Chocolate Torta Caprese Food

DARK & SQUIDGY CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the base and sides of a 23cm springform or loose-bottomed cake tin. Put the butter and chocolate into a pan and gently melt together until smooth. Meanwhile, using an electric whisk, beat the eggs and sugar together for 5 mins until billowy and about the thickness of old-fashioned custard.
• Pour the chocolate and butter mix into the whisked egg and sugar, then fold it in very carefully using a large metal spoon. Mix the flour, almonds and ¼ tsp salt together, then fold into the mix until even. Spoon into the tin and bake for 35-40 mins until evenly set with a slight crust all over the top. Leave the cake to cool until warm, then release from the tin. Dust with cocoa, then cut into wedges.

TORTA CAPRESE - THE BEST CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE EVER

Steps:

• Melt chocolate using a double-boiler or bain-marie method. Place a heat resistant glass bowl or a metal bowl with chocolate broken into small pieces over a pan (pot) with a boiling water in a way that the bottom of the top bowl with chocolate doesn't touch the water in the bottom pan.
• Water should continue to boil on a low heat. Occasionally stir the melting chocolate. When chocolate is completely melted - set aside.
• If you are using whole almonds, blanch almonds for 60 seconds first boiling than in cold water. Peel off the skin, quickly dry in the oven. Process in a food processor into fine grind flour.
• Ready-to-use almond flour definitely saves you some time and you can find it without a hustle at a grocery store or order online.
• NOTE: If you are using a store-bought almond flour make sure you read the ingredients. Very important. Occasionally you can come across and almond flour mix that usually has 50% almond flour 50% powdered sugar. And you can still use it for this recipe if you not need any additional powdered sugar in this case, except for 2 tbsp to beat the egg whites.
• Separate egg yolks from the egg whites. Make sure there are not egg yolk bits in the egg whites! This is the reason why I recommend separating one egg at a time over a spare bowl, so that even if one egg yolk gets broken it doesn't damage the rest of the egg whites in the bowl.
• Beat egg yolks with half of the powdered sugar until fluffy. At this stage add rum or Grand Marnier if you have it.
• In the meantime your melted chocolate has cooled down a bit and it's a perfect time to add softened butter, grated orange zest and dark (bitter) cocoa powder. Mix everything well.
• Fold in the egg yolk mix into the chocolate mix. Stir in the almond flour.
• Beat the eggs whites with remaining powdered sugar until soft peaks form (about 5 minutes starting low and slowly increasing the speed).
• If you are using a standing mixer it's a perfect time to grease your cake mold and preheat the oven to 350F.
• To prevent our cake from sticking deadly to the mold we are first greasing it with butter, then covering with some flour. Just regular all purpose flour. BUT if you are making this for someone with gluten intolerance make sure you use corn flour or other gluten-free flour instead.
• I like to use a springform baking pan but any pan with removable bottom will do.
• Now that your egg whites have a perfect soft peak consistency start gently folding them into the chocolate almond dough. One or two scoops at a time. This is very important. If you throw in all eggs white at the same time or mix to intensely they will loose their fluffy and soft consistency and make your cake.
• Carefully pour in our chocolate almond cake into prearranged pan. With a spatula level all the bumps on the surface of the cake until smooth top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
• At a 30-minute mark do a toothpick test.
• Stick in a toothpick in the middle of the cake if it comes out dry or with a few breadcrumbs - the cake is ready. And it's important to not overcook this cake so that it retains its wonderful moist texture on the inside and crusty top on the outside.
• Let the cake cool for 20-30 minutes still in the baking pan before removing it. If removed too fast there is a risk to break it.
• Dust the top with confectioners/ powdered sugar or cocoa powder.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-ALMOND CAKE (TORTA CAPRESE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325ºF and set a rack on the lower or middle level. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
• Grind the almonds in a food processor with 1/3 cup of the sugar. (Post grinding, your almond-sugar mixture will be about 3 cups).
• In a bowl over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave, melt the chocolate and butter together. Set aside.
• Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer until lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup of the sugar. Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to mix well. Add the ground almonds and stir to incorporate. Add the salt, and the 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier, if using, and stir to combine.
• In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until they form firm peaks. In two additions, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour or longer - a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or if you have an instant-read thermometer, it should register 205ºF or above.
• Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan, then let cool completely.
• When the cake has cooled, transfer it to a serving platter. Just before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over the top.
• Optional: beat 1/2 cup heavy cream with a few tablespoons of confectioners sugar and a pinch of flaky sea salt until soft peaks form - I do this with my flat-bottomed whisk (which I love: it's the Xlarge Whipper). Taste. Add more sugar and/or salt to taste, and beat lightly again - I love whipped cream that's still soft and billowy in texture and not too sweet. Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries, if you have them.

