Rich, dark chocolate and almond cake from the island of Capri

Torta Caprese – Italian chocolate cake is a classic recipe from Capri, is naturally gluten-free with a crisp crust and soft, rich centre. Little nuggets of toasted almonds pack out this dense cake full of wicked chocolate indulgence. One of the most iconic Italian chocolate desserts, it is simple to make yet deeply satisfying. Whole peeled almonds save a lot of time and effort but if you can only find them with skins, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes then rub between two tea towels – the skins will come off quite easily.

Toasting the almonds for this cake creates a wonderful flavour. We learnt this trick by working with the local people in Capri and Amalfi and it makes all the difference. Smell the almonds before and after toasting and chopping to appreciate it. Sometimes I imagine having to shell the almonds one by one with a nutcracker, it would have taken forever – no wonder this was a cake for special days only.

Serves 6 to 8 (makes one 22 cm / 9 inch round cake)

200 g (7 oz / about 1½ cups) whole skinned almonds
200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate, 70% minimum cocoa solids, broken into squares
200 g (7 oz) salted butter, plus extra for greasing
4 eggs, separated
150 g (5.3 oz / ¾ cup) caster sugar
Icing sugar (powdered sugar), for dusting

Line or grease a 22 cm (9 inch) loose-bottomed round tin with butter. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (350°F). Scatter the almonds onto a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Finely chop the nuts using a large knife or whizz in a food processor until they are the consistency of demerara sugar.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water or in a microwave, taking care not to burn the chocolate. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until light and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

Add the melted chocolate and butter to the egg yolks and combine thoroughly. Mix in the ground almonds. Fold in the egg whites using either a whisk, metal spoon or spatula until well combined, then pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

The cake is cooked when it forms a crust on the outside. Don’t expect a skewer inserted into the cake to come out clean because the centre always remains moist, which is characteristic of an authentic Caprese cake. To decorate the cake place a doily on top of the cake and sift over a fine layer of icing sugar, then carefully remove the doily.

Crema di amaretto

Amaretto cream

This simple Italian dessert cream has the power to turn a humble tart or pudding into a dreamy dessert. Try it with poached fruits such as pears in red wine, or figs roasted with orange zest. This Amaretto cream recipe pairs beautifully with chocolate desserts, especially Torta Caprese. Amaretto liqueur comes from Saronno in Lombardy, northern Italy. Made from the kernels of apricots or almonds (or both), it has a sweet almond flavour. For a variation, use Grand Marnier, Cointreau or brandy instead of Amaretto. For a non-alcoholic version, add a little orange or lemon zest for a citrus punch.

100 ml (3.4 fl oz/ about ½ cup)  mascarpone
100 ml (3.4 fl oz / about ½ cup) double cream
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2–3 tablespoons Amaretto

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl, using a hand whisk. Adjust the amount of liqueur and sugar to taste, and keep chilled. To serve, use two dessertspoons to form quenelles.