Containing no flour and leavened by whipped egg whites alone, this flourless chocolate-almond cake is at once light, rich, and moist. Bittersweet chocolate makes it perfectly sweet, and ground almonds give it a wonderful texture throughout. It can stand alone without any garnish, but it’s especially good with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
On Christmas Eve my mother served this torta caprese — a flourless, chocolate-almond torte originating from the Isle of Capri — for dessert. Not a single person sitting at the table, nine in total, turned down seconds. Later that evening, Santa even helped himself to thirds.
I love this class of cakes, those that can stand on their own, that don’t beg for layers of buttercream, pools of crème pâtissière, or glazes of chocolate ganache. This one, like the orange-and-olive oil cake and the Chez Panisse almond torte , fits into this class.
Containing no flour and leavened only by whipped egg whites, this torte is at once light, rich, and moist. Ground almonds give it a wonderful texture throughout, and a splash of Grand Marnier offers a lovely, complementary hint of orange.
Made with bittersweet chocolate, it is perfectly sweet, and when it bakes, a brownie-like, most-delicious, paper-thin crust forms on the top-most layer. It is every bit elegant the finale of a special occasion should be. I hope you find time to celebrate it soon.
How to Make Torta Caprese, Step by Step
First, gather your ingredients.
Then, grind the almonds with some of the sugar in the food processor until fine.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a microwave if you have one.
Separate the eggs.
Then beat the yolks with some of the sugar until pale yellow and thick.
Add the chocolate-butter mixture to the eggs, followed by the ground almonds, and stir to combine.
Add the salt and Grand Marnier, if using, and stir to combine.
Beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until soft peaks form.
Then fold the egg whites into the batter in two additions.
Transfer the batter to a buttered- and parchment-lined springform pan.
Bake at
Description
Notes: Like the orange-and-olive oil cake and the Chez Panisse almond torte , this one stays moist and delicious for days, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time. If you are abstaining from alcohol, the Grand Marnier, or other liqueur, is truly optional — delicious and moist with or without.
Chocolate: I like the Guittard 74% cacao wafers. No need to chop if you use the wafers. I also have success simply pouring the hot melted butter over the wafers in a bowl, letting them sit for a minute, then stirring.
- 2 cups (about 227 g ) unblanched whole or sliced almonds
- 1 1/4 cups ( 250 g ) sugar, divided
- 8 oz ( 227 g ) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, see notes above
- 8 oz (2 sticks, 227 g ) unsalted butter
- 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon ( 4 g ) salt
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional
For serving:
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
- flaky sea salt, optional
- fresh berries such as raspberries
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and set a rack on the lower or middle level. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- Grind the almonds in a food processor with 1/3 cup of the sugar. (Post grinding, your almond-sugar mixture will be about 3 cups).
- In a bowl over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave, melt the chocolate and butter together. Set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer until lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup of the sugar. Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to mix well. Add the ground almonds and stir to incorporate. Add the salt, and the 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier, if using, and stir to combine.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until they form firm peaks. In two additions, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour or longer — a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or if you have an instant-read thermometer , it should register 205ºF or above.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan, then let cool completely.
- When the cake has cooled, transfer it to a serving platter. Just before serving, sift confectioners’ sugar over the top.
- Optional: beat 1/2 cup heavy cream with a few tablespoons of confectioners sugar and a pinch of flaky sea salt until soft peaks form — I do this with my flat-bottomed whisk (which I love: it’s the Xlarge Whipper). Taste. Add more sugar and/or salt to taste, and beat lightly again — I love whipped cream that’s still soft and billowy in texture and not too sweet. Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries, if you have them.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian/American
Containing no flour and leavened by whipped egg whites alone, this flourless chocolate-almond cake is at once light, rich, and moist. Bittersweet chocolate makes it perfectly sweet, and ground almonds give it a wonderful texture throughout. It can stand alone without any garnish, but it’s especially good with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
On Christmas Eve my mother served this torta caprese — a flourless, chocolate-almond torte originating from the Isle of Capri — for dessert. Not a single person sitting at the table, nine in total, turned down seconds. Later that evening, Santa even helped himself to thirds.
I love this class of cakes, those that can stand on their own, that don’t beg for layers of buttercream, pools of crème pâtissière, or glazes of chocolate ganache. This one, like the orange-and-olive oil cake and the Chez Panisse almond torte , fits into this class.
Containing no flour and leavened only by whipped egg whites, this torte is at once light, rich, and moist. Ground almonds give it a wonderful texture throughout, and a splash of Grand Marnier offers a lovely, complementary hint of orange.
Made with bittersweet chocolate, it is perfectly sweet, and when it bakes, a brownie-like, most-delicious, paper-thin crust forms on the top-most layer. It is every bit elegant the finale of a special occasion should be. I hope you find time to celebrate it soon.
How to Make Torta Caprese, Step by Step
First, gather your ingredients.
Then, grind the almonds with some of the sugar in the food processor until fine.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a microwave if you have one.