LEMON TORTA CAPRESE AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the almond flour into the food processor and add the white chocolate in pieces. Now finely chop the chocolate with almond flour. Finally add the sugar and mix, always with the food processor, to combine.
• Add the butter cut into pieces. Mix the butter with the mixture of white chocolate, sugar and almond flour with the food processor for a few minutes at maximum speed. Transfer to a bowl. Now add the eggs 1 at a time.
• Add the lemon juice obtained from squeezing 2 lemons. Mix well to combine. Finally add the lemon zest obtained from 3 untreated lemons amd mix.
• Place a sheet of parchment paper on your round paking pan and pour the mixture. Level it with a spoon. Then bake it in a preheated oven at 180° (350F) for about 45 minutes. If you see that the cake is becoming too dark on top and may burn, turn off the oven but leave it inside until the time runs out. Once ready, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool before serving. Lemon Torta Caprese is even better if eaten the next day sprinkled with icing sugar.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND TORTE (TORTA CAPRESE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. and butter a 10-inch cake pan. Line bottom of pan with a round of wax paper and butter paper.
• Melt butter and cool. In a food processor finely grind together almonds and chocolate. Separate eggs.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat yolks with granulated sugar until very thick and pale and beat in almond mixture and butter.
• In another bowl with cleaned beaters beat whites with a pinch salt until they just hold stiff peaks and whisk one fourth into almond mixture. Fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly and spread batter evenly in pan.
• Bake torte in middle of oven 50 minutes, or until it begins to pull away from side of pan and a tester comes out with moist crumbs adhering. Cool torte on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto another rack. Discard wax paper and cool torte completely. Invert torte onto a plate. Torte may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
• Dust torte with confectioners' sugar and serve with whipped cream.

TORTA CAPRESE (CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch springform cake pan with foil.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with all but 1/4 cup of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat the mixture until combined well. Stir in the chocolate, almonds, cognac, potato starch, cinnamon and salt.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Add the remaining sugar, a little at a time, and beat the whites until they form soft peaks. Stir 1/4 of the whites into the batter and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until puffed and still slightly loose in the center Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• To unmold: release the sides from the pan and peel back foil. Invert cake onto a plate and carefully peel off foil from bottom of cake. Invert cake onto a serving plate and dust top with confectioner's sugar.
• Suggested Wine: Limoncello

TORTA CAPRESE

Steps:

• Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler and melt until smooth. Cool slightly, until just warm to the touch.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan.
• 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.
• 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.

CHOCOLATE TORTA CAPRESE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).
• Grease the sides of a 9 1/2" springform pan, then line the base with non-stick baking paper.
• Chop the chocolate finely with a large knife, or process until finely chopped, but still retaining some texture.
• Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla extract until the mixture is pale and thick.
• With a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate, the almonds and melted butter.
• In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
• Fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
• Spoon into the prepared cake tin and bake for between 50-60 minutes, until just firm to the touch.
• Leave to cool for 20 minutes before turning out.
• To serve, dust with powdered sugar.