An Italian flourless chocolate cake whose chocolate richness melts in your mouth. This is Torta Caprese. The list of ingredients is short, and the instructions are super easy to follow as there are barely any steps. Most work is done by the oven, and in no time you will be able to enjoy your very first own Torta Caprese cake.

History of Torta Caprese – where does it originate from?

Imagine the southwestern part of Italy. Bustling Naples is a gateway to this glorified and tourist-loved Island. Capri is, and was, back in the day, a favoured holiday destination. May it be for day trips, relaxed holidays on the island or as a stop and area to float around for holidaymakers on boats and yachts. There are many legends about Capri, and the origin of Torta Caprese flourless chocolate cakes is one of them. Don’t be misled by the following, but legend has it that Torta Caprese was born out of a mishap. This does not make the Italian flourless chocolate cake any less delicious!

The history of the origin of Torta Caprese itself is very short. In the 1920s a baker situated on Capri simply forgot to add flour to a chocolate cake recipe, and to his surprise, the Cake turned out excellent. The cake is dense, moist and irresistible. And soon, this accident became a staple in Italian cuisine. You may often find the Caprese Cake at Hotel Breakfast Buffets and pasticcerias/bakeries in the Campania region, and all over Italy. Cakes are often enjoyed for breakfast in Italy.

Ingredients for Torta Caprese

The following ingredients are for a small 20 cm pan (or two 17 cm ones for a stacked cake), you may want to adjust the ingredients and baking times if using a larger baking dish.

• 85 g butter, at room temperature
• 90 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 95 g melted chocolate (dark or milk, but preferably dark chocolate)
• 115 g ground almonds or almond flour (whatever is available to you)
• pinch salt

Instructions for Italian flourless chocolate cake

Before starting to bake your own Torta Caprese cake, it comes in handy to have all ingredients already prepared and pre-weighted. But you can easily do it throughout, just make sure the butter is at room temperature. Preheat your oven with the fan activated at 200 degrees Celsius.

First, add the soft butter and sugar to a bowl and whisk until you get a creamy consistency. The best would be to cream it for a few minutes, 5 minutes at best. Now add one egg after the other, always whisking and fully incorporating each into the batter. Now add the ground almonds or almond flour and incorporate as best as possible, as well as a pinch of salt. The dough now definitely lacks moisture, which is good. Just in time, melt your chocolate, let it cool down a bit and add it to the butter-sugar-egg-almond mixture for the Italian flourless chocolate cake. Incorporate the molten chocolate with a spatula and pour it into your baking dish of choice.

Now bake the cake in the oven with a fan activated for 25 – 30 minutes. The edges of the cake will become harder than the centre, which is the consistency you long for. Soft, but compact and full of chocolate flavour.

Before serving, let the Torta Caprese cool down for at least 30 – 60 minutes, and dust with icing sugar to add a little more immediate sweetness in contrast to the dark chocolate flavour. Enjoy!

How to elevate Torta Caprese

Take the recipe and instructions above as a base, and elevate the Cake to your liking. Don’t tell an Italian Nonna about this, but feel free to customize the rich cake batter to your liking! I once added chocolate chips to the batter right before pouring it into the baking pan and it gave the cake some added crunch. You might also want to try adding shredded almonds to enhance the “bite” of the cake as well. Or, if you want to go outlandish, add fruit of your desire. What about slices of pear on top of the batter before baking or an apple? Both would also work perfectly mixed in the batter, or cut into smaller pieces or cubes.

For serving, adding a (why not heavy) dust of icing sugar is the classic method. You might also want to serve freshly whipped cream or an ice cream ball (especially if the cake is fresh and still lukewarm!). As a drink on the side, Italian Espresso is always a good choice or a dessert wine such as Vin Santo.

Why you should bake your own Torta Caprese, the Italian flourless chocolate cake from Capri

Torta Caprese is more than just a dessert – it’s a culinary journey that transports you to the sun-drenched shores of Capri with every bite. Whether enjoyed on its own or paired with the perfect accompaniments, this indulgent treat is sure to delight your senses and leave you craving more. So why not treat yourself to a slice of Italian indulgence and experience the magic of Torta Caprese for yourself? Did you know you don’t have to worry about high blood sugar levels after indulging in sweets?