The Caprese cake by Sal De Riso is a triumph of taste that speaks of the tradition of Campania, a cake where the richness of chocolate perfectly blends with the enveloping sweetness of almonds, creating a symphony of flavors and textures. It is more than a simple flourless cake, it is a chocolate and almond dessert, with a moist and tender, almost creamy core, wrapped in a thin crispy crust that enhances its contrast. The Master’s recipe, with its apparent simplicity, hides secrets that make it unique and unforgettable. Don’t expect a fluffy and spongy cake, but rather an intense and satisfying sensory experience. Each bite is an explosion of intense but delicate taste at the same time, a tribute to the simplicity of high-quality ingredients and the mastery of a great pastry chef. Its unique texture, which melts in the mouth, is the result of a wise balance between few, but highly selected, elements. Follow my steps and I will guide you in creating this delight that will conquer everyone at the first taste.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 438.22 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 34.18 (g) of which sugars 26.07 (g)
- Proteins 7.27 (g)
- Fat 31.65 (g) of which saturated 14.30 (g)of which unsaturated 16.60 (g)
- Fibers 3.60 (g)
- Sodium 74.91 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 90 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Caprese Cake by Sal De Riso
- 3/4 cup butter (soft)
- 6 oz 50% dark chocolate (grated)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 5 egg whites
- 5 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup almonds (toasted, ground)
- 3/4 cup hazelnuts (toasted, ground)
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsps potato starch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pod vanilla
- q.b. butter (for the baking pan)
- q.b. potato starch (for the baking pan)
- q.b. powdered sugar (for the surface)
Tools for Caprese Cake by Sal De Riso
- 2 Bowls
- Electric Mixers
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Spatulas
- 1 Sifter
- 1 Springform Pan
Procedure for Caprese Cake by Sal De Riso
It is best to leave the butter and eggs out of the fridge for at least 12 hours before starting to prepare the dessert.
In a bowl, place the butter with half the amount of sugar. Add the seeds of the vanilla pod as well.
Begin to whip these two ingredients with an electric mixer and after a while add a pinch of salt.
When the butter becomes creamy, add the egg yolks and continue working with the electric mixer.
Mix the butter with a spatula, trying to gather it together and set it aside to now focus on preparing the powders.
On a sheet of parchment paper, place the grated chocolate, almond flour, hazelnut flour, potato starch, cocoa, and baking powder. The last three ingredients should be sifted together.
Mix all the powders together. Whip the egg whites together with the remaining powdered sugar in a bowl.
At this stage, the mixers must be perfectly cleaned from the previous batter, otherwise the egg whites won’t whip.
The egg whites should not be whipped too much; they will be perfect when, lifting the mixers, you see a very shiny mixture with the peak pointing downwards, the typical bird’s beak.
Add one-third of the egg white to the butter, sugar, and yolk mixture, one-third of the powders, and incorporate them using a spatula with movements from top to bottom to avoid deflating the mixture.
Continue with another third of the ingredients, always incorporated with top-to-bottom movements, until finished. The batter gradually begins to take consistency and become creamy.
Pour the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, greased and floured with potato starch and level it, using a spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake for 45 minutes in a fan oven at 340°F. When the cake is baked, take it out of the oven and let it cool in the same pan.
At this point, remove it from the mold, turning it onto a plate, and then turn it back again, using parchment paper and another plate to assist.
Only when the dessert is completely cold, turn it for the last time, so that the top part corresponds to the part that was resting on the bottom of the pan during baking. This is only done to have a smoother surface.
Now, just sprinkle a puff of powdered sugar on top of the dessert before enjoying it in all its heavenly goodness.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How do I store the cake?
You can store it under a glass dome for 3-4 days.
How can I replace the hazelnuts?
With an equal weight of almonds, just as you can replace almonds with an equal weight of hazelnuts.
What can I use instead of potato starch?
An equal amount of cornstarch.
