torta caprese all’arancia e cioccolato (dark chocolate & almond torte)
SERVES 8—10
Based on a very old recipe I found in Capri many moons ago, This flourless cake is quite complex and sophisticated, both in flavour and texture. It’s something I make for special occasions, so it often pops up at Christmas. I love the texture you get from grinding your own almonds, giving a delightful chewiness that you just won’t get with commercial ground almonds — not to mention the freshness.
200g dark chocolate
(70% cocoa), chopped 200g unsalted butter, diced 250g (1⅔ cups) blanched
almonds
200g caster sugar ½ teaspoon salt flakes
5 eggs, separated
¼ teaspoon orange essential oil Dutch (unsweetened) cocoa
powder, for dusting
STAPLES
Butter
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced. Grease a 24cm loose-based cake tin and line with baking paper.
2 Add the chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water for about 5 minutes, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water. When two-thirds of the chocolate has melted, stir through twice. Remove the bowl to finish melting the chocolate in the residual heat.
3 Blitz the almonds in a food processor until finely ground, then add the sugar and salt and pulse about five times until you have a medium–fine meal.
4 Whisk the egg yolks by hand in a large bowl until foaming, then stir the almond mixture through. Add the melted chocolate and orange oil and stir to combine.
5 Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form, then carefully fold them through the almond mixture to retain as much air as possible. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin.
6 Bake for about 45 minutes, until the cake is puffed and golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely before unmoulding. Dust with cocoa powder to serve.
7 The torte will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
PAIR WITH Crème fraîche, candied orange peel, or chocolate ganache.