To finish the excellent dinner in Naples during my trip in September 2020, at Pizzaioli Veraci Toledo, I also treated myself to dessert… the Caprese cake, one of the most famous Neapolitan cakes in the world.
Naturally gluten-free (and without leavening; the batter is mainly almond and dark chocolate), as in the original recipe, but in my case also lactose-free.
Its origin dates back to 1920 and, as often happens with the best recipes, it was the result of a mistake.
The Caprese pastry chef Carmine di Fiore, while preparing his almond cake to serve to three mobsters who had come to Capri to buy a batch of Al Capone’s leggings, forgot to add flour, but the cake turned out excellent.
According to another legend, the King of Naples married an Austrian princess who wanted the “Sacher Cake.” Thus the royal chefs, trying to reproduce the cake dear to the princess, invented the Caprese.
The recipe is more or less known to everyone; if you want a “lacto-free” version, as I tasted it (see photo), just substitute the butter with clarified butter or lactose-free butter.
In the video you’ll find a white variant, with white milk chocolate and Genepi syrup glaze.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 10.6 oz blanched almonds (about 2 1/8 cups)
- 9 oz 70% dark chocolate (about 250 g)
- 7 oz butter (about 7/8 cup or 1 3/4 U.S. sticks; 200 g)
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Pan 8 2/3 in (22 cm)
Preparation
Line a pan with parchment paper and toast the almonds in a conventional oven at 392°F for 10 minutes. Once cooled, transfer them to a food processor and coarsely chop them.
Chop the dark chocolate with a knife.
Cut the butter into pieces and place it in a small saucepan on the heat, add the chopped chocolate and melt over a bain-marie for a few minutes over low heat.
In a bowl, break the eggs, separating the yolks from the whites.
Beat the yolks with the sugar for about ten minutes, until tripled in volume to obtain a frothy mixture.
Add the almonds to the melted chocolate and then add everything to the yolk-and-sugar mixture, folding with a spatula.
Whip the egg whites until stiff using an electric whisk. Fold them into the egg-and-chocolate mixture gently with a spatula, using an upward motion so as not to deflate the whites.
Butter and flour an 8 in (20 cm) cake pan. Pour the batter into the pan and level with a spatula.
Bake in a conventional oven at 356°F for 35 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick after about 30 minutes because if it comes out just slightly moist, it means it is done. The Caprese should not be overbaked, otherwise it dries out.
Once you remove the Caprese from the oven, allow it to cool before inverting it and dusting with powdered sugar.
Note. Tradition wants a crocheted table centerpiece placed over the cake before dusting with powdered sugar, so it creates a sort of lace-like pattern.
A great recipe also for a Valentine’s Day menu.
Here is the version made live with
For a perfect Caprese Cake, tradition calls for the classic Neapolitan pan in aluminum or iron (recommended diameter 9 1/2–10 1/4 in / 24–26 cm).
The use of the pan is decisive for two reasons:
Texture: Its high sides (about 1 9/16 in / 4 cm) and the ability to distribute heat evenly allow the cake to bake uniformly, keeping the center moist and “melting” without drying the exterior.
Shape: Once baked and cooled, the Caprese is turned upside down: the flat bottom of the pan becomes the perfect surface on which to spread the powdered sugar, guaranteeing that symmetrical, artisanal look typical of island pastry shops.
For Valentine’s Day, how about a literary gift?
What is the recipe for the white Caprese cake?
White Almond Caprese Cake with Genepi Glaze
Ingredients for 4 people, 8 in (20 cm) pan
200 g blanched almonds, finely ground (almond flour) (about 7 oz / 2 cups)
150 g sugar (about 3/4 cup)
4 large eggs
150 g white chocolate (about 5.3 oz)
100 g butter (about 3.5 oz / 7/8 stick)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
50 g powdered sugar (about 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons Genepi syrup
a few drops of lemon juice
Preparation:
Melt the butter and white chocolate over a bain-marie, stir and let cool slightly.
Beat the eggs with the sugar until light and frothy.
Add the almond flour, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, and mix well.
Add the melted chocolate and butter and fold gently.
Pour into a greased and floured pan and bake at 338°F (170°C) for about 35–40 minutes (do the toothpick test).
Prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar, Genepi syrup and lemon. When the cake is cold, pour the glaze on top.
