This flourless cake is a quintessential dessert in Capri, and one of the dishes you can't miss when you vacation there. It's light, airy and fudgy all at onces - and so chocolatey. My favorite!

Torta Caprese is traditionally made with almond flour - sometimes even hazelnut flour! - so it's naturally gluten free. Like many Italian dishes, there are a lot of stories surrounding its origin - but all of them have to do with a baker serendipitously forgetting to add wheat flour to a cake, resulting in this fudgy delicacy. As such, it's sometimes referred to as "uno dei pasticci più fortunati della storia" - AKA, "one of history's most fortunate mistakes"!
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Torta Caprese

Servings

18

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Image of Torta Caprese

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups 63% bittersweet chocolate chips

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

  • 5 large eggs, (separated)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • Confectioners' sugar, (for dusting)

Instructions

  1. This recipe originated in Giada In Italy. Episode: Sweet Capri.
  2. Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler and melt until smooth. Cool slightly, until just warm to the touch.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan.
  4. Place the egg whites in a medium bowl with the salt. Place the yolks in a slightly larger bowl with the granulated sugar. Using a handheld mixer, beat the whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Then beat the egg yolks on medium speed until light, pale and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir the chocolate mixture, almond flour and vanilla into the yolks. In 2 batches, fold the whipped whites into the chocolate base. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until puffed and beginning to crack on top, about 40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. When cool, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Remove the outside ring and dust the top with confectioners' sugar.
gluten free
vegetarian