LIVING
FROM THE HEART
FOOD ❘ CULTURE ❘ REVIEWS ❘ TRAVEL
The Great British Bake Off season 12 winner Giuseppe Dell’Anno shares some favourite recipes from his debut cookbook
TORTA CAPRESE
Serves up to 14 (makes a 27cm/10¾in round, 5cm/2in deep cake) Takes 1 hour 45 minutes, plus cooling
INGREDIENTS
• Cornflour, for dusting
• 200g/7oz whole unblanched almonds
• 150g/5oz dark chocolate chips (50-55% cocoa solids)
• 40g/1½oz unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 180g/6½oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 180g/6½oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• ½ tsp natural almond extract
• 2 tbsp dark rum
• 250g/9oz egg (about 5 medium eggs) at room temperature, separated
• Apinch of salt
• Icing sugar, for dusting
1. Place the shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 170°C, Fan 150°C, Gas 3. Grease the bottom and sides of a 27cm/103/4in round, 5cm/2in deep cake tin with butter and dust with cornflour. I also recommend lining the bottom of the tin with a disc of baking paper as this will ensure a smoother cake top.
2. Grind the almonds and chocolate chips in a food processor at high speed for about 1 minute until the mixture looks gritty. It is fine to leave coarser bits of almond in the mix – these will give the cake a pleasant bite.
3. Sift the cocoa powder and the baking powder into the almond and chocolate mixture and combine well with a spoon. Set aside for later.
4. Soften the butter in the microwave until creamy but not liquid; 10-20 seconds should be enough. Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add half of the sugar, the vanilla, almond extract and rum, and whisk the mixture until soft and creamy. Start at very low speed and gradually increase to full speed as the butter softens. Incorporate the egg yolks one at a time and keep beating at high speed until pale and fluffy. Set aside.