Buon appetito

Add these classics of Italian cooking by KAREN MARTINI to your cooking repertoire and impress your guests every time.

-  KAREN MARTINI

This torta is based on a very old recipe I found in Capri many moons ago. This flourless cake is quite complex and sophisticated, both in flavour and texture, and it's something I make for special occasions.

TORTA CAPRESE ALL'ARANCIA E CIOCCOLATO (DARK CHOCOLATE & ALMOND TORTE)

200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped

200g unsalted butter, diced

250g (1½ cups) blanched almonds

200g caster (superfine) sugar

½ tsp salt flakes

5 eggs, separated

1/4 tsp orange essential oil

cocoa powder, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake. Grease a 24cm loose-based cake tin and line with baking paper.

Add the chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water for about 5 minutes, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water. When two-thirds of the chocolate has melted, stir through twice. Remove the bowl to finish melting the chocolate in the residual heat.

Blitz the almonds in a food processor until finely ground, then add the sugar and salt and pulse about five times until you have a medium-fine meal.

Whisk the egg yolks by hand in a large bowl until foaming, then stir the almond mixture through. Add the melted chocolate and orange oil and stir to combine.

Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form, then carefully fold them through the almond mixture to retain as much air as possible. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin.

Bake for about 45 minutes, until the cake is puffed and golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely before unmoulding. Dust with cocoa powder to serve.

The torte will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Serves 8-10.

TIRAMISU