My Torta Caprese
Simply my favourite way to end a meal whatever the season. Elegant and decadent, richly chocolatey, and always better the next day.
Originally created on the Isle of Capri so the story goes, when the chef forgot to put flour in the cake recipe for the royal banquet. The result lauded as the most densely fabulous Torta and named after its birthplace, thank God for all the kitchen accidents if they occasionally bear such fruit.
I've been making versions of this for years, as a chocolate lover and coeliac, and this is my latest version that is simple to put together and hard to mess up. Just keep an eye on the last part of the baking time as you want it to remain damp and not dry out. I take it out of the oven when there is still a very faintly observed movement still in the middle of the cake. It will firm up as it cools and just improve the texture immeasurably.
{For those with nut allergies, you can make this with equivalent quantities of sunflower seeds, but do add 20g extra sugar to compensate for sweetness.}
- 250g blanched almonds (or used ground+)
- 200g dark chocolate (70% or up) broken up
- 180g unsalted butter, softened
- 100g coconut sugar (or regular sugar if that's what you have)
- 5 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
In a powerful blender blitz the almonds, posing until forms a grainy powder, (be careful you don't go too hard or fast and create butter).
Add in the dark chocolate pieces and pulse until uniform.
Pour into a large mixing bowl and beat in the softened butter, sugar and eggs. Adding the vanilla and salt and combining well.
Line a 12 inch springform cake tin. Your the batter in and bake at 170 for 30-40 minutes until firmed but still with movement in the centre.
Leave to cool to touch in the tin and transfer to a wire rack. Serve with vanilla creme fraiche and berries.
+Using blanched almonds and grinding them to flour yourself means you get a fresher, fuller flavour, but if you don't have a powerful blender to do this or want to short cut, ground almonds work perfectly well.
