Adjust rack one-third up from bottom of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8 x 3-inch spring-form pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of baking-pan liner paper or wax paper cut to fit, and butter the paper. Dust the inside of the pan lightly with fine, dry bread crumbs, invert over paper and tap the pan lightly to shake out excess crumbs. (The crumbs for preparing the pan are in addition to those called for in the ingredients.)

The chocolate and the almonds must be ground to a fine powder. They may easily be done all together in a food processor (if you are using 1-ounce squares of chocolate they should first be chopped coarsely-bar chocolate should be broken into pieces). Or they may be ground in a blender, doing only part at a time. Or use a nut grinder.

In a medium-size mixing bowl mix the ground chocolate and almonds with the bread crumbs and baking powder, stirring until thoroughly mixed.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar (reserve 1/4 cup) and beat to mix. Add the egg yolks all at once and beat well, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula, until very smooth. Add the whiskey, rum, bourbon, or kirsch and beat well for 2 to 3 minutes until light in color. Then on low speed add the chocolate-nut mixture and beat only until incorporated. Remove from the mixer.

In the small bowl of the mixer, add the salt to the egg whites and beat with clean beaters until they hold a soft shape. Reduce the speed to medium, gradually add the reserved 1/4 cup sugar, increase the speed again and beat until the mixture holds a definite shape but is not stiff or dry.

The chocolate mixture will be rather thick; stir a large spoonful of the whites into the chocolate to lighten it a bit and then, in several additions, small at first, fold in the remaining whites.

Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Level the top by rotating the pan briskly back and forth a few times.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out thoroughly dry.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes. Then with a thin, sharp knife carefully cut around the sides to release. Remove the sides of the pan. Cover the cake with a rack. Carefully invert the rack and the cake (it is safest to hold your right hand directly under the middle of the cake to keep it from slipping). Remove the bottom of the pan and the paper. Cover with another rack and invert again, leaving the cake right side up. Let stand until completely cool. (If you let it stand overnight or longer, or if you freeze it, wrap it in plastic wrap after it has cooled to room temperature.)

If the top of the cake is uneven use a long thin sharp knife to level it.

To ice the cake, cut four strips of wax paper and place them around the outer edges of a flat cake plate. Place the cake upside down on the plate, adjusting the paper strips so they touch the bottom of the cake all around. With a pastry brush, brush the sides of the cake to remove any loose crumbs.

If you have a cake-decorating turntable or a lazy Susan, place the cake plate on it. (Incidentally, it is best to ice the cake about 4 to 6 hours before serving, although a bit more or less really won't matter much.)

Break or chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place it in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat or in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat. Add the butter and stir until smooth. Then add the sugar and stir until smooth (it must be smooth)-either stir with a wire whisk or press against any lumps with a rubber spatula, but do not beat.

Let the glaze stand for about 15 or 20 minutes until it is cool and very slightly thickened. Or refrigerate or stir over ice, but be careful not to let it thicken too much.

Once this glaze is on the cake it is important not to spread it or work over it any more than necessary. It will be beautifully shiny if you don't fool with it too much; the more you work over it the more of its shine it will lose.

Pour all the glaze over the top of the cake. With a long, narrow metal spatula spread the glaze so that just a very little bit of it runs down on the sides; there should be only enough to cover the sides with a very thin layer (if you have too much of it on the sides it will run off). With the spatula smooth the sides.

In Vienna this cake simply has a small sprinkling of chopped green pistachio nuts in the middle of the glaze. Or you could use a bit of crumbled toasted sliced almonds. Or nothing.

And, although it is wonderful just as it is, it is also wonderful with whipped cream served on the side.

The cake should be at room temperature when it is served.