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The most sinfully delicious chocolate cake also known as a Caprese Cake or Torta Caprese. This chocolatey dessert originated on the Island of Capri and is one of the most delicious flourless chocolate cake’s I’ve ever had!
Coming at you straight from the Island of Capri today!
Can I ask you to take another look at the picture above, and let’s just have a moment of silence for the most beautiful, tender chocolate cake that’s entirely floureless!
This decadent and luxurious flourless chocolate cake (or Torta Caprese) was one of my main attractions for making the hike from Positano to Capri this past summer. Nevermind the Blue Grotto, what can compare with a flourless chocolate cake?
Not much, my husband will tell you.
The beautiful thing about a flourless chocolate cake is that you don’t have to follow a gluten-free diet to enjoy it! Unlike cakes that use gluten-free flour and sometimes leave a funny taste or texture in your mouth, this one is made using almond flour and tastes just like a light, yet fudge cake should.
This is something brand new for me as I’ve never shared a flourless cake here on the blog before. Come to think of it; I haven’t shared a cake recipe with you in a while! There were a few rounds of muffins in the January that wouldn’t end. Like the lemon zucchini ones and the banana ones that are naturally sweetened. So today I thought I’d share a chocolate cake that was meant to be made flourless and what do you know it, it’s right in time for Valentine’s Day!
I made this as the base layer in a mousse torte and it was perfect! Several people asked for the recipe (both those GF and not). Thank you for sharing this recipe!
What is a Caprese Cake?
A Caprese cake, or Torta Caprese is an old Neapolitan dessert that comes to us from the Island of Capri. It’s better known as a flourless chocolate cake here because it’s made with almond meal (or almond flour) rather than traditional all-purpose flour. Caprese cake also traditionally doesn’t contain a leavening agent (such as baking powder or baking soda.) It instead includes whipped egg whites that give the cake a just a bit of height.
Ingredients for Caprese Cake
- almond meal: but you can also use almond flour if you have that on hand. In this recipe, you can use them interchangeably
- chopped chocolate: I suggest using good, high-quality chocolate. I usually buy chocolate bars sold in the baking aisle and then chop it up for this recipe. Bittersweet chocolate is my top choice here because I like a darker, less sweet chocolate cake. However, semi-sweet will also work, it’ll just be a little sweeter. Chocolate chips will also work for this recipe, but I find that chopped chocolate yields the best results
- salted butter: use salted butter for this recipe as it gives it a more balanced flavor and doesn’t make this flourless cake too sweet. However, if you’ve got unsalted butter, you can still use it in the recipe, stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt when you add the almond flour to the recipe
- granulated sugar: to add sweetness
- eggs: to add structure and stability to the cake
- vanilla: for a hint of flavor
How to make the best Torta Cake
- Start by melting the butter and the chocolate together. You’ll want to do this in 30-second increments in the microwave, so you don’t end up burning the chocolate.
- Stir in the almond meal and sugar and allow the mixture to cool before adding egg yolks and vanilla.
- While the mixture cools, whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer
- Once you’ve added the egg yolks and the vanilla and mixed it in, you’ll gently fold in the egg whites. Be careful not to knock too much air out of the egg whites; the torte won’t rise as much if you do.
- Bake. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
FAQs about this recipe
Yes, it is! My flourless chocolate cake contains almond meal instead of all-purpose flour, so it’s naturally gluten-free and suitable for those that suffer from Celiacs or have other issues that prevent them from consuming gluten.
The beautiful thing about my Caprese cake is that you can make it up to one day in advance and it will taste just as good if not better on day two.
I serve this Torta Caprese the way they do on the Island of Capri – with just a dusting of powdered sugar. Sometimes I’ll add a handful of fresh berries on the side. However, if you’re a chocolate fanatic, you can drizzle on homemade chocolate ganache or serve this chocolate almond cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
No need to refrigerate this chocolate cake. All you want to do is place it in an airtight container, and it should be fine on the counter for 3-4 days.
