The Iginio Massari’s Caprese Cake is a delicious and melt-in-your-mouth dessert with a soft and moist center surrounded by a deliciously crunchy crust. The execution is quite simple, although particular attention must be paid to the addition of ingredients. Great served at room temperature, it is even more delicious with a spoonful of chantilly cream or zabaione.
The “legend” tells that the Caprese was born by chance from the mistake of Carmine di Fiore, a well-known chef on the island of Capri who, in a hurry, forgot to add flour to the cake batter; this oversight gave birth to a cake that over time has become an icon of Neapolitan pastry.
Although the original recipe states that the dough does not contain flour and yeast, over time slightly different variants have emerged, and every pastry chef has created their own version by modifying, or rather, “revisiting” the original recipe. On my blog, you will find the version by Sal de Riso, both classic and with lemon, the variant with orange, and my recipe with pistachio.
The chocolate caprese I offer you is from Iginio Massari, one of the most renowned and appreciated pastry chefs, and it is taken from one of my books. His version includes the addition of a small amount of flour and a few grams of yeast in the dough, ingredients that are not present in the original recipe. I recommend trying it because it’s really special; each variant offers a different taste experience.
Before proceeding, here are some chocolate desserts to try:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 515.59 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 32.15 (g) of which sugars 22.90 (g)
- Proteins 9.13 (g)
- Fat 39.27 (g) of which saturated 18.18 (g)of which unsaturated 10.76 (g)
- Fibers 6.47 (g)
- Sodium 41.61 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 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
The weight of the ingredients I provide is perfect for a flared pastiera or caprese mold of 10 inches (if you want the cake lower) or 9.5 inches (if you want it higher).
- 6 oz butter
- 5 oz powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp acacia honey
- 5 egg yolks egg yolks (about 5 yolks from medium eggs)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 6 oz almond flour
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (or cornstarch)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 7 oz dark chocolate (chopped)
- 2 oz sugar
- 3 egg whites egg whites (about 3 whites)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp sweetened cocoa powder
Tools
- 1 Bowl large
- 2 Bowls medium
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Electric whisk
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Mold flared 10-inch mold for caprese cake
Procedure
Cut the butter into 0.5-inch cubes, place it in a large bowl, and leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes; it should be soft.
Finely chop the dark chocolate and set aside.
Mix the almond flour, cocoa, baking powder, and flour on a sheet of parchment paper.
Crack the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks into two different bowls.
To make the caprese cake, you can use a stand mixer or electric whisks; choose the method you prefer.
Whip the egg whites with 2 oz of sugar until they are soft peaks (they should not be too stiff, otherwise it will be hard to incorporate them) and set aside.
Beat the butter with powdered sugar and honey until you get a light and fluffy mixture. When it’s well whipped, add the yolks one at a time until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Mix in half of the dry ingredients, always using the whisks.
When the mixture is well whipped, add the chopped chocolate and incorporate it with a spatula.
Add the remaining dry ingredients to the mixture, alternating with the whipped egg whites; gently mix with a spatula, from bottom to top, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
Transfer the batter into the buttered and floured pan with cocoa powder (you can use a 9.5-inch flared pan if you want a higher cake like I did, or a 10-inch pan if you want it lower; the Master recommends a 10-inch mold).
Bake the cake in a preheated static oven at 329°F for about 45 minutes if using a 10-inch mold, or about 60 minutes if using a 9.5-inch mold.
Do the toothpick test to check the doneness, but keep in mind that it is a fairly soft cake, the toothpick should come out clean but not dry.
The caprese cake by Iginio Massari is ready, let it cool slightly and turn it out onto a plate. Let it cool completely, dust it with plenty of powdered sugar and serve.
Tips
Storage
The Massari caprese cake keeps at room temperature for 3 days under a cake dome.
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