Happy birthday to me and Torta Caprese
I don’t really have a thing for birthdays. That has nothing to do with the fact that I am over my expiration date or just the fact that I am getting older. I’ve just never really liked, except maybe when I was a little kid and I got all excited about presents and such. Because if you had your birthday you got presents!
I still get presents but these days I do go and pick them myself (together with Tom) mostly as I have a very specific taste.. Lol.. I got a great gift this year too from Tom and expect to see some of the results here soon. I got the pasta machine attachment for my Kitchen Aid. Yay! And a special doughhook that scrapes the bowl a bit better.
So soon you’ll find homemade pasta here too. Fits nicely within the budget challenge too. O and the baking tin I used to bake this delicious chocolate beauty was actually also a present but I needed it a little before. But anyway, you guessed that it’s my birthday today. Another year older. That’s why you’re seeing that one candle; not because it is my first birthday but because one more years was added and let’s face it if I had to put in as many candles as I have years the cake would have collapsed..
Sort of… π
The recipe comes from the book by Janneke Philippi; Mijn favoriete desserts (my favorite desserts) A winner if you like to bake and make desserts. One of the things I love about the book is the enormous size. In a time where smaller seems always better, I think it’s a refreshing take on things plus the gorgeous photos (by Serge Philippe) really shine this way.
So to celebrate my birthday with you guys I give you this delicious cake! I didn’t change much in the recipe except for adding a bit of orange zest and I reduced the total a bit since my baking tin was a little smaller.
Torta caprese
Ingredients
- 200 gr almondflour
- 200 gr dark chocolate
- 180 gr unsalted butter at room temperature
- 140 gr sugar
- 4 eggs split
- zest of 1 orange
- Icing sugar for dusting
- Baking tin: I used one of roughly 20 cm wide
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C
- Put the chocolate into a heatresistant bowl and heat au bain marie until melted. Take of the heat and leave to cool to roomtemperature
- Whisk the butter with 100 gr of the sugar creamy and add the eggyolks one by one. Scrape the sides of the bowl every once in a while. As soon as mixed add the almond flour, the zest and the chocolate and mix well.
- Whisk the eggwhites in a grease free bowl with the remaining 40 gr of sugar till you have stiff peaks. Fold this through the chocolate mix and put into the baking tin. I always grease my baking tins well and then dust them with either flour or icing sugar. This cake is glutenfree so if you want to keep it that way it makes more sense to dust with icing sugar instead of flour
- Bake your cake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin and dust with icing sugar before serving
- Bak de taart in de voorverwarmde oven in ongeveer 45 minuten gaar. Laat hem in de vorm afkoelen en bestuif met poedersuiker voor serveren.
Disclaimer
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
Happy birthday dear Simone! What a great cake – no gluten at all!
Yes! Glutenfree and delicious!
I like anything that gives me presents. I’m way older than you but I’ll have a birthday if it means I get to unwrap something. I’m just a baby at heart, I’m sure. I’d probably peek into wrapped presents too if there were any lying around.
I love torta caprese and make it a few times a year. No candles though. We’d have to have the fire brigade standing outside. π
Lol Maureen! Yes I don’t mind the present part of the birthday and really happy with mine…:)
Happy Birthday Simone. All the best. Every year that passes is a blessing where we learn new things, meet new people and gain wisdom. Best wishes for an amazing year.
Happy Birthday Simone, and also all the best from me!! And enjoy your new pasta machine attachment for your Kitchen Aid :))
Happy birthday, Simone! This sounds like such a delicious and unique cake- Wish I could be there to celebrate (and indulge) with you!
Happy Birthday! Torta Caprese is a great way to celebrate. This looks particularity nice. Mrs K R and I have largely stopped giving each other gifts for birthdays and Christmas — we just don’t want that much, and everything we do want, we just buy (unless it’s something expensive of course, but it’s rare either one of us wants something like that). But because opening presents is fun, we do give each other silly little things. Anyway, fun post. Thanks.
I know what you mean John. I never really know what to ask for my birthday (or Christmas for that matter) as yes, we buy what we want so there is usually not a lot to wish for. But I was having my own on these Kitchenaid things for a while… π And it’s always fun to get a present (even if you really picked it out yourself.. Lol)
Over your expiration date?? Oh baby you are not anywhere near that date. I know you to be a vibrant, witty, funny and caring person and I love that about you. As we get older our tastes get more refined and that is just perfect. HAPPY BIRTHDAY my dear friend! I wish I was there to share some of this cake with you!
xo
I love that shot of the smoke from the candle – very cool! Happy (belated) birthday!
Thanks Bri!