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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Torta Caprese (Flourless Italian Chocolate Cake)

    Published: Feb 3, 2020 · Modified: Feb 8, 2023 by Neriz · This post contains some affiliate links.

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    Jump to Recipe

    Here’s a delightful treat that is so easy to make!  Torta Caprese (Flourless Italian Chocolate Cake) gives you a perfect balance of sweetness, bitterness, and crunchy bits of ground almonds in every bite.  Everyone would be asking for seconds!

    A shot of Caprese cake with a slice cut and ready for serving.

    Are you in the mood to serve a full meal from the Italian region of Campania?  

    Then you can start with polpette di melanzane (Neapolitan eggplant balls) as an appetizer, pasta alla Sorrentina as the main dish, and a slice (or two) of this traditional torta Caprese to wrap it up. 🙂

    So, what is torta Caprese?

    It’s also known as flourless Italian chocolate cake.

    It originated from an island in southern Italy called ‘Capri’ but is now served in all major cities in Italy — even in the northern parts.

    There is no need to travel to an Italian city to try an authentic Torta Caprese, though; you can easily make this delicious cake in your kitchen!

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    Ingredients

    Updated image showing all the ingredients you need to prepre Torta Caprese at home.
    • Chocolate chips – I always use dark chocolate chips for this torta Caprese recipe.
    • Eggs – medium-sized (63 to 73 grams per piece) and at room temperature.
    • Sugar – regular granulated white sugar will work nicely.
    • Salt – just use your favorite brand.
    • Butter – I typically use unsalted butter for making flourless Italian chocolate cake.
    • Powdered sugar – you only need this for serving.
    • Amaretto – my choice of liquor to add because it’s almond-based.
    • Almonds – there is no need to blanch the almonds before grounding.
    An overhead shot of Flourless Italian Chocolate Cake served with an espresso.

    Preparation

    Start making torta Caprese by preheating your oven to 180°C (350°F).

    Grease an 8-inch cake pan with butter or line it with parchment paper.

    Use a food processor or a blender to grind the almonds — aim for a coarse texture.

    Ground almonds which will replace flour in the flourless Italian Chocolate Cake.

    Combine half of the sugar with the softened, unsalted butter using a large bowl.

    Combining the sugar with butter to start making Caprese cake batter.

    Beat until it gets creamy, then add the egg yolks one at a time. 

    Add Amaretto and continue mixing.

    Add the melted chocolate.

    Combining the melted chocolate with butter and sugar for making Caprese cake.

    Mix to combine everything.

    Add the ground almonds.

    Mixing the dark chocolate with ground almonds as base for flourless Italian chocolate cake.

    Mix to combine the almonds with the rest of the flourless Italian chocolate ingredients.

    Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites in a separate bowl.

    Egg whites should be beaten to peaks before adding to the rest of the Torta Caprese ingredients.

    Using clean beaters, mix egg whites on medium speed until you see soft peaks. 

    Slowly add the remaining sugar while mixing continuously. 

    Switch the speed to high and continue beating the egg whites until you see stiff peaks.

    Beating the egg whites to peak as part of Torta Caprese batter.

    Add a third of the beaten egg whites into the torta Caprese batter.

    Folding the beaten egg white to finish the preparation of Caprese cake batter.

    Fold to combine and repeat until you have added all the egg whites.  Use a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon for folding.

    Pour the Caprese cake batter into your prepared pan and use an angled spatula to level the top.

    Leveling the top of Torta Caprese with a spatula before placing it in the oven.

    Place the pan on the lower part of the oven for fifty-five to sixty minutes or when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

    Set aside to cool.

    Once ready, sprinkle your torta Caprese with powdered sugar and serve.

    An overhead shot of Flourless Italian Chocolate Cake straight out of the oven and dusted with powdered sugar.

    Helpful tips

    • This torta Caprese recipe works well with an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan.  Anything bigger than that will result in a cake that is too thin.  

    If you have a springform cake pan, that is even better.

    • You can also use a stand mixer instead of a hand mixer.
    • Make sure the melted chocolate has cooled before adding it to the creamed butter mixture.
    • Keep scraping the sides of your mixing bowl with a rubber spatula (or wooden spoon) between adding and mixing all the ingredients.
    • Halfway through cooking time, if you think the top of your Caprese cake is getting too dark, cover it with aluminum foil.  

    Remove the foil during the last ten minutes of the cooking time.

    A closer shot of a slice of Torta Caprese highlighting the inside of the flourless cake.

    Recipe variation

    • Milk chocolate.  I use dark chocolate for this torta Caprese recipe, but if you only have milk chocolate available, you can use that as well — make sure you use less sugar (only about ½ cup).
    • Other liquor.  Rum or limoncello are common alternatives.