If you’d like to store your cake in the freeze, wrap it in freezer paper and then place it in a zip top bag. You can store this well wrapped in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Flourless Chocolate Cake (Caprese Cake)
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups almond flour or meal
- 4 ½ ounces chocolate chopped (bittersweet or semi-sweet)
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature (and separated)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- PREP: Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, set aside. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- CHOCOLATE: Place the chopped chocolate in a glass bowl, along with the butter and heat in the microwave in 30-second increments until the butter melts. Make sure to stir in between. You’ll want to stop before the chocolate melts completely. Let sit for a few seconds then start stirring, the hot butter helps melt the chocolate without additional microwave zaps! When the chocolate melts, add the sugar and the almond meal and stir. Allow the mixture to cool to the touch. Then add the egg yolks and the vanilla extract; stir to combine.
- WHIP: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture, gently so you don’t knock all the air out.
- BAKE: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Smooth out the top and bake for roughly 36-39 minutes or until the top sets and a skewer inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (crumbs are fine, you don’t want wet batter though.) Allow the cake to cool completely in the cake pan (set over a wire rack.) Dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving with whipped cream or fresh fruit!
Notes
- Although this recipe can be made with both bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate, we prefer it with bittersweet chocolate. Check the post for a full explanation on why! 🙂
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Hi ,how many calories this will have ?
Looks really delicious;)
Hi there,
Can’t wait to try the cake. Question though. Is Almond meal the same as Almond flour?
Hi Bindi! Almond meal is made from unpeeled (raw) almonds and almond flour is made from peeled, (blanched) almonds. Either can be used for this recipe!
I made the cake this morning and it’s in the oven. I live at 9300 ft elevation so I am anxious to see how it turns out following the recipe exactly. Do you have any suggestions for high altitude? Maybe don’t whip the egg whites as much, less air? A little more liquid? It’s always a challenge when you’re baking up here, aside from that the recipe is easy to follow, not too many ingredients or steps (perfect for busy lives :). Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Becky! So glad to hear you found the Caprese cake easy to whip up! Unfortunately, I’m not very familiar with baking at high elevation (I live at 80 ft above sea level – yikes!) To convert recipes for high altitude baking, it is common to add additional liquid, as you mentioned, but I’ve also read you can increase the amount of flour or decrease the butter by about a tablespoon. I find this recipe particularly difficult to tinker with because of the almond flour and the melted chocolate. You could try whipping the egg whites a little less or perhaps cutting back on the butter a little bit? Would love to know the changes you made and how it turns out for you if you try it again 🙂
I made this as the base layer in a mousse torte and it was perfect! Several people asked for the recipe (both those GF and not). Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I think I saw the picture on Instagram (if it was yours that I saw!) It looked amazing, and I love how you made it your own with (raspberry, if I’m right?) mousse, so creative!
Hi, can I use cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, it’s difficult for me to say if the cocoa powder would make a good substitute for the melted chocolate. For best results, I suggest preparing as written the first time and adjusting the recipe as desired the next time. 🙂
Decadent, rich, and moist. Perfect dessert bite. Substituted Swerve for sugars to work in Keto diet. Really easy to make. Loved it!
Did you use semi-sweet chocolate?
I used bittersweet chocolate because we don’t like our desserts too sweet around here! However, semi-sweet would also work here, it’ll just be a little sweeter 🙂
I am looking forward to making this Caprese Cake. One other question, is there a difference between Almond Meal or Almond Flour in the recipe?
Either will work for this recipe! The skin won’t make a huge difference in this particular recipe!
Hi! I’ve always wanted to try a flourless chocolate cake but I am allergic to tree nuts so I cant use almond flour. Do you know of any substitute I could use here?
Hi Kirsten! I’m glad you’re interested in making this recipe. Unfortunately, I haven’t tested it with any other type of flour, so I’m a little unsure. I would suggest doing a search for a ‘flourless brownie’ recipe on the web as those generally don’t contain tree nuts and use cocoa powder in it’s place. Hope that helps!