Caprese Cake: Chocolate-Citrus Dessert with Almond Flour

Ingredients for 6-7 servings

• almond flour — 250 g

• eggs — 4 pcs.

• sugar — 170 g

• butter — 170 g + a little more for greasing the pan

• dark chocolate with at least 55% cocoa content — 170 g

• grated orange zest — from 1 orange

• rum or cognac — 25 ml

• salt — a pinch

• powdered sugar for decoration — to taste

How to Prepare

• In a water bath or in short bursts in the microwave, melt the chocolate with the butter. Let the mixture cool slightly.

• Carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the yolks with a mixer along with 110 grams of sugar. In the middle of the process, add the orange zest and continue beating until fluffy.

• Pour the cooled melted chocolate with butter into the yolk mixture and beat again. The mixture will start to thicken a bit — this is normal.

• Add the rum or cognac and mix thoroughly.

• Now, focus on the egg whites: beat them with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form, gradually adding the remaining 60 grams of sugar. The peaks should be stable.

• Sift half of the almond flour into the chocolate base and add a couple of tablespoons of the whipped egg whites. Gently mix. Then add the remaining flour and a bit more of the egg whites, mixing again.

• Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites into the batter using an upward motion to keep it airy.

• Grease a baking pan (preferably a springform) with butter and dust with almond flour. Pour the batter into it, smooth it out, and tap the pan on the table a few times to release large air bubbles.

• Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 45 minutes. Check for doneness with a wooden stick: it should come out slightly moist but not liquid. It should not be completely dry.

• Allow the finished cake to cool completely in the pan at room temperature — this is important for it to "set." Before serving, decorate with powdered sugar using a sieve or a culinary stencil for a beautiful pattern.