BOOKS WE LOVE : The Perfect Book for Imperfect Bakers : THE SIMPLE ART OF PERFECT BAKING, <i> By Flo Braker</i> . <i> (Chapters Publishing Ltd.: $19.95; 392 pp.) </i>

Flo Braker’s book, first published in 1985 and revised this year, has been called “the perfect book for imperfect bakers.” If someone asks me a baking question or wants a classic pastry or cake recipe, this is where I usually turn for the answer.

The Bay Area author tackles simple basics such as why salt is used in baked goods: “I put in salt to emphasize the flavors of the ingredients. Salt combines with sugar to bring out its sweetness and balance with it.”

She provides technical advice as well. To avoid tough puff pastry, for instance, she offers this sensible solution: “Resting the dough allows the gluten strands to relax, to adjust to their new dimension, the enzymes in the flour work to mellow the protein, and voila , the dough is at your command again.”

I’ll never fall totally in love with a non-picture book, but I was satisfied with the black-and-white drawings and step-by-step illustrations for each recipe in the first edition. But I like the new book better; although it still contains most of the drawings, it now includes 16 full-color photographs of cakes and pastries.

Braker’s recipes are so precise that even the most complicated cake can easily be executed by a non-baker. In fact, she’s so explicit and detailed in her instructions that better bakers might find it somewhat distracting, if not redundant.

For me, though, the book is a joy to read. Even when I’m not baking, the book gives me renewed confidence every time I look at it. Braker gives you encouragement when she writes: “Enjoy what you’ve made and give yourself a pat on the back. Your cake or pie should look handmade, not machine-made.”

Simple ingredients -- chocolate, heavy cream and hazelnuts -- combine in this dessert. The ground hazelnuts take the place of flour in this chocolate-nut genoise, and the result is a dark, rich cake studded with fragments of chewy nuts. A do-ahead dessert, it’s a perfect choice for company.

ZEBRA TORTE (From “The Simple Art of Perfect Baking”) 3 ounces hazelnuts, finely ground 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 4 large eggs, at room temperature 1/2 cup sugar Whipped Cream-Nut Topping

Grease sides of 9-inch springform pan with shortening and dust generously with flour. Line bottom with parchment or wax paper.

Place butter and 4 ounces of chocolate in 1-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over very low heat until almost melted, whisking occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and blend until smooth. Pour into 2 1/2- to 3-quart mixing bowl to cool slightly.

Whisk together eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl placed over shallow bowl filled with warm water (120 degrees). Whisk 30 seconds or until warmed to body temperature. Remove bowl from water and beat mixture on medium speed until very thick and at least tripled in volume, 3 to 5 minutes. (Lift beaters or whisk--if some of mixture falls back into bowl in ribbons and remains on surface, proceed. But if it sinks back into batter right away, continue whipping few more minutes.) Fold in nuts just until incorporated.

Carefully pour whipped egg mixture into cooled chocolate and butter, folding until blended. Pour into prepared pan, smoothing top slightly with spatula. Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 37 minutes or until center springs back slightly when lightly touched. (Top will be crusty and sides will remain slightly higher upon cooling.)

Place pan on rack about 1 hour or until completely cooled. Loosen sides by running knife blade around sides of cake. Using fingertips, press outer edges of cake until leveled with center of cake. (This doesn’t harm cake’s texture.) Spoon Whipped Cream-Nut Topping on top of cake, smoothing top with spatula. Freeze at least 4 hours.

Melt remaining 3 ounces chocolate over hot water. Cool slightly. Fill paper cone with chocolate and cut tip to provide thin flow of chocolate. Pipe stripes of chocolate over frozen dessert, wiping off any chocolate from springform rim with paper towel. Return to freezer just to harden chocolate, then remove cake from springform pan to serving plate. Defrost in refrigerator until serving time. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 598 calories; 54 mg sodium; 201 mg cholesterol; 51 grams fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.94 gram fiber.

In her original recipe Braker calls for 2 1/3 cups of heavy whipping cream, which I find too rich. I find that this reduced amount of 1 3/4 cups cream works just as well.

Whipped Cream-Nut Topping 1 3/4 to 2 1/3 cups whipping cream 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 ounces hazelnuts, finely ground

Whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form and beaters make tracks that slowly close. Fold in ground nuts.

Braker learned this technique of cutting and filling a cake at the Richemont Professional School in Lucerne, Switzerland. The cake’s rectangular form makes it possible to cut out a V-shaped section to sandwich a tangy apricot filling.

APRICOT POUND CAKE

2 cups sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Dried Apricot Filling or other fruit filling

Lightly grease bottom and sides of 9x5-inch loaf pan with shortening. Dust generously with flour, tapping out excess.

Resift flour with salt onto sheet of wax paper. Set aside. Place eggs in bowl and whisk with vanilla and almond extracts to combine.

Cream butter until light. Slowly add sugar, beating on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, about 1 tablespoon at time, beating until mixture appears almost white and fluffy. Stir in zests. Stir in flour, about 1/3 at time, beating until smooth and scraping sides of bowl after each addition.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees 50 to 55 minutes until golden, or until wood pick inserted in center comes out free of cake. Cool on rack 5 to 10 minutes. Loosen sides and invert cake on rack. Cool completely.

Trim top of cooled cake with serrated knife to make level. Turn upside down, making top of cake base. With tip of small paring knife, lightly make shallow 1/2-inch-deep V-shaped cut on one short end of cake, beginning at corners of seam (that is, where sides meet top) and ending just below middle of cake. Each side or leg of V should be about 2 1/2 inches long. Turn cake around and repeat with other end of loaf. These notches will serve as guide for cutting deep V-shaped piece that will be lifted out of pound cake.

Starting with one side, insert 12-inch serrated knife into both notches and slowly saw diagonally down toward center. Repeat from other side of cake. Lift triangular portion and set aside. Using metal spatula, spread thin, even film of dried Apricot Filling into valley created in cake. Replace triangular piece, pressing down gently to fit into place. Filling should not be too apparent. Cake should look almost as it did before being cut. Makes 8 servings.

Note: If you plan to serve cake within 24 hours, wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. To freeze, cover again with foil. Freeze no longer than 2 weeks.

Each serving contains about: 501 calories; 118 mg sodium; 195 mg cholesterol; 26 grams fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.37 gram fiber.

Dried Apricot Filling 1/3 cup dried apricots 1/3 cup water

Place apricots in 1-quart heavy bottomed saucepan. Pour water over and allow to soak 5 minutes. Bring mixture to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until almost all water is evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes. While mixture is warm, spoon into food processor fitted with metal blade, and process until sticky paste consistency.