Accounting for Taste

The Hubs decided to treat himself with dessert for Father’s Day and when he eyeballed this Flourless Chocolate Torta in the latest Milk Street magazine, he knew it was the ticket! Rich, light and flourless, this Italian cake is a fudgy, brownie-like dessert created by Eugenio Gollini of the medieval town of Vignola back in 1886.

In reinventing this cake, Milk Street found that peanut flour, one of the most distinctive ingredients of the original Gollini torta, could be omitted without sacrificing flavor or texture. Instead they use almond flour which provides an equally flavorful and moist cake—and is much easier to source.

Instant espresso powder accentuates the deep, roasty, bitter notes and a dose of dark rum lifts the flavors with its fieriness. Serve with lightly sweetened mascarpone, whipped cream, or with vanilla gelato or ice cream—in our case, it was with a non-dairy oat vanilla brand that our lactose intolerant guests loved.

Don’t use natural cocoa. The recipe will still work, but the cake will be lighter in color and not quite as deep in flavor as when made with Dutch-processed cocoa. Take care not to overbake the cake. Remove it from the oven when a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few sticky crumbs clinging to it. After 30 to 45 minutes of cooling, the cake is inverted out of the pan; don’t worry about re-inverting it. True torta Barozzi is left upside-down for cutting and serving.

Don’t forget that the eggs need to be room temperature.

Flourless Chocolate Torta

Servings: 8-10
Time: 1 hr, 40 min
Difficulty: moderate
Print

Ingredients

10 Tbsp. salted butter, cut into 10 pieces, plus more for the pan
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
¾ cup white sugar, divided
1 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp. table salt
3 Tbsp. dark rum

Directions

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Butter an 8-inch square pan, line the bottom with a parchment square and butter the parchment.
In a medium saucepan over medium, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, cocoa and espresso powder. Let stand for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to soften, then whisk until the mixture is smooth; cool until barely warm to the touch.
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks and ½ cup of the sugar until lightened and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until homogeneous. Add the almond flour and salt, then whisk until fully incorporated. Whisk in the rum; set aside.
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium-high until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar, then beat until the whites hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes.
Add about a third of the whipped whites to the yolk-chocolate mixture and fold with a silicone spatula to lighten and loosen the base. Scrape on the remaining whites and gently fold in until no streaks remain. Transfer to the prepared pan and gently shake or tilt the pan to level the batter.
Bake until the cake is slightly domed and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 to 45 minutes; the cake will deflate slightly as it cools.
Run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert onto a platter; if needed, peel off and discard the parchment. Cool completely. Dust with cocoa before serving.