Torta Caprese

This cake is the bomb! There is just no other way to put it. It ticks all the boxes, super easy to make (i.e. does not involve my pet hate of creaming butter), icky sticky gooey fudgy chocolatey centre, crisp crunchy crust, gluten free and looks great. Yup, this Torta Caprese is the bomb.

I first made this cake last weekend when I knew we were having friends over for dinner. My plan was actually to just buy some ice cream for dessert (I know, such a sin for a food blogger not to make something but who doesn’t love a shortcut and who doesn’t love ice cream) because I thought I was getting my hair cut and coloured in the morning and would be short on time. So here I am in the morning turning up to the hair salon with my greasy hair full of ‘sparkles’ (as my hairdresser kindly puts it) and guess what? Yes, it’s closed. All the hairdressers were away for a seminar that weekend and I was actually getting my hair done the following weekend. Whoops! I swear I used to be a smart on-to-it kind of person but that ship has clearly sailed. With all the extra time on my hands (and the kids out with Dad for the morning) I went home and made this cake (and to drown my sorrows in chocolate for not getting my sparkles fixed).

It was so easy, I had it done and dusted and in the oven in less than half an hour from arriving home and I looked like a superstar for making a homemade dessert. I found this recipe in Gourmet Traveller magazine which is my new found love (gorgeous pictures and delicious recipes) and it mentioned that supposedly this recipe for the Torta Caprese came about when a lovely old Italian Mama forgot to add the flour to the cake. Well, some of the best things in life come from accidents and this is no exception to that rule. Without the flour the cake is all gooey and fudgy in the centre and so dense and moist. It also is a great cake recipe to have up your sleeve to serve to any friends who are gluten-free.

I hope you all enjoy.

xo Kate

P.S. The hair is looking rather lovely now with no sparkles in sight!

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Torta Caprese

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 12

Author My Little Larder, adapted from Gourmet Traveller

Ingredients

• 170 g/6oz unsalted butter coarsely chopped
• 225 g/8oz dark chocolate 70pct cocoa solids, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup golden unrefined caster sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 free-range eggs
• 130 g/4.6oz almond meal/flour
• 2 Tbsp cocoa plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F on bake and grease and line a 22cm/9in round cake tin.
2. Place butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted. If you are not confident doing this and are afraid you might burn the chocolate (I’m pretty confident you won’t if you (a) have it over low heat and (b) stir and keep a close eye on it) then place butter and chocolate in a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Using an stand mixer (or hand held mixer) whisk together sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Fold in almond meal, cocoa and salt then chocolate and vanilla. Pour into the preprepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until cooked through. The cake will have a hard crust, that usually cracks, and a very fudgy moist centre.
4. Also delicious with hazelnut meal.