This is for you, chocolate lovers!
Rich and luscious - THE classic Italian chocolate and almond cake.
Easy and quick to make. And best of all, it's gluten-free!
After the big success of my Torta Caprese Bianca (so many of you have made this cake the past month!), here is my recipe for the dark - ... and dangerous! - traditional Torta Caprese.
It's rich and fudgy.
It's moist and intensely chocolatey.
It's quick and easy to make (ready in less than 1 hour from start to finish!).
And best of all, it's made with almond flour ... so gluten-free!
Dangerous, I'm telling you!
Simply perfect for all the chocolate lovers out there!
For this recipe, I use almond flour. You can also substitute for hazelnut flour if you prefer. Just as good!
Any finely ground almond flour works, or almond meal. I buy mine at trader's Joe or Whole Foods, but you can find it in most grocery stores.
If you can't find almond flour, you can make it yourself: buy whole, blenched almonds, and blend/blitz until you get fine, powdery flour. Do not over-blend or you will end up with almond butter instead.
For this recipe, I use dark chocolate chip, but you don't have to use chips if you prefer, as long as you use high-quality chocolate, and cut it in pieces, so it's easier to melt.
I always recommend using unsalted butter so you have control over the amount of salt that is added to the recipe. But this time I only had salted butter, so I used that and skipped on the salt in the cake batter. Simple!
The chocolate is melted with butter.
You can either melt it on the stove in a double boiler or in the microwave. On the stove: boil water in a medium-sized saucepan. Place the butter and chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over the pot of boiling water and still until both butter and chocolate are melted.
In the microwave: place in a microwave-safe bowl the butter cut in pieces and the chocolate chips. Microwave for 30 seconds at about 80% power. Mix, and add 20 seconds if needed. Mix again for at least 30 seconds to see if all the chocolate melts before you place it back in the microwave. Add 10 more seconds if needed.
In this recipe, I use 5 large eggs.
You will need to divide the egg yolks and the whites. Use the yolks right away and mix them well with the sugar. I use a hand mixer for this step, but you can whisk by hand or use a stand mixer too.
The egg whites are beaten until firm and folded into the cake batter at the end. Add a small portion of the egg whites to start, maybe a fourth or so. Using a spoon or spatula, move around the edges of the bowl, under the batter, and fold it to the middle of the bowl. Continue rotating the bowl.
Add more of the egg whites and continue folding until incorporated in the batter. This motion will make sure the egg white will not deflate and the batter is airy and soft.
Pour into an 8 or 9-inch springform pan, and bake until golden on top and set in the middle.
To decorate: wait until the cake cools down completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar. You can also make a fun design.
I simply used my cooling rack on top of the cake. sprinkle the sugar and carefully lift up the rack.
And taa-daaa!
A pretty checker design. Super-cute, right?!?
This cake is tender, moist and delicious. I made it with a navel orange and almond extract. Will try it with lemon, too. I have celiac disease so I’m extra excited that I found this recipe!
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