Torta Caprese

I went looking for a fabulous Italian dessert to serve to friends along with my Kale Lasagna. And I found it! a flourless chocolate cake, called Torta Caprese. This recipe was from a blogger who shared recipes from her favorite meals while in Italy. Unbelievable! and made better served with Talenti Sea Salt Caramel gelato on the side.

Torta Caprese

serves 12

Ingredients:

• 9 ounces (255 g) good quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces (I used Intense Dark 72% cacao bars by Ghiradelli)
• 1 cup (225 g) butter
• ¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder (I used Hershey's special dark cocoa powder)
• 1 tablespoon almond extract
• 1 ¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups ground blanched and toasted almonds
• 6 eggs, room temperature

Directions:

1. Toast the almonds in a dry pan on top of the stove or at a high heat in the oven. Grind them in a food processor.
2. Preheat oven to 310°F and line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper.
3. Combine chocolate and butter in a microwavable bowl. Use melt chocolate function on microwave to melt chocolate. Be sure to stop it and stir along the way. (of course you could also melt it with a double boiler or very low heat and a heavy pan, but this works great for me with my microwave) 
4. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk together the melted chocolate mixture, the cocoa powder, almond extract and sugar until combined. 
5. Add the ground almonds and whisk until combined.  
6. Add the eggs one at a time, adding each egg after the first has been incorporated into the mixture. 
7. Pour the mixture into the spring form pan.  Make sure the mixture is level and smooth on top.  Bake for 50 minutes. (start checking it at 45 minutes, it should be firm in the middle).  
8. Cool, flip cake over onto cake plate and serve with chocolate spirals or shavings and powdered sugar.  Serve with gelato or whipped cream.