Caprese cake is a Neapolitan dessert originating from the island of Capri, a fine cake with a delicious taste, based on dark chocolate and almonds. It is one of the most famous and appreciated desserts in Italy.
Caprese cake, a success born from a mistake
The most widespread legend says that this Italian dessert appeared around 1920 from a mistake by the chef Carmine del Fiore. Legend has it that the famous gangster Al Capone stopped on the island of Capri. He, together with two comrades from his gang, chose to dine at Carmine del Fiore's place. They also ordered dessert. Carmine del Fiore, out of fear and in a hurry, forgot to add wheat flour to the dough. But the error turned into a success. Rich in chocolate, delicately flavored with almonds, with a crispy crust on the outside and a moist heart, it turned out to be exquisite and delicious. Chef Carmine del Fiore then baptized the Torta Caprese dessert. It later became one of the symbols of island gastronomy.
Caprese cake, the pride of the island of Capri
No one stayed to make statistics, but it is certain that on the island of Capri 100% of tourists serve the traditional Caprese Cake. It is a dessert that has thus made it around the world, being served today in many trattorias in Milan, as well as in Italian restaurants in New York. But, Neapolitans claim, the Caprese cake served on the island of Capri has a completely different flavor.
This has become a "great classic" on the island and everyone serves this dessert here. You can find it in every bar, in every pastry shop, in every restaurant or hotel.
In the luxury hotel Tragara Point from Capri, where he has been working for 13 years, Chef Luigi Lionetti has included the Caprese cake in his menu. Moreover, hotel guests are greeted in the rooms with the delicious "sweet" as a sign of welcome. The dessert is accompanied by a ticket, in which both its story and its recipe are presented, a sweet souvenir of the holiday in Capri.
Chef Luigi Lionetti's recipe from Capri
Ingredients for 8 servings:
4 eggs
150 g – sugar
150 g - butter
200 g – almond flour
250 g – dark chocolate
powdered sugar for decoration
Prepare
Mix the soft butter, at room temperature, with the sugar; incorporate, one by one, the yolks.
Then add the almond flour and melted chocolate. The composition is homogenized.
At the end, add the foamy egg whites, mix gently (so as not to destroy the foam), from bottom to top, with a wooden spoon or pastry spatula.
Pour the mixture into a pan previously greased with butter and bake in it oven approximately 45 minutes at 180°C.
After cooling, dust with powdered sugar.
Source Recipe by Chef Luigi Lionetti from Capri
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