Sometimes, the best things come from accidents. In 1920, on the island of Capri, chef Carmine Di Fiore forgot to add flour to his chocolate almond cake. Instead of disastrous results, the cake turned out thick, soft, and deeply chocolatey, and both he and his guests were such fans that it’s now a mainstay in the Campanian dessert canon. It’s a dream cake: naturally gluten free, rich in nutty flavor, and boasting a thin, crunchy crust with the texture of a chocolate truffle. This superlative version comes from co-owner/family member Antonia De Simone of Nerano’s Tommasso Lo Scoglio, one of our go-to restaurants on the Amalfi Coast.
TORTA CAPRESE
Serves 8-10
INGREDIENTS
- 140 g dark chocolate
- 100 g butter
- 130 g sugar
- 150 g shelled almonds
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 knob of butter
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Powdered sugar
PREPARATION
- In a thick-bottomed saucepan, melt the chocolate with the butter and sugar.
- Once slightly cooled, pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl and add finely chopped almonds and baking powder.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites and beat the whites until stiff peaks form.
- Add one yolk at a time to the chocolate mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Finally, fold in the beaten egg whites gently from bottom to top.
- Butter and dust a cake tin with cocoa powder, then pour in the mixture.
- Bake the cake at 180°C for 35 minutes.
- Let the cake cool for a few minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.
- Allow it to cool completely, then slice and serve.
