Recipe: delicious torta caprese

My Nonna used to make this cake and to this day it remains one of my favourite desserts. It was a staple in our household when our kids were growing up. It’s not overly sweet and if you make it right it stays moist for days, so is great for lunchboxes and after-school snacks. You might have to make two though, because it’s hard to turn down a slice of this incredible flourless chocolate and almond cake!

Gluten-free | Serves eight  

Ingredients

170g unsalted butter
225g good-quality plain dark chocolate (50% cocoa or higher), chopped
170g caster sugar
110g soft brown sugar
6 medium-sized free-range eggs
130g ground almonds
2 Tbsp good-quality Dutch cocoa powder, sifted, plus extra for dusting*
* Check label to ensure item is free from ingredients containing gluten.

Method

1.   Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease a 22cm round springform cake tin and line the bottom and sides with baking paper.

2.  Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl, place over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water, and stir gently until melted. Set aside.

3.  Place both sugars and the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add ground almonds and cocoa and gently fold to combine. Fold in the butter/chocolate mixture.

4.  Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45–50 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin. Dust with cocoa (or icing sugar if you prefer).

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