Torta Caprese Recipe (Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake)

Guido Pedrelli
Guido Pedrelli
Italian Cuisine Expert and Food Blogger
Guido Pedrelli
Guido Pedrelli, the mastermind behind Nonna Box, has honed his culinary expertise for decades, inspired by family feasts in Emilia-Romagna. Mentored by his restaurateur nonna, he mastered Italian classics and furthered his skills with professional culinary studies in desserts and gelato making from Mec3. Today, he shares this rich legacy and authentic recipes through Nonna Box.
Expertise: Italian cuisine, Pasta, Pizza, Pastry, Dessert

This delicious flourless chocolate cake is full of dark chocolate and almonds and originated on the island of Capri in Italy. The island is famous for its bright yellow lemon liqueur, Limoncello, and while some recipes call for Rum or Gran Marnie, we give this flourless chocolate torte all 5 stars when made with the original lemony goodness.

easy to make torta caprese recipe

You’ll notice that this chocolate cake recipe contains no flour, meaning it’s naturally gluten free, and consists entirely of chocolate and almonds with eggs to hold it all together. Because of its crumbly nature (a few moist crumbs are sure to escape when slicing), we highly recommend allowing the cake to cool completely as it is best served at room temperature and will stay more intact if left to cool.

Keep reading for more expert tips and, of course, for the easy-to-follow recipe so you can make torta caprese cake yourself at home today. We guarantee it will become one of your favorite dessert recipes of all times.

Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake recipe

What equipment do you need to make this torta caprese recipe?

Here are the kitchen utensils you ‘ll need to create this fantastic recipe. Have fun and enjoy!

  • 7 in / 18 cm round springform pan, baking mold or deep-sided cake pan
  • wooden spoon or spatula
  • electric hand mixer
  • several medium sized bowls
  • a wire rack for cooling the cake (optional)
  • food processor (optional)
  • double boiler (or pans for bain-marie)

This recipe is easy to make and has just eight ingredients and not too many steps to create it. It will take you about 40 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients for our delicious flourless chocolate cake

  • Blanched almonds (1.5 cups / 185 grams) – you should crush the almonds until they are almost a powder (or pulse them for a few minutes in the food processor) or you can use almond flour or almond meal, which are the same thing.
  • Dark chocolate (0.71 cup / 125 grams) – roughly chopped so that you can melt it. We are big fans of dark chocolate and recommend you use a very high-quality chocolate for this recipe because the flavor really comes through with so few ingredients. You can substitute with cocoa powder, see our variations for amounts.
  • Butter (9 tbsp / 125 grams) – we use unsalted butter, because that’s what Italians use when cooking, but salted butter will also work fine in this recipe. 
  • Eggs (3) – be sure to use farm fresh eggs for the absolute best taste of your torta caprese.
  • White sugar (0.63 cup / 125 g) – also called granulated sugar.
  • Orange rind (1) – you will use the zest of one orange, and we must insist that untreated, organic oranges are the only way to go to ensure you are grating the orange rind into your torta caprese and not pesticides or wax.
  • Limoncello, Grand Marnier or Rum (1 spoonful) – we personally have only made this recipe with Limoncello, but many recipes call for Grand Marnier or Rum. You can use whichever you like best.
  • Powdered sugar (for decorating) – also called confectioners sugar or icing sugar. If you want to have some fun, you can use stencils to create designs with the icing sugar when dusting the powdered sugar on top of the chocolate cake.

How to make chocolate almond flour cake step by step

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F / 180°C.
  2. In a bain-marie or in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or a double boiler), melt the butter and the chocolate together. Stir them until they are completely melted and smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Separate the yolks from the whites.
  4. Beat the egg yolks with 0.4 cup / 80 grams of sugar and the zest of one orange until airy and smooth. Add the liquor of your choice and stir gently.
  5. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the melted chocolate. Mix with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
  6. Now add the crushed whole blanched almonds (almond flour or almond meal) and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon. The mixture should be fairly compact.
  7. In a separate bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until still peaks form.
  8. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture slowly, being careful not to deflate it. The mixture should be smooth and airy.
  9. Take your 7 in / 18 cm round baking mold or springform tin with removable bottom and butter the sides and bottom and then dust lightly with flour so the cake doesn’t stick.
  10. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and smooth gently until level.
  11. Bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  12. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack or parchment paper and then decorate the top with powdered sugar before serving.

