Torta Caprese is a delicious flourless cake loaded with chocolate and almonds. It is simple to bake and makes you look like a five-star baker. Italian cuisine is very clear cooking, the simple things are often the hardest. For example, a Bolognese or Carbonara sauce, which is very banal but ingenious, is often badly done. Torta Caprese is a simple, great recipe.
You can bake Torta Caprese with roasted hazelnuts instead of almonds. Add a small dash of hazelnut liqueur to the dough, and you have the perfect Nutella Torta.
Torta Caprese
The Caprese cake is the typical dessert of Capri. Its origin is somewhat controversial. Tradition has it that its creation happened by chance in a craft workshop on the island in the twenties.
It seems that the pastry chef had forgotten to put the flour in an almond cake ordered by some tourists. A delicacy resulted: a soft cake in the center and a crunchy outside, much appreciated by those tourists.
Then, it depopulated and became famous worldwide. The Caprese cake, very delicate in taste, is simple in its preparation and, not using flour, also qualifies as “made without gluten”
My preference is for high-quality dark chocolate.
Over time, I developed a taste for the richness of dark chocolate. Unsweetened chocolate contains virtually no sugar, which means it can taste incredibly dark and bitter; it is also known as “baking chocolate”.
As its name implies, unsweetened chocolate is used primarily in baking recipes, adding a rich, smooth foundation to tasty confections like brownies and cakes. For some people, dark chocolate can taste nasty because their palates are used to a very high level of sugar.
My preference in chocolate is high-quality dark chocolate with about 60 to 70 % cocoa content, which gives me the complex, delicious flavor that I’m looking for in chocolate.
For my recipe, I use dark chocolate with 60 % cocoa content and a 5 lb bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips that I keep in my pantry. Should you need a smaller quantity of chocolate chips, they offer a 2 x 10-ounce pack
Baking time is crucial
I have experimented with the baking time for a Torta Caprese several times and learned that the baking time is crucial for the perfect Torta. A Torta Caprese should not be too dry.
- So baking time is crucial; a baking time of around 40 minutes at 350 °F makes the cake perfectly moist.
- To sample, it is best to pierce the cake with a wooden stick in the middle after 35 – 40 minutes of baking time – if damp crumbs adhere to it, the cake is just right.
- If the liquid dough sticks, extend the baking time by a few minutes.
Knowing your Oven
Of all the equipment you use, your oven is the most important. Beware that not all thermostats are always accurate. So, it is wise to check the oven temperature with an oven thermometer. To do that, preheat your oven to a set temperature and move the thermometer from place to place to find out whether or not it is heating evenly.
You may discover that your oven has hotter and cooler areas. The best way to bake the cake is on the middle shelves, turning the cake or pastries around so they cook evenly.
The Taste
The 60% cacao chocolate in this Torta Caprese imparts a strong chocolate flavor that is well-balanced with its sugar content.
The resulting dessert is not overly sweet but rather equally balanced, warm, and complex, achieving a harmonious blend of sweetness and bitterness.
The Process
Loaded with chocolate and almonds, the tart is simple to bake and is a crowd-pleaser
However, baking time is crucial for the perfect Torta.
A baking time of 40 minutes at 350 °F makes the cake perfectly moist.
The Verdict
This cake has an amazing texture and a rich, fudgy, rich flavor.
Loaded with chocolate and almonds, the torta is simple to bake, and as a bonus, it makes you look like a five-star baker.
Chef’s Tip
Served with vanilla extract-infused whipped cream,
Torta Caprese is the ultimate dessert.
Torta Caprese
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter, unsalted softened
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder This can double as a hot chocolate mix or be used in baking recipes.
- 10 oz almond flour
- 10 oz chocolate chips - 60 % cocoa
- 10 oz butter, unsalted softened
- 5 oz sugar granulated
- 5 oz sugar granulated
- 6 egg white left to come to room temperature
- 6 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F
- Grease the springform with a removable base with butter and dust with cocoa powder.1 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp butter, unsalted
Whip egg whites
- Place egg whites and 5 oz of the sugar in a stand mixer and whip the egg whites on high speed to a stiff peak, for about 5 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator.6 egg white, 5 oz sugar
Melt the chocolate
- Place the chocolate, in a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water, and stir with a spatula until completely melted. When melted, remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.10 oz chocolate chips - 60 % cocoa
Whip the butter
- In your stand mixer, whip at high speed the softened butter with the remaining 5 ounces of sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add 1 egg yolk at a time to the mixer until all is incorporated.10 oz butter, unsalted, 6 egg yolk, 5 oz sugar
Mix the cake batter
- Fold in the almond flour, then fold in the melted chocolate until combined. Gently fold in the chilled whipped egg whites through the chocolate cake batter.10 oz almond flour
Prepare the springform and bake
- Pour the batter into the greased springform, using a spatula to smooth over the top, and bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes or until the top appears dry and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (not wet batter).BAKING TIME IS CRUCIAL for the perfect Torta. A baking time of 40 minutes at 350 °F makes the cake perfectly moist.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
- When cool, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Remove the outside ring and dust the top with powdered sugar.2 tbsp powdered sugar
Chef Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate