Torta Caprese - Flourless Chocolate Cake from Capri

 

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All over the Isle of Capri and along the Amalfi coast, I kept seeing these deep dark chocolate cakes.  More tempting than any siren, they called my name whenever I'd peep into pastry windows.  Being the devout chocoholic that I am, I had to have a sample, or two.  Like so many of the desserts of the Campania region, these are topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, just enough to brand my shirt or lap; the white insignia branding me a pastry lover.

 

 

Doing some research into the making of this cake and its history, I found that there are three different stories about how the Torta Caprese was invented. Two common threads of all the stories are that it was invented on the Isle of Capri, and the cake was an accident.  A women making the cake for American gangsters forgot to add flour, or a sous pastry chef working on no sleep mistook flour for cocoa powder.  The last of the legends has a baker completely messing up the recipe and adding the almonds instead of flour.  Whatever mistake was made to create it, we should all be glad it happened.   Almond flavor blends with the chocolate. It's dense, decadent and delicious. 

Restaurants serve it with a scoop of vanilla gelato, pastry shops serve it in a variety of ways.  The richest way I found was with a layer of ganache on top, then a sprinkling of the requisite powdered sugar.  Of my 15 favorite foods in Napoli (The plan is to recreate each one and share here on the blog.), this is one is by far the easiest to make, and it's also gluten-free.  I hope you make it and let me know what you think.

 

 

 

 

Torta Caprese
(makes one 9-inch cake)

9 ounces (255 g) good quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup (225 g) butter
¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 ¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
1 ½ cups ground blanched and toasted almonds
6 eggs, room temperature

Preheat an oven to 310°F and line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper.

Slowly melt the chocolate and butter over a double-boiler.  In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk together the melted chocolate mixture, the cocoa powder, almond extract and sugar until combined.  Add the ground almonds and whisk until combined.  Add the eggs one at a time, adding each egg after the first has been incorporated into the mixture.  Pour the mixture into the spring form pan.  Make sure the mixture is level and smooth on top.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Cool and serve with chocolate spirals or shavings and powdered sugar.  Serve with gelato or whipped cream. Buon Appetito!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gianduja Budino Recipe and a Chocolate Pass in Turin

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Tiramisu

A Drive along the Amalfi Coast

Pizza Lover's Odyssey in Naples Italy

Dining Around Naples with Napoli Unplugged

 

Comments

[Scintilla]

Lovely pics, yummy cake... I forgot to add flour once too (to a sponge cake) but it turned out to be gunk. Not memorable for the right reasons. Thanks for this recipe!

[Jozee Pizzurro]

I just had a slice of this cake. I had no idea that is was flour free. It is absolutely divine. Next time, I will have it with either whipped cream or ice cream.

[Mary R]

Such a gorgeous description of the legends surrounding the cake... your pictures make me feel like I could reach out and dip my finger onto the powdered sugar for just a little taste!

[Erica]

can't wait to try this. and lovely photos. yumm. i wonder if they make this in genova, where i will be for 5 weeks in a few days!! xo Erica

[Jamie]

What an amazing, perfect cake! This is similar to a local cake Le Baulois of the area outside of Nantes where I live that I have been considering trying to work out the recipe for (the only true known recipe is a guarded secret). Yours is elegant and the perfect texture! Fabulous recipe.

[Heavenly Housewife]

What a decadent looking cake, I'd love to stick a greedy fork into this LOL.
*kisses8 HH

[Rebecca]

What a great-looking recipe!

[Peggy]

This definitely sounds amazing! It's calling my name for sure!

[bigfatcook]

Looks so delicious! I could eat the whole cake. I think:)))

Greets from BFC !!!!

[Jen Laceda]

looks yummy!!! we've had this cake in Capri also and it was delish!

[c]

We have not long returned from Naples..I had one of these cakes in a Gelateria with fesh cream...oh wow..its amazing..I have searched for and now found this recipe and will definately be making it tomorrow!!!

[Joshua]

I love the concept of having narrowed it down to only fifteen favourite fooods in Naples!
I have one I picked up yesteray in Mergellina yesterday. We'll cut into it tomorrow. Unlike the Pastiera and other amazing Neapolitan desserts, you can keep it for a few days before eating it, and you have to avoid storing it in the fridge.Love it