Torta Caprese Chocolate Almond Cake Recipes

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

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.