Torta Caprese

Are you looking for a dessert to impress? This Torta Caprese is flourless, gluten-free and full of chocolate flavour with a rich chocolate ganache.

The cake itself is made with only 6 ingredients so use the best couveture chocolate you can find (I use 53 to 58% dark chocolate), for the best results. It can be served on it’s own, without the ganache, simply dusted with icing sugar or cocoa and served with a dollop of cream or icecream and fresh raspberries or a couli. You can also cover it in chocolate ganache (pictured) and it makes a beautiful celebration cake/dessert. It can also be made the day before which is great for entertaining.

About The Ingredients

• Chocolate – Use a good quality dark couverture chocolate (I use Callebaut 54.5% callets)
• Butter – The recipe states salted but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer
• Almond Meal – I mostly use almond meal, but didn’t have any once, so I used hazelnut meal instead and it was a good substitute.

Method/Tips

To process the chocolate, I’ve found it easiest to do this in a small bowl of a food processor . I blend it until there are still small pieces left (like the consistency of crushed nuts).

Always try and use room temperature eggs when baking. They prevent your mixture from splitting. If it does split, don’t worry as it doesn’t affect the baking of this cake.

The bake time for this cake is 50-60 minutes. Everyone’s oven is different, so I always recommend checking your bakes 10 minutes before (so at 40 minute mark) as it may be ready sooner. You might also find your oven takes slightly longer than the recipe states.

Prepare Ahead:

The cake can be made the day before. Simply allow it to cool to room temperature and cover with clingfilm or place in a sealed container and refrigerate. You can then remove the cake and glaze while it’s still chilled, or if serving as is, allow it to come to room temperature before dusting with icing sugar or cocoa powder and serving.

To Serve/Suggestions

I have served this cake on many occasions simply dusted with icing sugar and decorated with a few fresh raspberries piled into the centre, accompanied with softened vanilla icecream and a raspberry couli. You could also serve this cake with a dollop of cream or mascarpone and fresh raspberries.

In these photos, I have glazed it with a Milk Chocolate Ganache. To do this, you need your cake to be chilled. For the ganache, I use 150g Couveture Milk Chocolate (or 100g couveture dark chocolate and 50g couveture white chocolate) and 100g full cream. Place your chocolate pallets/nibs into a large bowl and the cream into a small saucepan. Heat the cream until it comes to a rolling boil and once it does, pour it over the chocolate. Leave for a few seconds, and then bring together quickly by using a hand held stick blender or mix quickly with a spatula until smooth and glossy. Let this cool slightly. You want the ganache to be around 30°C (86°F) for glazing a cake (slightly thick, but runny consistency, similar to cream). Pour the ganache into the middle of the chilled cake and using a palette knife, spread evenly over and around the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until required and remove from the fridge to come to room temperature before serving.

This cake keeps well for 3 days in the refrigerator covered in clingfilm or in a sealed container.

I have baked this Chocolate Torta Caprese so many times and it is always a popular dessert. I hope you enjoy this delicious, moist and chocolatey cake as much as I do.

Take a look at these other 2 gluten-free bakes – Pistachio Blueberry Friands or Chewy Chocolate Coconut Slice.

Other delicious bakes – Chocolate Brownies, Gingernut Biscuits or Anzac Biscuits.