Torta Caprese

There is no flour in this cake. None. The structure comes entirely from eggs, almonds, and chocolate. This is not a modern accommodation for those who cannot eat gluten. This is how the cake has always been made on Capri, long before dietary restrictions became fashionable.

The legend says a baker forgot to add flour to a chocolate almond cake he was making for a visiting dignitary. When he realized his error, it was too late. He served it anyway, and the dignitary proclaimed it the finest cake he had ever tasted. Whether this story is true matters less than what it teaches: sometimes what you leave out creates something better than what you intended.

The cake falls as it cools. The top cracks dramatically. This alarms American bakers who want cakes that look like they came from a box. The appearance of Torta Caprese is the appearance of authenticity. It should be dense, almost truffle-like in the center, with a thin crackled crust that shatters when you press a fork through it. The sweetness is restrained. The chocolate and almonds speak for themselves.