DARK CHOCOLATE CAPRESE CAKE

Dark chocolate Caprese cake

This gluten-free dark chocolate cake was created by accident in Capri in 1920, in a similar way to the birth of Tarte Tatin. The pastry chef was in a stressful day and created this magic cake with chocolate and ground almonds forgetting flour: the result is this magic cake covered by a thin and crunchy crust that contains a moist and soft interior like a chocolate truffle.

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Yield: Makes 8 servings.

 

Ingredients for a 7 IN (20 cm) mold

  • 6,5 oz (g 185) almond flour
  • 4,5 oz (125 g) dark chocolate 70%, crumbled
  • 4,5 oz (125 g) butter, soft
  • 3 medium eggs, room temperature (kept out of the fridge at least 12 hours in advance)
  • 4,5 oz (125 g) white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dark rhum

Instructions

Melt chocolate and butter in microwave or bain-marie until they are perfectly mixed and smooth.

In another bowl, using a hand mixer, mix for some minutes 3 yolks and 2,8 oz (80 g) sugar, until they are soft and foamy. Add the Rhum, still mixing and the chocolate and butter.

Place half of the sugar into a bowl and the egg yolks. Using a hand mixer on medium-high speed, whisk the ingredients. After a few minutes the mixture will be frothy. Add the Rhum, keep mixing, and the mix of chocolate and butter.

In another bowl pour the egg whites and the remaining sugar. Make sure that the whisks are clean, otherwise the egg whites will not whip.

After a few minutes the egg whites will be shiny and frothy: you have to whip them stiff. When all preparations are complete, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C) in convection mode and start combining them: fold a third of the whipped egg whites then a third of the almond flour into the egg yolks and chocolate mixture using a spatula, stirring gently from bottom to top. Add another batch (one third of the egg whites and one third of the dry ingredients) and continue until you get a uniform texture.

Pour the smooth and creamy mixture into a buttered 7-inch (20 cm) round cake mould already buttered and floured with potato starch. Carefully level the surface and bake in a convection oven at 340°F (170°C) for about 45 minutes.

Once baked, let the cake cool down in the mould, then turn it upside down to unmould it. Then turn it over again on a plate lined with baking paper and let it cool completely. Once cold, turn the cake upside down one last time, remove the baking paper and dust the surface with powdered sugar.



CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES, TURIN STYLE

These chocolate truffles are lovely special presents to give at Christmas time: there is nothing like a homemade gift for our families and friends to express our love for them.

The combination of chocolate, rum, coffee, and Amaretti cookies is reminiscent of Turin’s Bonet. These chocolate truffles are very festive and particularly appropriate to celebrate the winter holidays. The dark chocolate can be replaced with white chocolate and you can play with different ingredients to make the most of their versatility.

These chocolate delicacies have a very “exotic” yet transalpine touch. Piedmont cuisine is deeply influenced by its proximity with France, and not only because of geography; in fact, the Savoy dynasty, which ruled Italy until the end of WW2, was blood related to the French dynasty. Not only did the Savoy family try to compete with its French cousins in building palaces that wanted to resemble Versailles, but the two languages spoken in the parliament of Turin were French and the Turin dialect, until the constitution of the Kingdom of Italy.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 2 1/4 hours (including chilling time)| Yield: Makes 20-25 truffles.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup (250 ml.) heavy (fresh whipping) cream
  • 1 tablespoon (8 gr.) instant espresso coffee
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml.) dark rum
  • 12 ounces (350 gr.) Good-quality finely chopped semisweet chocolate, or chocolate chips
  • 4 ounces (80 gr.) amaretti cookies

 

Instructions

Set a heat-safe medium bowl over a medium saucepan filled with an inch or two of water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water in the pot). Heat over medium heat until water is simmering, then add cream to bowl and heat until warm, about 3 minutes. Add instant coffee and chocolate and cook, stirring constantly, until melted, about 3 minutes (or up to 5 minutes if using chocolate chips).

Carefully remove the bowl from the saucepan and pour chocolate mixture into a second heatproof bowl or pie pan (preferably made from metal, since it cools more quickly). Add the rum and mix carefully. Let cool at room temperature 15 minutes, then freeze until truffle base is firm, about 1 hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Once chocolate mixture has chilled, use a teaspoon, melon baller, or small scoop to drop truffle mixture by the heaping teaspoonful onto the prepared sheet. Form truffles into balls by rolling them quickly between the palms of your hands. This process is a little messy, so wash your hands in cold water halfway through rolling, if desired. Freeze truffles on prepared sheet for 20 minutes.

Topping:

With a blender or food processor, finely chop the cookies and pour the powder in a plate.

Once chilled, roll truffles in the topping pressing slightly to adhere the ingredients to the truffles. Store finished truffles in the refrigerator up to 5 days; remove to room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Note: if you do not find amaretti cookies or do not like them, you can replace them with chocolate powder, shredded almonds, grated pistachios or hazelnuts.