Separate the eggs.
Then beat the yolks with some of the sugar until pale yellow and thick.
Add the chocolate-butter mixture to the eggs, followed by the ground almonds, and stir to combine.
Add the salt and Grand Marnier, if using, and stir to combine.
Beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until soft peaks form.
Then fold the egg whites into the batter in two additions.
Transfer the batter to a buttered- and parchment-lined springform pan.
Bake at
Description
Notes: Like the orange-and-olive oil cake and the Chez Panisse almond torte , this one stays moist and delicious for days, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time. If you are abstaining from alcohol, the Grand Marnier, or other liqueur, is truly optional — delicious and moist with or without.
Chocolate: I like the Guittard 74% cacao wafers. No need to chop if you use the wafers. I also have success simply pouring the hot melted butter over the wafers in a bowl, letting them sit for a minute, then stirring.
- 2 cups (about 227 g ) unblanched whole or sliced almonds
- 1 1/4 cups ( 250 g ) sugar, divided
- 8 oz ( 227 g ) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, see notes above
- 8 oz (2 sticks, 227 g ) unsalted butter
- 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon ( 4 g ) salt
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional
For serving:
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
- flaky sea salt, optional
- fresh berries such as raspberries
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and set a rack on the lower or middle level. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- Grind the almonds in a food processor with 1/3 cup of the sugar. (Post grinding, your almond-sugar mixture will be about 3 cups).
- In a bowl over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave, melt the chocolate and butter together. Set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer until lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup of the sugar. Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to mix well. Add the ground almonds and stir to incorporate. Add the salt, and the 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier, if using, and stir to combine.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until they form firm peaks. In two additions, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour or longer — a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or if you have an instant-read thermometer , it should register 205ºF or above.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan, then let cool completely.
- When the cake has cooled, transfer it to a serving platter. Just before serving, sift confectioners’ sugar over the top.
- Optional: beat 1/2 cup heavy cream with a few tablespoons of confectioners sugar and a pinch of flaky sea salt until soft peaks form — I do this with my flat-bottomed whisk (which I love: it’s the Xlarge Whipper). Taste. Add more sugar and/or salt to taste, and beat lightly again — I love whipped cream that’s still soft and billowy in texture and not too sweet. Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries, if you have them.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian/American
Description
Notes: Like the orange-and-olive oil cake and the Chez Panisse almond torte , this one stays moist and delicious for days, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time. If you are abstaining from alcohol, the Grand Marnier, or other liqueur, is truly optional — delicious and moist with or without.
Chocolate: I like the Guittard 74% cacao wafers. No need to chop if you use the wafers. I also have success simply pouring the hot melted butter over the wafers in a bowl, letting them sit for a minute, then stirring.
- 2 cups (about 227 g ) unblanched whole or sliced almonds
- 1 1/4 cups ( 250 g ) sugar, divided
- 8 oz ( 227 g ) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, see notes above
- 8 oz (2 sticks, 227 g ) unsalted butter
- 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon ( 4 g ) salt
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional
For serving:
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
- flaky sea salt, optional
- fresh berries such as raspberries
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and set a rack on the lower or middle level. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- Grind the almonds in a food processor with 1/3 cup of the sugar. (Post grinding, your almond-sugar mixture will be about 3 cups).
- In a bowl over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave, melt the chocolate and butter together. Set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer until lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup of the sugar. Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to mix well. Add the ground almonds and stir to incorporate. Add the salt, and the 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier, if using, and stir to combine.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until they form firm peaks. In two additions, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour or longer — a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or if you have an instant-read thermometer , it should register 205ºF or above.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan, then let cool completely.
- When the cake has cooled, transfer it to a serving platter. Just before serving, sift confectioners’ sugar over the top.
- Optional: beat 1/2 cup heavy cream with a few tablespoons of confectioners sugar and a pinch of flaky sea salt until soft peaks form — I do this with my flat-bottomed whisk (which I love: it’s the Xlarge Whipper). Taste. Add more sugar and/or salt to taste, and beat lightly again — I love whipped cream that’s still soft and billowy in texture and not too sweet. Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries, if you have them.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian/American
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2013/02/05/torta-caprese-flourless-chocolate-almond-torte/
Skip to Recipe
It’s a rare occasion that a New York strip steak needs anything more than a little salt and pepper. That said, in the spirit of special-occasion dining, a good sauce does make a meal feel a wee more special. And when a good sauce mixes with the juices of a good steak and that fusion pools around the edges of a good creamy purée and the dregs of that sauce-infiltrated purée get mopped up by a piece of good bread, well, it just doesn’t get much more special than that.
