Torta Caprese: The unintentional gluten-free delight

Located in the Bay of Naples, Capri has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful islands in Europe. Even Roman emperors visited to admire its extraordinary landscapes and indulge in its exquisite cuisine, primarily based on nature's bounty, harvested on land and fished from the sea.

Today, one of Capri's culinary symbols is a cake made from chocolate and almonds, without flour or yeast but full of flavour and aroma. Allegedly, pastry chef Carmine Di Fiore accidentally created the recipe for torta caprese.

This occurred in the turbulent 1920s. Three American gangsters visited Di Fiore's shop, having come to Italy for shady business. They ordered an almond cake—the pastry chef's specialty from Capri. However, he was so engrossed in the task that he forgot to add flour, though he did not skimp on the chocolate. To his amazement, the cake was delicious—moist, delicate, and flavoured. The guests from the United States were thrilled. From this mishap, a recipe emerged that quickly gained popularity on the island and throughout Italy.

Torta Caprese can now be enjoyed in many pastry shops across Italy, and it is also a significant part of various celebrations and special events.

The classic recipe for this cake still relies on only five ingredients: dark chocolate, almonds, sugar, butter, and eggs. However, some versions have added lemon juice, orange zest, pistachios, and yeast. One of the more interesting variations is torta caprese bianca, which uses lemon zest and juice and replaces dark chocolate with white.

Some recipes include almond flour, which speeds up cake preparation. Still, the residents of Capri believe that chopped or blended almonds are better suited for the cake, adding flavour, aroma, and nutritional value.

Almonds are a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid, which helps balance "good" and "bad" cholesterol, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, strengthens the immune system, and inhibits the development of cancer cells (helping prevent breast, colon, lung, and liver cancer).

Due to their high concentration of these valuable compounds, almonds can boost mood. They are also rich in tryptophan, zinc, and selenium—minerals crucial for brain function (a deficiency can promote depression). The seeds of the almond tree are rich in other minerals, including calcium, iron, manganese, and vitamin E, aptly called the "vitamin of youth."

The second key ingredient of torta caprese, dark chocolate, is equally valuable. It's an excellent source of magnesium, an effective remedy for stress. Chocolate improves mood and increases energy levels thanks to the alkaloids theobromine and caffeine. Due to its high content of another compound, pyrazine, this treat positively influences concentration and intellectual performance.

Break the dark chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa content) into pieces and melt it in a water bath until it becomes a homogeneous and velvety mass. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, cream room-temperature butter (around 200 grams) with sugar (around 200 grams) until light and fluffy. Then, continuously mix the egg yolks one at a time (four in total, also at room temperature). Mix well with a teaspoon of vanilla extract and the cooled chocolate.

Add ground almonds (around 200 grams) and combine with the rest of the ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat four egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Then, gently fold them into the chocolate mixture using a spatula, making upward motions to maintain fluffiness.

Transfer the batter into a baking-paper-lined and greased pan with a diameter of about 23 centimetres, and smooth the top. Place in an oven preheated to 170°C for about 40-50 minutes. Check with a skewer—it should be slightly moist but not too dry. The goal is to achieve a cake with a crispy crust but a moist and soft centre.

After baking, remove the torta caprese from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan. Then, remove it and dust it with powdered sugar before serving. The cake tastes best a few hours after baking when it reaches the ideal consistency, and the flavours meld together.

Torta caprese can be served with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or fresh fruits, such as raspberries or strawberries, which perfectly complement the intense chocolate flavour.