Torta tenerina
Prep Time:
1 hour
Serves:
Level:
8 to 10
Intermediate
Category:
Dessert
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About the Recipe
Torta Tenerina is a dense fudgy chocolate cake from Ferrara, north of Italy. The technique keeps the centre molten: dark chocolate and butter melt together, egg whites fold in without losing their volume, and the whole thing bakes just until the top sets. It improves overnight, when the texture settles between mousse and cake. Serve at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar. Best with strong coffee or Vin Santo.
Ingredients
· 200g dark chocolate
· 100g butter
· 4 medium eggs, separated
· 150g caster sugar
· 50g tipo 00 flour
· Powdered sugar for dusting
Preparation
· Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a 23cm springform pan with baking paper.
· Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bain-marie over gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
· Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. In another bowl, whisk the yolks with the caster sugar until pale and thick.
· Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture gently to combine.
· Fold one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites in two additions, preserving as much volume as possible.
· Sift the flour over the batter and fold in gently until just combined.
· Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes. The top should set but the centre should still wobble slightly when you shake the pan.
· Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cake will sink slightly as it cools, which is normal.
· Dust with powdered sugar before serving. The cake improves after one night and keeps up to 3 days under a glass dome at room temperature.
· Alternative: you can melt the chocolate in a microwave instead of a bain-marie. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until fully melted.