I bet you already have a go-to chocolate cake recipe, but do you have a flourless chocolate almond cake recipe? Here’s why you want to try this. Torta Caprese is super chocolatey, fudgy but with a little crunch from the little bits of roughly chopped almonds and the crackly top that everyone fights for. So if you like brownies, there’s a high chance you will love this!
What else? It is very easy to make and has fewer ingredients than your usual chocolate cake. It is also quite easy to remember because the ground almonds, chocolate, sugar, and butter are all the same weight.
Torta Caprese’s Origins
So, the story goes back ages ago (I don’t know how long) to Capri, where a chef called Carmine was making a cake for Al Capone (the famous/infamous (depends on you) Italian gangster) and he forgot to add in the flour.
At this point, I would have loved to be a fly in the room to scope the energy and what Carmine must have been feeling the moment he realized he forgot to add in the flour! So, guns blazing and broken plates flying across the room from shots fired? No, apparently what transpired after was not what one would expect.
Apparently, Al Capone and his gang loved the cake!!! Everything else is just background noise that no one cared to remember. The Corta Caprese was the star e basta!
Disclaimer: there are a few versions of how this famous Italian flourless chocolate cake came into creation so let me know in the comments below what other interesting facts you happen to uncover ๐ Happy Baking!
How to Make Torta Caprese: Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake
The recipe ingredients for Torta Caprese make it the go-to recipe for a simple cake with a recipe that’s easy to remember.
Wet ingredients: Roughly chop the chocolate chips in a large bowl, melt them in the microwave and leave to cool.
Eggs: Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites until frothy then slowly pour in half of the sugar and whip to a stiff peak.
In a separate bowl, whip the softened butter until pale in color and doubled in volume then add in the rest of the sugar and salt to whip for a further 4 minutes. Now add the egg yolks one at a time and whisk on medium speed just until incorporated.
Combine: Pour in the cooled melted chocolate into the whipped egg yolks plus a dash of vanilla, whip for a few seconds. Then add in the almond flour, and chopped almonds (if using). Fold just until incorporated and scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure it’s all mixed.
The mixture will seem quite lumpy at this point but do not add all the egg whites in at the same time. Add about 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate batter and whip until there are no streaks of egg whites- a few seconds.
Add the rest of the egg whites to the chocolate batter, and using a spatula, gently fold the mixture.
Bake: Tip the torta Caprese cake batter into the buttered cake tin (preferably a springform pan) and bake for 30 minutes in a 175ยฐC / 347ยฐF preheated oven. Remember to rotate the pan halfway through baking.
Test using a skewer to make sure the cake has properly baked through. It should come out with a few crumbs stuck to it. If it comes out quite wet then it needs to bake some more. Leave to cool completely.
Finish: It’s tradition to finish the cake with a sprinkle of icing sugar
Hmmm, but How Does the Torta Caprese Rise Without Leaveners?
Well, that’s where the eggs come in. You need to separate the egg whites from the yolks. Then whip the egg whites to a stiff peak, and the egg yolks until thick and doubled in volume.
Then after incorporating the egg yolks into the chocolate and flour, mix only 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten the batter. Then gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the mixture. It is the trapped air in the whipped eggs that lifts the cake.
So, how was the Torta Caprese, did you like it? Was it fudgy enough or would you have preferred to have it a little more on the dry side? How about the bits of almonds, did you add that or baked it without? Would you recommend this as a flourless chocolate cake recipe to your friends/family? If so, please give it a thumbs up below.
If you didnโt like it I would also like to know why :(. To stay up to date on whatโs fresh off the stove/oven, letโs stay connected on Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, or subscribe below to be notified of new posts by email.
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Torta Caprese: Flourless chocolate almond cake
(+10 rating, 2 votes)
Loading...This is every chocolate-loving, brownie craving, cake dreamer's wish fulfilled! Torta Caprese is a flourless chocolate cake with a recipe that's easy to remember and make.
Ingredients
- 130g dark chocolate
- 3 large eggs
- 130g unsalted butter
- 130g granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 130g almond flour
- 50g chopped blanched almonds (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 175ยฐCย / 347ยฐF lightly butter a 9-inch round baking pan that's lightly buttered and coated with cocoa
Roughly chop the chocolate chips and melt them in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
Eggs: Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites until frothy then slowly pour in half of the sugar. Whip to a stiff peak.
In a separate bowl, whip the softened butter until pale in color and doubled in volume, then add in the rest of the sugar and salt to whip for a further 4 minutes. Now add the egg yolks one at a time and whisk on medium speed just until incorporated.
Combine: Pour in the cooled melted chocolate into the whipped egg yolks plus a dash of vanilla, whip for a few seconds. Then add in the almond flour, and chopped almonds (if using). Fold just until incorporated and scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure it's evenly mixed.
Tip the cake batter into the cake tin (preferably a springform pan) and bake for 30 minutes in the middle oven rack. Remember to rotate the pan halfway through baking.
Test using a skewer to make sure the cake has properly baked through. A few crumbs stuck to it is fine, but If it comes out quite wet then it needs to bake some more. Leave to cool completely
It's tradition to finish the cake with a sprinkle of icing sugar
Store in the fridge or on the kitchen counter
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