This balsamic caramel is another three-ingredient sauce that tastes as though much more effort went into its creation than actually did. Like the port wine reduction , the flavor from this sauce is attained by slowly reducing the liquids into a super concentrated syrup: a half cup of madeira reduces to a tablespoon; a cup of balsamic vinegar gets reduced by three quarters. The resulting flavor of this balsamic caramel resembles that of expensive Italian barrel-aged balsamics, fit for drizzling over anything ranging from prosciutto-wrapped figs to vanilla ice cream to pan-seared steaks. This recipe doesn’t yield a lot, but a little goes a long way, and as noted above, there’s no reason to smother a New York strip.
With Valentine’s Day a week away, I’m starting to finalize my menu. We’ll be starting with Delice de Bourgone (if there is any left) and homemade walnut bread (if I get around to making it) followed by these steaks alongside a turnip and apple purée — same as last year, boring I know, but we have a ton of turnips on hand — and a green salad with breadcrumbs and citrus vinaigrette . There’s no chance there will be any torta caprese remaining, so I’ll have to think of something else for dessert. For those of you planning a dinner at home next Thursday, here are a few other thoughts:
Images link to posts: pan-seared duck breasts with port wine reduction ; turnip and apple purée ; greens with homemade breadcrumbs and citrus vinaigrette ; Jean-Georges nearly flourless chocolate torte ; homemade Valentine’s Day card (inside); homemade Valentine’s Day card (outside)
steak marinating with olive oil, garlic, shallots and rosemary:
seared steak ready for the oven:
balsamic caramel ingredients:
balsamic caramel:
Description
Notes: This balsamic caramel is wonderful drizzled on countless foods ranging from prosciutto to Parmigiano Reggiano to fresh strawberries. If you have any leftover, which you likely will, try drizzling it over vanilla ice cream — very different experience than hot fudge sauce but really good!
- ½ cup Rainwater Madeira
- 1 cup commercial balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
- Place Madeira in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add the balsamic vinegar and boil until the vinegar has reduced to about ¼ cup and is very syrupy and big shiny bubbles are forming at the surface. Watch the mixture very closely at this point — it will burn very easily. If it appears too thin, be assured that it will thicken upon cooling. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Pour into a clean jar and cool before using.
optional marinade:
- olive oil to cover the steak
- sliced shallots
- a couple cloves of garlic, minced
- a sprig or two of rosemary
Place steaks in a ziplock bag or a shallow dish or whatever vessel you like to use to marinate meat. Drizzle with olive oil, cover with shallots, rub with minced garlic, nestle with rosemary. Place in fridge if you plan on marinating for more than a couple of hours, otherwise set aside until you are ready to cook.
method:
There are countless variables that factor into the final doneness of a cooked steak — thickness of the steak, oven temperature, temperature of the meat (room temperature or chilled) before being cooked, etc. This is a method I have been using that consistently gives me a medium-rare steak. Once you try it once or twice, you will be able to make adjustments depending on your preferences for doneness:
- Buy steaks or have butcher cut steaks about 1½ inches thick.
- Marinate steaks (or don’t) for an hour or as long as overnight. Bring steaks to room temperature at least one hour (two is better) before you plan on cooking them.
- Preheat oven to 450ºF.
- Prepare a low-rimmed baking sheet (like a jelly roll pan) with a piece of parchment paper.
- Remove steaks from marinade, scraping off big slices of shallots and garlic. Season steaks generously on both sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Heat a large (or small, depending on how many steaks you plan on searing at one time) skillet over high heat for two to three minutes. When you place your hand over it, you should feel considerable heat. Pour two teaspoons olive or vegetable oil (or whatever oil you prefer to sear meat with) into the skillet, then immediately place steaks into skillet. Let the steaks sear for 1½ to 2 minutes a side, or until they are nicely browned. Transfer steaks to prepared pan. My reason for transferring the steaks to a baking sheet versus just placing the pan in the oven is this: I find the steak always cooks unevenly — that the side touching the pan cooks more than the other — when I place the skillet in the oven. On the other hand, when I sear each side of the steak for about the same amount of time and then place it on a room temperature baking sheet, I know the steak will cook more or less evenly in the oven. Perhaps this is fussy, and I won’t argue with you if you have a better method — this is just what I like to do. This method moreover works well if you are cooking a bunch of steaks for company. It also allows you to sear the steaks ahead of time and let them rest for as long as necessary until you are ready to finish them off in the oven. For Valentine’s Day, for example, you could sear the steaks before you start tucking into the cheese and bread , and when it comes time for the main course, all you have to do is stick the steaks in the oven. Simps.
- Place sheet pan with seared steaks into the oven for five minutes. Note: depending on how long you seard the steaks — the full 2 min on each side ormorse like 1.5 min each — you might need more or less time in the oven to achieve the medium rare doneness. You might want to poke the steak with your finger at minute 4 to evaluate doneness.
- Remove pan from oven and transfer steaks to a cutting board. Let steaks rest for at least six or seven minutes before slicing.
- Slice and serve. If using the balsamic caramel, make sure sauce is slightly warm (pop in the microwave briefly or if it’s still in the skillet, just warm it up a bit) and drizzle just the smallest amount overtop. Or, spoon a little onto the plate before topping with the meat.