Expert Tips for a moist torta caprese and beautiful presentation

  • Bake in a static oven and not a convection oven, because convection ovens tend to dry out the center of the cake.
  • Do not bake the cake for too long, which will also dry it out. To ensure a moist torta caprese, after 25/30 minutes test the cake with a toothpick. When a crust has formed and a toothpick comes out slightly gooey but not wet, the cake is done.
  • Only decorate the torta caprese when it is completely cooled to room temperature. If you decorate with powdered sugar when the cake is still warm, the powdered sugar will melt into the cake and not be visible as a decoration.
  • Decorate with stencils with flowers or other geometric designs by placing them on the top of your torta caprese before sprinkling with powdered sugar and then removing them carefully.

Try other Neapolitan dessert recipes:

Variations of the recipe

  • Substitute the dark chocolate with 13 spoonfuls of cocoa powder and 4 tablespoons of oil.
  • Decorate the cake with 1 cup of fresh berries, such as raspberries or sliced strawberries, but be sure to only decorate right before serving so that the cake doesn’t get mushy or serve only on the individual slices. The same goes for whipped cream or ice cream, both of which go great with this cake, but we recommend putting it only on cake slices and not over the entire caprese cake.

FAQs

How should I store almond flour chocolate cake?

Torta caprese almond flour chocolate cake can be stored in an airtight container, cake Tupperware or covered cake dish for up to 5 days at room temperature.

How long will torta caprese keep at room temperature?

You can store this chocolate cake at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Can torta caprese be frozen?

You can freeze the cake on the same day you make it by letting it cool completely, then wrapping the cake in at least two layers of plastic wrap and then another layer of tinfoil. Putting it in a freezer bag and freezing it. You can keep it frozen for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use the chocolate cake, remove it from the freezer and take out of the freezer bag and allow it to thaw in the fridge for about 8 hours. You can let it thaw the rest of the way at room temperature. Decorate with powdered sugar and serve.

easy to make torta caprese recipe

Torta Caprese Recipe (Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake)

This Italian flourless chocolate cake is an absolute winner because it is easy to make, has no flour and is moist and delicious! Below is our quick recipe for this delicious cake with Italian chocolate, ground almonds and absolutely no wheat flour, so naturally gluten free.
4.72 from 14 votes
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Course: Dessert
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 426kcal

Ingredients

  • 185 g (1.48 cups) blanched almonds crushed, or almond flour/meal
  • 125 g (0.71 cups) dark chocolate roughly chopped
  • 125 g (8.93 tbsp) unsalted butter
  • 3 (3) eggs
  • 125 g (0.63 cups) white sugar
  • 1 (1) organic orange rind zested
  • 1 (1) spoonful of Limoncello Gran Manier or Rum
  • powdered sugar for decorating

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
  • Melt the butter and the chocolate together in an bain-marie or in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth and without any chunks of chocolate and set aside to cool.
  • Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the egg yolks with 0.4 cup / 80 grams of sugar and the zest of one orange peel until light and smooth. Add the liquor of your choice.
  • Add the egg yolk mixture to the melted chocolate. Mix with an electric hand mixer until smooth and velvety.
  • Now add the crushed almonds or almond flour and stir with a spatula, the mixture should be dense and compact.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form, you can use an electric mixer.
  • Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture carefully, being sure not to deflate it. The mixture should be smooth and puffy.
  • Cover your 7 in / 18 cm round springform pan (or cake tin) with butter and a dusting of flour so the cake doesn't stick to the sides.
  • Pour the wet batter into the cake mold and smooth gently until level.
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool completely and then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Serving: 100g | Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 487IU | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg
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