Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugar by beating together against side of mixing bowl with wooden spoon. Beat in eggs, then stir in flour and vanilla. Continue to stir until mixture becomes a smooth, firm batter. With pastry brush or paper towel, butter underside of 9" layer-cake pan, then dust with flour. Strike against edge of table to knock off excess flour. With metal spatula, spread batter as evenly as possible over the underside of the pan to a thickness of 1/8". Bake in middle of oven 7-9 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. Remove from oven and scrape off any batter that has dribbled down sides of pan. Loosen layer from pan with spatula, put cake rack over it, and invert. Wipe pan with paper towel, butter and flour it again and repeat with more batter. (You can bake as many layers at a time as you have pans.) Continue til all batter is used. You should have 7 matching layers.

Filling: In small saucepan combine sugar, cream of tartar, and water. Stir over low heat til sugar is completely dissolved, then turn heat to moderately high and boil syrup without stirring until, if tested, it registers 238F on a candy thermometer, or until a drop of the syrup in cold water forms a soft ball. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat 8 yolks 3-4 minutes or long enough to thicken them and lighten them somewhat in color. Pour hot syrup into egg yolks, continuing to beat as you pour in the syrup in a slow, steady stream. If using a mixer, beat at medium speed til mixture cools to room temp and changes to a smooth thick cream. This usually takes from 10-15 minutes. (If beating by hand, set mixing bowl in pan of cold water to hasten cooling and add the syrup a little at a time. Continue to beat til cool, thick, and smooth.) Beat in the cocoa and vanilla. Then beat in the butter, adding it in small pieces, and beating til it is all absorbed. Chill while making glaze.

Glaze: First place most attractive cake layer on cake rack set on jellyroll pan. Then mix sugar and water together in small heavy saucepan. Without stirring, cook til sugar dissolves, boils, and begins to darken in color. Swirling pan, continue to boil until caramel becomes a golden brown. Pour over the layer. With buttered knife, quickly mark glaze into 16 equal wedges, cutting nearly, but not quite, through to bottom of glaze. This will be the top of the torte.

Assembly: Place a cake layer on serving plate and, with metal spatula, spread chocolate filling over it ca 1/8th inch thick. Top with another cake layer, repeating with all layers and filling. Finish with a layer of filling and the glazed top. Use the rest of the filling to cover sides of torte, smoothing it with a spatula. Chill. Cut along lines marked in glaze.

(with some editing) by Jean B.