Torta Caprese
Ingredients
- 200 g dark chocolate (50-70% cacao)
- 200 g butter
- 200 g sugar, divided
- 4 eggs, separated
- 200 g almond flour
- powdered sugar, for dusting
According to legend, Torta Caprese was created in 1920 on the island of Capri when a pastry chef, Carmine di Fiore, simply forgot to add flour to his almond cake. The result — dark chocolate, almond flour, butter, sugar and eggs, with meringue folded in for lift — bakes into a dense, fudgy cake with a delicate, crackled top, traditionally finished with just a dusting of powdered sugar.
Method
Melt the chocolate and butter together over a double boiler; cool slightly.
Beat the egg yolks with half the sugar until pale and creamy.
Fold the almond flour into the yolk mixture, then fold in the melted chocolate and butter.
Whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar to stiff peaks and fold gently into the batter in stages.
Pour into a buttered and floured springform pan and bake at around 165°C (325°F) for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Cool completely before removing from the pan, then dust generously with powdered sugar.
