1. Prepare the ganache: Place the chocolate in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring the cream to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes; stir until combined and smooth. Cover and chill 3 hours.

2. Prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Set a pan one third full of water on to simmer. Butter a jelly-roll pan; line with parchment paper; butter and flour the parchment.

3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Place the bowl over, but not touching, the water and whisk constantly 4 minutes, until the mixture is lukewarm. Remove the bowl from the heat. Beat at high speed 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture thickens.

4. Sift the flour and salt together. Sift the flour mixture into the the batter one third at a time. Using a rubber spatula, fold just until the flour is incorporated. Add the vanilla and butter, folding just until distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly and bake in the center of the oven 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool the cake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a rack, remove the parchment, and let cool completely. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir the preserves until smooth.

6. In the large bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the ganache until it thickens and holds its shape. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with the star tip.

7. Using a serrated knife, slice the cake into quarters. Slice each quarter in half horizontally. Brush the preserves over the bottom layer of each piece of cake; replace the top pieces. With 2-inch cookie cutters, cut out shapes from the filled cakes. Transfer to a serving dish and pipe each piece of cake with a frosting rosette. Place a dark chocolate twig or espresso bean in the center of each rosette.

Courtesy of Mary Engelbreit’s You’re Invited Cookbook