For a 27cm (10¾in) tart tin with flaring sides
Torta Caprese owes its name to the beautiful and romantic island of Capri, just off the coast of Naples, from which it originates. The recipe is naturally gluten-free: in fact, the story goes that this cake is the result of a mistake made at the beginning of the 20th century by a local chef who, in a hurry, forgot to add flour to the batter of his cake. The result is a light and flavoursome cake with a crispy, delicate skin and a moist centre.
Some modern variations use ready-made ground almonds, but I find that blitzing whole unblanched almonds in a food processor together with the chocolate chips delivers a better, more rustic, texture while preserving the freshness and the flavour of the nuts. For a deeper flavour, you can also roast the almonds in the oven for 8–10 minutes at 180°C static (350°F/Gas mark 4). In this case, allow them to cool down completely before blitzing them.
Torta Caprese is traditionally baked in a deep tart tin with smooth, flaring sides, but it may be baked equally well in a standard springform tin. It is served up-side-down, smothered in a thick layer of icing sugar, often decorated with a stencil. This cake is delicious on its own, but it goes particularly well with a drizzle of pouring cream or smothered with a generous dollop of orange marmalade or raspberry jam. The best bakeries in Naples serve Torta Caprese as individual servings baked in hemispherical moulds, so why not give it a try?