Torta caprese

torta caprese · from Capri · Desserts

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 200 g dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa content
• 200 g peeled, very finely ground almonds
• 200 g soft butter
• 200 g sugar
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 tbsp finely grated zest of an untreated orange
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar
• a pinch of salt
• icing sugar for dusting
• Butter and a little ground almonds for the tin.

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C with top and bottom heat.
2. Line the base of a springform tin with baking paper, grease the sides and dust with ground almonds.
3. Roughly chop the dark chocolate and melt it over a hot water bath or carefully in the microwave, then let it cool slightly.
4. Beat the soft butter with half of the sugar and the vanilla sugar in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer until the mixture is pale and creamy.
5. Stir in the egg yolks one at a time, working in each egg for about half a minute.
6. Stir the liquid, but no longer hot, chocolate and the orange zest into the butter and egg mixture.
7. In a separate, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt to stiff peaks, gradually sprinkling in the remaining sugar.
8. Carefully fold the ground almonds and the egg whites alternately into the chocolate mixture, working by hand to keep the mixture light and airy.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40–45 minutes.
11. The cake should still be slightly moist inside, which is typical and intended.
12. The skewer test should not come out completely dry, but should still show a few moist crumbs.
13. Let it cool completely in the tin after baking.
14. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
15. This cake is flourless, intensely chocolatey and wonderfully moist.
16. It tastes best after resting for a day and when served at room temperature.
17. It pairs well with lightly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.