Chocolate Torte Caprese

This delicious flourless and gluten-free chocolate torte originated from the island of Capri, Italy.  It is infused with amaretto liqueur (one of my favourite liqueurs), but you can substitute it if you wish for any other Italian liqueur or fortified wine, Marsala wine works well in this recipe too.  The chocolate ganache is a must on top of the torte, do not skip this step, trust me.

Ingredients

Chocolate Ganache

  • 80 grams whipping cream
  • 100 grams dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • fresh berries for garnish

Cake

  • 50 grams Amaretto liqueur
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 6 eggs
  • 250 grams caster sugar
  • 250 grams almond flour
  • 250 grams dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 150 grams softened butter

Instructions

Make the Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Lightly grease a springform tin (24cm) and set aside.
  2. Blitz the dark chocolate into a high-powered food processor for 20 seconds until finely grated. Alternatively, use a sharp knife and chop the chocolate until it's finely chopped. Set aside.
  3. In your food processor or mixer, add the sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, and liqueur and mix on high speed until well combined.
  4. Add the reserved chocolate and the almond flour and mix on high speed for 30 seconds or until well incorporated.
  5. Transfer the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  6. Allow to cool in tin for 30 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Chocolate Ganache

  1. Using a sharp knife or serrated knife, finely chop the chocolate. Then scrape it all into a heatproof bowl.
  2. Heat cream: Place cream in a small saucepan over heat or in a heatproof jug to microwave. Heat until hot and steaming but DO NOT let it boil – it might cause the chocolate to split or go grainy.
  3. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Using a rubber spatula or spoon, stir until cream and chocolate are incorporated and it's silky smooth. Allow to cool for a few minutes before pouring over the cooled cake.
  4. Decorate your cake by pouring the ganache over the cooled chocolate torte then top with fresh berries.