Torta
Caprese
Capri chocolate & almond cake
Dark chocolate and ground almonds make a rich, moist cake with a delicate crust and a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Chocolate, almonds & powdered sugarA chocolate crumb,
an island dessert.
Torta caprese is a chocolate-and-almond cake associated with Capri, the island off the Campanian coast. Ground almonds take the place of wheat flour in this version, giving the crumb a soft, close texture. Dark chocolate supplies the main flavor beneath a thin, delicate crust.
A slice is often finished simply with powdered sugar. The cake needs time to cool so its center settles before cutting; it should be moist without being liquid. The home recipe below uses a small round tin and separated eggs to give the batter lift.
Explore by food: Desserts
Let’s make torta caprese.
An eight-slice cake in a 20 cm springform tin. Allow two hours for cooling before cutting.
One 20 cm round cake, cut into eight slices; use a springform tin.
What you’ll need
- 200 gdark chocolate, about 65% cocoa, chopped
- 160 gunsalted butter, softened, plus 10 g for greasing
- 160 gcaster sugar, divided
- 4 largeeggs, separated
- 200 gfinely ground blanched almonds
- ¼ tspfine salt
- 10 gpowdered sugar, for finishing
- as neededwater, for the melting bath
A moist almond crumb is expected; a flowing center is not. Cooling is part of the total time. This recipe contains no wheat flour, but ingredients and preparation conditions still matter for anyone avoiding gluten.
How to make it
- 01
Prepare the tin and chocolate
Heat the oven to 170°C/340°F. Grease the 20 cm tin with the extra 10 g butter and line its base with baking paper. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water, with the bowl clear of the water. Set aside until warm rather than hot.
- 02
Make the base
Beat the softened 160 g butter with 80 g sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then fold in the melted chocolate, ground almonds and salt.
- 03
Fold in the whites
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the remaining 80 g sugar gradually and whisk to glossy peaks that hold their shape. Fold one-third into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest.
- 04
Bake
Spread evenly in the tin and bake for 40–50 minutes. The top should be set and lightly cracked; a skewer inserted in the center should show moist crumbs, without wet batter. Cover loosely with foil if the top darkens before the middle sets.
- 05
Cool and finish
Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, then release the sides and let the cake cool completely on its base on a rack, allowing another 105 minutes. Transfer to a plate, dust with the 10 g powdered sugar and cut into eight slices.
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