For a 23cm (9in) springform tin
Tenerina means ‘small and tender’ and it is a very good description of the texture of this cake. It does not call for any raising agent, so the result is a shallow, dense but moist, very chocolatey cake.
It originates from Ferrara, in Emilia Romagna, where it is also known as tacolenta (sticky, in the local dialect) because of its peculiar, almost creamy core. The key to a good tenerina is the baking time: too long and it will dry out, too short and it might retain a raw core. The way I test the bake is by monitoring the skin: as soon as this turns dull and crispy, the cake is done.
A springform tin is ideal for baking a tenerina as the structure is too delicate to turn out of a standard cake tin. The texture is very rich and exclusively for chocolate lovers, but everybody will love it accompanied by a generous helping of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I like to decorate the top with chocolate truffles, however this is entirely optional. I recommend trying a slice of tenerina smothered in strawberry or raspberry coulis with a few fresh berries for decoration: it will look stunning and taste incredible!
