Gluten-Free Torta Caprese (Flourless Chocolate & Almond Cake)

Every coeliac should have Torta Caprese in their back pocket, because it is the rare showstopper dessert that was born without flour. Legend on Capri says a baker simply forgot it — and pulled from the oven something better than the original: dense, damp, deeply chocolatey, with a whisper of a crust and a middle like fudge. No wheat, no substitution, no compromise. In Campania it is on half the dessert menus, and one of the few sweets a coeliac can usually order with confidence.

Gluten-Free Torta Caprese (Flourless Chocolate & Almond Cake)

The classic flourless chocolate-and-almond cake from Capri — dense, damp and fudgy, with ground almonds standing in for flour. Naturally gluten-free by design, and one of the safest desserts to order across southern Italy.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 33 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 10 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

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• 200 g dark chocolate min. 70% — see notes
• 200 g ground almonds
• 200 g unsalted butter
• 5 eggs
• 150 g sugar
• Salt a pinch
• Powdered sugar optional, to dust

Method

 

1. Melt & mix: Break the chocolate into pieces and melt gently with the butter (bain-marie or microwave). Stir in the ground almonds and the pinch of salt.
2. Whip & fold: Beat the eggs with the sugar until pale, light and fluffy (5–6 minutes). Gently fold into the chocolate-almond mix in batches — do not deflate it; that air keeps the cake light.
3. Bake: Pour into a greased 22 cm springform pan. Bake at 170°C for 30–35 minutes — the centre should still have a slight wobble. Cool completely before releasing and slicing.
4. Finish: Dust with powdered sugar to serve. Freezes well — slice and wrap individually, up to 3 months.

Notes

Coeliac notes
• Flourless by design = naturally gluten-free. Ground almonds replace flour entirely, so there is nothing to substitute — which also makes it one of the safer desserts to order in Italy (still worth asking if a kitchen adds flour to their version).
• Dark chocolate: check the label — some bars carry barley malt or shared-line cross-contact; choose one clearly gluten-free.
• Ground almonds are naturally GF but sometimes milled/packed with wheat — if highly sensitive, buy one labelled gluten-free.
• Allergens: contains almonds (tree nut), egg and dairy.
• When a label is unclear, treat it as "not for me".

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