until smooth. Bring this to a boil in a deep saucepan and simmer for a minute. Cool for five minutes then stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth. Tip into a measuring jug and keep warm.

Make the cake by whisking the butter, sugar and one egg until fluffy. Separate the remaining egg, saving the white in a clean bowl. Beat the yolk, almonds and half the chocolate with the sponge mixture. With a clean whisk beat the egg white into stiff peaks. Sieve the flour on the cake mixture, fold through then quickly and gently fold-in the beaten egg white.

Gently scrape this cake mix into a tin, secure a sheet of foil over the top and bake for 30–35 minutes, until firm.

Leave to cool, covered, in its tin then slice lengthways into three or four thin layers. Spread each layer with jam, reassemble then pour the remaining glaze over the top and sides.

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