Bring 400 g milk and 100 g sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Whisk the remaining 100 g milk with 40 g cornstarch, pour into the boiling milk and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until thick. Remove from heat, stir in 150 g chopped chocolate and cover the surface with film.

Ingredients

• 300 gEgg, whole, raw, fresh
• 150 gSugars, granulated
• 120 gWheat flour, white, all-purpose, unenriched
• 30 gCornstarch
• 40 gButter, without salt
• 500 gMilk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D
• 40 gCornstarch
• 100 gSugars, granulated
• 150 gCandies, semisweet chocolate
• 250 gButter, without salt
• 80 gJams and preserves, apricot
• 150 gCandies, semisweet chocolate
• 25 gButter, without salt

Method

1. Bring 400 g milk and 100 g sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Whisk the remaining 100 g milk with 40 g cornstarch, pour into the boiling milk and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until thick. Remove from heat, stir in 150 g chopped chocolate and cover the surface with film.
2. Let the pudding cool to room temperature of about 20 °C; butter and pudding must be at the same temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Whisk the eggs with 150 g sugar for 10 minutes into a thick pale foam, gently fold in the sifted flour with 30 g cornstarch and finally 40 g melted lukewarm butter.
4. Draw a 26 cm circle on seven sheets of baking paper and spread one seventh of the batter (about 90 g) on each in a thin even layer.
5. Bake the layers two at a time for 7 minutes at 200 °C until pale golden (four batches), peel off the paper at once and cool on a rack.
6. Beat the soft butter (250 g) for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy and beat in the cooled chocolate pudding a spoonful at a time.
7. Stack the layers, spreading each except the top one with about 145 g cream; spread the rest (about 155 g) thinly around the side of the cake.
8. Chill the cake for 30 minutes to firm up.
9. Melt 150 g chocolate with 25 g butter over a water bath; warm the apricot jam (80 g) slightly.
10. Brush the top layer with a thin coat of jam, then pour the glaze over the top and sides of the cake and smooth it.
11. Chill the cake for 60 minutes to set and cut into 16 slices with a knife dipped in hot water.