    Should I remove the skin of the almonds?

    No, there is no need to blanch the almonds.  

    The bitterness of the skin helps in balancing the sweetness of the flourless chocolate cake.  

    What to serve with torta Caprese?

    I always enjoy my flourless Italian chocolate cake with an espresso – be it for a snack or dessert.  

    Some of my friends serve it with whipped cream on top. 

    But for me, when it gets warm here in Stockholm, I heat a slice of the cake for a few seconds and then top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Yum!

    Looks absolutely tempting, right?  So, give this torta Caprese recipe a try this week!

    OR YOU CAN GET MORE INSPIRATION FROM THIS LIST OF INTERNATIONAL CAKE RECIPES!

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    Latest (Jan23) feature image for Torta Caprese showing a slice of the cake.

    Torta Caprese Recipe (Flourless Italian Chocolate Cake)

    Here’s a delightful treat that is so easy to make!  Torta Caprese (Flourless Italian Chocolate Cake) gives you a perfect balance of sweetness, bitterness, and crunchy bits of ground almonds in every bite.  Everyone would be asking for seconds!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 410kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowls
    • Pyrex Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • 8-inch Cake Pan
    • Rubber Spatula

    Ingredients

    • 1 & 2/3 cups almonds, (250 grams)
    • 1 cup dark chocolate chips, heaping (226 grams)
    • 1 cup butter, unsalted and softened (226 grams)
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 5 large eggs, separated
    • 2 tbsp Amaretto
    • pinch salt
    • 2 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
    • Prepare an 8-inch cake pan by greasing it with butter and lining it with a parchment paper.
    • Use a food processor (or a blender) to grind the almonds until you get a coarse texture. 
    • Using a large bowl, combine the softened, unsalted butter with half of the sugar.  Use a hand mixer to beat the mixture until it gets creamy.
    • Add the egg yolks one at a time.  
    • Add Amaretto and continue mixing.
    • Add cooled, melted chocolate, and mix.
    • Add ground almonds and mix.  You can also use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix the chocolate mixture at this point.
    • Using a medium-sized bowl, combine the egg whites and a pinch of salt.
    • Clean the mixer's beaters and, using a low speed, beat the egg whites into soft peaks.
    • Switch the mixer into high-speed and slowly add the remaining sugar while beating the egg whites continuously – until you see stiff peaks.
    • Add a third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture and fold to combine.  
      (Note: It would help if you used a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to do this.)
    • Continue adding and folding until you've used all the beaten egg whites.  Do not overmix, just enough to combine.
    • Pour your torta caprese batter into the prepared pan.  Use a spatula to level the top of the cake.
    • Place your cake pan in the lower part of your oven for 55 to 60 minutes.  
    • Remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool down.
    • Dust your caprese cake with powdered sugar and serve.

    Notes

    • Cook’s Tip #1:  You can use a stand mixer if you don’t have a hand mixer.  Just remember to clean the blades before beating the egg whites.
    • Cook’s Tip #2:  Do not worry about using the whole almonds, skin included. It helps in balancing the sweetness of this flourless Italian chocolate cake.
    • Cook’s Tip #3:  Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the mixing bowl’s sides while adding and mixing all the ingredients.
    • Cook’s Tip #4:  This authentic torta Caprese recipe is excellent for any 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan, but a 10-inch pan will result in a thin cake.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 184mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 588IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @foodandjourneys or tag #foodandjourneys!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amanda

      November 03, 2020 at 10:02 pm

      This sounds so good. Can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Neriz

        November 10, 2020 at 5:11 pm

        Thank you Amanda. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jodi

      December 14, 2020 at 1:56 am

      Is there a reason not to use already made almond flour?

      Reply
      • Neriz

        January 21, 2021 at 10:14 am

        Hi Jodi,

        Sorry, but I’m not sure about using almond flour for this recipe, because I have not tried it. But almond meal, yes, that will definitely work; I’ve done that numerous times myself.

        I wrote the recipe following the traditional way the locals prepare it in Capri (and how my mother-in-law prepares it in Emilia-Romagna region) 🙂

        Reply
    3. Talya Goldsmith

      March 14, 2021 at 4:55 am

      5 stars
      Worked a treat.
      Thank you
      Tals

      Reply
      • Neriz

        March 18, 2021 at 9:08 am

        Thank you Tals, I’m glad you liked it. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Nosheen

      May 28, 2023 at 2:45 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is amazing! Simple AND delicious! I couldn’t stop licking the pan as I prepped it!

      Reply

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