Original Caprese Cake. All the family secrets, explained step by step
This is the best caprese cake I’ve ever tasted, soft and moist, with an amazing flavor and a unique aroma of almonds and chocolate, and it’s also gluten free.
The caprese cake is a typical Neapolitan dessert from the island of Capri, this tried and true family recipe is from my mother (who got it from a lady residing in Capri) who is very protective of this recipe, I had to ask her permission to publish it, especially after numerous requests from many friends who, once tasted, all asked for mom’s secret recipe.
In our house, mom’s famous caprese is prepared for every important occasion (Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day), in particular, we always make it in December, but of course, it is good all year round, in summer it is often served with vanilla ice cream and it’s a real delight. It’s the ideal cake for chocolate addicts.
This recipe is my main showstopper, you’ll impress your friends! and it rightly belongs in the Blog section: “My Top Recipes“.
If you love typical Neapolitan cuisine, click on my Special: “Authentic Neapolitan Cuisine“
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 10 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the Original Caprese Cake
- 4.5 cups almonds (whole shelled, with brown skin, I use Fatina)
- 2.2 lbs butter (quality, I use Berna)
- 3.3 cups vanilla powdered sugar (I use PaneAngeli, or regular powdered sugar)
- 1.1 lbs dark chocolate (quality, I use Novi at 52%)
- 8 egg yolks
- 2 eggs (whole)
- 2.5 tbsps potato starch
- 3 packets vanillin (or 5 ml vanilla extract)
- 1.75 oz Cointreau (if unavailable, Grand Marnier)
- 0.07 oz fine salt
- as needed vanilla powdered sugar (to cover the surface)
- as needed unsweetened cocoa powder (to decorate the surface, optional)
- as needed whipped cream (to accompany, optional)
- as needed vanilla ice cream (to accompany, optional)
Tools
- Bowl
- Knife
- Saucepan for bain-marie
- Chopper
- Stand mixer
- Electric whisks
- Aluminum pan for pastiera
Steps for the Original Caprese Cake
First, you need to toast the almonds (1st secret): take a wide aluminum pan about 14 inches in diameter (the almonds should not overlap, but be in a single layer), pour in the whole almonds with the brown skin, DO NOT peel them (2nd secret) and bake in a preheated oven at 212°F for about 14 minutes (depends on your oven).
Let the whole almonds cool well, then chop them with a food processor in two stages: 200 g into small pieces (for 30 sec’), the remaining 300 g into fine powder (for 40 sec’) (3rd secret). You can perform this operation of toasting and chopping the almonds the day before to ease the preparation times.
Now melt the chocolate in this way: take two pots suitable for bain-marie, pour water into one, and the dark chocolate into the other, melt the chocolate (the bain-marie water must NOT boil) and then – off the heat – add the butter in chunks and stir vigorously with a hand whisk, until everything is well melted. Let the chocolate and butter mixture cool.
In the stand mixer’s bowl (you can also choose not to use the stand mixer and mix the ingredients in a large bowl with a hand whisk) pour in the chopped almonds, packets of vanilla powdered sugar, fine salt, packets of vanillin (or vanilla extract), give a stir with the paddle whisk attachment, then add 8 egg yolks (keep the 8 egg whites aside!) and two whole eggs, the potato starch, Cointreau (4th secret, it is important that it is an orange liqueur that pairs excellently with chocolate) always mix with the paddle whisk attachment, just enough time to properly combine the ingredients (the eggs should not be whipped). Finally, pour in the mixture of melted chocolate and butter and give another stir.
Lastly, whip the 8 egg whites into stiff peaks and gently fold them into the almond and chocolate mixture with slow motions from the bottom up, you will get a velvety batter.
Pour the mixture into an aluminum pan (it must be a pastiera pan) well buttered and floured, 12.6 inches in diameter, and bake at 320°F for about 50-60 minutes (depends on your oven, the toothpick test applies here) check with a toothpick, it should come out dry. It’s important that the baking is slow and in a static oven (5th secret).
Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes, then gently unmold it by turning it directly onto a serving plate, sprinkle it with plenty of vanilla powdered sugar (if you have a lace doily for decorating cakes, you can use it to sprinkle a spoonful of cocoa powder over the powdered sugar and create a two-tone decoration).
You can serve the caprese cake accompanied by whipped cream (better in winter) or by vanilla ice cream (better in summer).
The caprese cake improves with the passing days (because the flavors blend better) and if stored well covered with aluminum foil, it lasts up to 10 days, maintaining its softness.
Notes
I dedicate this recipe to my beloved sister Nichi, who went to Heaven in 2019, and celebrated every birthday with this cake on December 10.
Shopping Tips !!!
To weigh the ingredients of my preparations, I use this handy digital kitchen scale, with a large removable bowl, tare function, and built-in timer, available on Amazon at a great price. #adv
To perfectly whip the mixtures, I use my Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with EasyWarm 7L bowl, integrated scale, illuminated bowl, and blender, a faithful kitchen ally for kneading, weighing, whipping, cooking, chopping, and pasteurizing eggs.
You can find this stand mixer on Amazon at a special price, click HERE!
If you are looking for a more economical and smaller stand mixer with a 4-liter bowl, you can safely choose to buy a Kenwood KVC7300S Chef Titanium Stand Mixer, with built-in lighting, rubber-dipped whisk, and pastry spatula included. #adv
To chop the almonds, I use either the large food processor included with my Kenwood stand mixer mentioned above, or the very handy chopper accessory of my Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender, which you can purchase at a special price on Amazon by clicking HERE. #adv
To melt chocolate in a bain-marie, I use this dedicated bain-marie pot, made of steel, suitable for induction cooktops. #adv
The caprese cake is baked in a conical aluminum mold which is also used for pastieras.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What are the origins and history of the Caprese Cake?
The caprese cake is named after the island of Capri and has uncertain origins. According to some sources, it seems it was much loved by Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon (wife of Ferdinand IV, the so-called King Nose) who initially, taken by homesickness for her Austria, nostalgically asked the cooks for a Sacher cake. But the “Monzù” (the Kingdom’s chefs, all of French descent) didn’t know the recipe. Maria Carolina didn’t know it either, so to satisfy the queen, they asked her to describe the taste and appearance of the Sacher cake. Using those memories, they tried to recreate the Sacher, without success; the error in preparation would later become the famous caprese that, in the end, also won over Maria Carolina’s demanding tastes. However, another legend tells that it was instead invented in Capri by mistake around the 1920s, by a cook named Carmine Di Fiore who had to prepare an almond cake for three mobsters who had arrived on the island (it seems it was ordered by Al Capone himself). Perhaps due to distraction or haste to deliver it to those dangerous and unwanted guests, the chef forgot to include the flour (or confused it with cocoa). He only realized it when he took the cake out of the oven but, to his surprise, it was very much appreciated by all.
Is there yeast in the original Neapolitan Caprese cake?
Absolutely NOT! It is essentially composed of 5 main ingredients: almonds, dark chocolate, eggs, butter, sugar.
Is the Caprese Cake gluten-free?
Yes! It is free of flour and gluten, BUT you should only butter the pan, without flouring it
How is the Caprese Cake stored?
The caprese cake can be stored at room temperature, covered with aluminum, for many days.
The caprese cake can also be frozen (but do not put powdered sugar on top): it’s better if you cut it into small squares (like chocolate brownies) and place them in an airtight container. When serving, you can take it out of the freezer, let it warm at room temperature, and sprinkle it with powdered sugar only before serving.Where is the Caprese baked?
The caprese cake is baked in a conical aluminum mold which is also used for pastieras.
