Prepare the basic sponge cake batter and bake two cake bases.
Remove from the oven, overturn onto a sugared baking sheet, pull off the parchment paper, and let cool.
Cut two 8x10in (20x25 cm) rectangles out of the cakes.
Cut up the leftover cake for the punch filling and mix in a mixing bowl with the apricot marmalade, rum, and simple syrup.
Add the grated chocolate, orange and lemon zest, and cinnamon.
Knead the dough until it holds together well.
Spread one cake base with apricot marmalade.
Place it a baking frame or deep cake pan and spread the punch filling on top.
Cover with the second cake layer and weight with a cutting board or similar item for several hours.
Remove from the form and cut into 20 squares (2x2in (5x5 cm)).
Brush the squares on the tops and sides with slightly warmed apricot marmalade and let cool.
Then glaze with warmed fondant.
Melt the couverture chocolate in a bain-marie, fill a piping bag, and decorate the tops of the punch cakes.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Confectioners and Pharmacists
Vienna was not always the capital of sugary temptations. The profession of confectioner arose much more in the Netherlands. The first Viennese court confectioner was recruited from there: a certain Matthias de Voss, who was employed at the court as the “sugar baker” for a yearly salary of 93 gulden and 30 kreutzer. Before then, confections and the sale of sugared fruits, spice sticks, nuts, and spun sugar treats was reserved for Viennese pharmacists.