Position oven shelves; preheat oven to moderately slow. Grease deep 22cm- round cake pan, line base with baking paper.
Combine chopped chocolate and the water in small saucepan; using wooden spoon, stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat.
Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until combined. Mixture will curdle at this stage but will come together later.
Transfer mixture to large bowl; using wooden spoon, stir in sifted flour, cocoa, almond meal and warm chocolate mixture. Mix well, pour into prepared pan.
Bake cake in moderately slow oven about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stand cake 10 minutes then turn onto wire rack; turn cake top-side up to cool.
Using serrated knife, split cold cake in half; sandwich layers with jam. Place cake on wire rack over tray; using metal spatula, spread a thin layer of ganache over cake.
Heat remaining ganache over saucepan of simmering water, stirring, until of pouring consistency; strain into medium jug. Using metal spatula and working quickly, pour ganache over cake, smoothing it all over top and side. Stand at room temperature until ganache sets.
Spoon melted into small paper piping bag; pipe SACHER on top of cake, allow to set at room temperature.
For the ganache: Place chocolate and cream in small heatproof bowl; using wooden spoon, stir over small saucepan of simmering water until chocolate melts.
Tips: Jam can be warmed in the microwave oven for about 10 seconds on HIGH (100%).
It is important that the water never touches the bottom of the bowl. The bowl should be of such a size that it sits comfortably over a saucepan of complementary size.
Ganache sets at room temperature; if refrigerated, ganache will set.
Storage:
Iced cake can be kept up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Un-iced cake can be kept up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Un-iced cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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