Flourless Chocolate Cake is a Slice of History

Flourless Chocolate Cake: Sounds so mod, doesn’t it? Remember molten chocolate cakes from the 90s? Scroll through Instagram or TikTok and you won’t have to: versions of the cake are scattered across social media, offering chocolate dogs ways to eat gluten-free chocolate cake. It has become omnipresent in our culinary landscape, and for good reason: it’s delicious.

Is it any surprise then that the cake is probably over 100 years old? Torta tenerina (also called Queen of Montenegro Cake, named after Elena of Montenegro, who became Queen of Italy in 1900), was first documented in Ferrara, Italy, and is still found on restaurant and bakery menus. But cakes of this type were most likely prepared before this date. South of the Amalfi Coast, on the island of Capri, you will find torta Caprese, a Dense, flourless cake that uses almond flour (or almond flour) for structure. Like the torta tenerina, it has an almost gooey center enclosed in a delicate crumb, created by the incorporation of meringue.

These cakes use dark chocolate (the darker the better – at least 70% cocoa) and the classic method of creating a pâté à bombard (egg yolks mixed with sugar) which is then mixed with the chocolate , butter and almond flour. A meringue is folded as a final step to lighten and create texture. The result is a dense, brownie-like cake, just an inch thick, with a thin, delicate crust.

As with tomato sauce, every Italian baker seems to have their own version of flourless chocolate cake, depending on the region. Some use hazelnuts instead of almonds; some incorporate a few tablespoons of potato starch for added structure. There are iterations on Capri that use white chocolate and Sorrento lemons instead of dark chocolate. For example, a delicious recipe for this torta Caprese bianca can be found in “A Baker’s Tour” by Nick Malgieri (HarperCollins, 2005). The recipe below uses coffee to enhance the flavor of dark chocolate.

However you prepare it, this cake is a bite of history in a cake pan – just as delicate and delicious today as it was over a century ago.

Caprese Cake

This cake is a classic and there are versions of flourless chocolate cakes like this throughout Italy. Almonds are a natural Italian substitute for flour, and if almond flour (flour) is used, it is barely noticeable in the final product. Instead, the texture of the cake is moist and dense. In addition, it is very simple to make and perfect for a quickly made dessert. It is important to monitor the cooking time: do not overcook. The cake is done when a crust forms and is slightly firm to the touch. Italians eat it with nothing more than a sprinkle of powdered sugar, but you can top it with ice cream, whipped cream, fudge or caramel sauce – or everything.

Meridith Ford is an Atlanta-based chef and food writer who owns Cremalosa gelataria in Decatur.

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