Italian · Desserts

Torta Caprese

A flourless chocolate and almond cake from Capri with a crisp top and a dense, fudgy middle. Naturally gluten-free, and it happened by accident when a baker forgot the flour.

1 hr prep and cooking plus time for cooling completely, which the recipe does not time at least 1 hr start to finish Serves 10 servings Medium
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Torta Caprese

Photograph credit: Tortacaprese10quat by Mgdongarra · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Torta Caprese, in preparation
Torta Caprese, in preparation

Photograph credit: Tortacapresespot by Mgdongarra · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Torta Caprese, Step by Step

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  1. Line and butter a 24 cm springform tin. Heat the oven to 170°C / 340°F.

  2. Melt the chocolate and butter together over a pan of barely simmering water, then cool for 10 minutes.

  3. Whisk the egg yolks with 120 g of the sugar for 4 minutes until pale and thick, then stir in the vanilla and rum.

  4. Fold the cooled chocolate into the yolk mixture, then fold in the ground almonds and salt.

  5. In a clean bowl, whisk the whites to soft peaks, add the remaining 80 g sugar gradually, and whisk only to soft, glossy peaks that flop at the tip.

  6. Fold a third of the whites into the chocolate to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions with a light hand.

  7. Scrape into the tin, level gently, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is crisp and cracked and a skewer comes out with moist crumbs.

  8. Cool completely in the tin — it sinks slightly, which is correct — then dust heavily with icing sugar.

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Notes for Getting It Right

  • Underbake rather than overbake. The centre should stay fudgy.
  • Grind your own almonds for a coarser, more interesting texture if you have a processor.
  • It is better on day two, once the crumb has settled.

What to Serve with Torta Caprese

  • A glass of limoncello or a strong espresso
  • Serve with lightly whipped cream
  • Follows a seafood dinner well

Keeping and Reheating

Keeps 4 days covered at room temperature and freezes 2 months. Do not refrigerate; it goes hard.

Questions About Torta Caprese

How long does Torta Caprese take to make?

20 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking, so at least 1 hour. The method also needs time for cooling completely, which it does not time, so treat that as a minimum. The recipe serves 10.

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 1 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.

620Calories
11gProtein
41gCarbs
45gFat
5gFibre
33gSugar
170mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published ; last changed .