The Sal de Riso’s caprese cake is an extraordinary variation of the classic caprese, one of the iconic desserts of Neapolitan patisserie. Originally from the island of Capri, from which it gets its name, it has a base of almonds and dark chocolate that makes it moist, soft inside with a tasty crust on the outside. The recipe is very simple and is also perfect for celiacs as it does not contain flour. It is excellent served at room temperature with a spoonful of chantilly cream.
Last year I created the orange and white chocolate variation by modifying the lemon version by Sal de Riso, but my favorite is the pistachio caprese which I designed 5 years ago, perfectly balanced in sugars and fats, it is an absolutely heavenly dessert!
The “legend” has it that the original version was born from the mistake of Carmine di Fiore, a Caprese cook, who forgot to put the flour in the cake mixture commissioned by three American mobsters, who arrived in Capri on Al Capone’s orders. Thanks to this oversight, he created a delicious cake, soft inside with a tasty crunchy crust that the three mobsters liked so much that they asked for the recipe, and the caprese became famous overseas.
The chocolate caprese I propose today is by Salvatore De Riso, one of the most loved and well-known Neapolitan pastry chefs. His version includes the use of a very small amount of potato starch and a few grams of baking powder, ingredients that should not be present but, in my opinion, after trying it several times, make it absolutely special.
Before proceeding, here are some chocolate desserts:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8People
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 6 oz butter (softened)
- 6 oz almond flour (his recipe requires half almond flour and half hazelnut flour, I preferred to use only almonds)
- 6 oz powdered sugar
- 6 oz 50% dark chocolate
- 3 oz egg yolks (about 5 yolks)
- 5 oz egg whites (about 5 egg whites)
- 1/3 cup potato starch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- Half pod vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 oz butter
- 1/3 oz sweetened cocoa powder
- to taste vanilla-flavored powdered sugar
Tools
- 3 Bowls
- 1 Electric whisk
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Grater
- 1 Mold tapered 9.5 inches for caprese cake
Procedure
Cut the butter into 1 cm cubes, put it in a bowl and leave it at room temperature for 15/20 minutes.
Grate the dark chocolate and set aside.
Mix the almond flour with cocoa, baking powder, and potato starch on a baking paper sheet. Add the grated chocolate.
Crack the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks, beat the egg whites with half of the sugar until soft peaks form (they should not be too stiff otherwise it will be difficult to mix them) and set the yolks aside.
Add the vanilla seeds and the remaining sugar to the softened butter, then beat it with an electric whisk. When it is well beaten, add the yolks one at a time until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
Add the powders to the butter and yolk mixture, alternating with the soft peak egg whites; mix gently with a spatula, from bottom to top, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
Transfer the batter into the buttered and cocoa-dusted baking tin.
Bake the cake in a preheated static oven at 338°F for about 45 minutes (the cooking time is indicative, it depends on the type of oven). Do the toothpick test to check the cooking but consider that it is a fairly moist cake, the toothpick should come out clean but not dry.
The caprese cake by Sal de Riso is ready, let it cool slightly, and turn it over onto a plate. Let it cool completely, sprinkle with plenty of powdered sugar, and serve.
Tips
Storage
The caprese cake by Sal de Riso can be stored at room temperature for 3/4 days under a glass dome.
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