Ingredients

• 125 g (4.4 oz) dark chocolate (from 50% to 70% cocoa). The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more intense the chocolate flavor.
• 185 g (6.5 oz) whole blanched almonds or almond flour
• 125 g (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 125 g (7 tablespoons) granulated sugar
• powdered sugar, for decoration

Instructions

1. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler and set aside.
2. Meantime, separate the yolks from the whites and let the yolks aside for the moment.
3. Place the whites in a bowl and beat them up with an electric mixer or with a stand mixer until stiff. Set aside: they will be added to the torta caprese mixture at the end.
4. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until you get a fluid and pale yellow cream. It takes about 5 minutes.
5. Now if you are using whole blanched almonds, you must first mince them finely and reduce them to flour.
6. Add the almond flour little by little to the yolks and sugar cream and mix well.
7. Then add the melted chocolate to the mixture and stir.
8. Add the beaten egg whites, stirring with a wooden spoon from the bottom up.
9. Grease and flour a 20 cm/8 inch non-stick springform pan with removable bottom, then pour the torta caprese mixture.
10. Level well with a spoon.
11. Then preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
12. Bake in a static oven on the middle rack for about 30 minutes.
13. At the end, remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 to 40 minutes.
14. Let it cool completely on a cooling rack so that it chills quickly without moistening the bottom of the cake.

NOTE -- Baking times may vary from oven to oven, but be aware that torta caprese should be moist inside. So usually, for a 20 cm/8 inch baking pan, the baking time never exceeds 35 to 38 minutes.