Torta Caprese

Ingredients

• 1200g (7 oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
• 2150g (5 oz) unsalted butter, cubed
• 3200g (1½ cups) blanched almonds (or almond flour)
• 4150g (¾ cup) caster sugar, divided
• 54 large eggs, separated (at room temperature)
• 61 tsp vanilla extract
• 7Pinch of fine salt
• 8Icing sugar for dusting
• 9Optional: whipped cream or crème fraîche to serve

Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 170°C / 340°F. Grease a 23cm (9-inch) springform tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. 2If using whole almonds, blitz in a food processor until finely ground (the texture of coarse flour). Do not over-process into a paste.
3. 3Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring gently until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
4. 4Beat the egg yolks with 100g of the sugar until pale and creamy. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla extract until well combined. Fold in the ground almonds.
5. 5In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 50g sugar, whisking to stiff glossy peaks.
6. 6Fold the egg whites into the chocolate-almond mixture in three additions, keeping as much air as possible.
7. 7Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35–40 minutes. The cake should be just set — slightly soft in the centre — with a cracked, matte top. A skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs.
8. 8Cool completely in the tin before unmoulding. Dust generously with icing sugar through a sieve. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream if desired. Tip: This cake keeps beautifully for 3–4 days, getting more moist and fudgy each day.