Either way, this beauty knocks the lucky tasters socks off without fail every time. Traditionally made with almonds or walnuts instead of flour and a whole lotta eggs, this speciality from the Isle of Capri in Italy, is truly delicious.
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| Was going to put a caption but I'm choosing to tell you I drooled at this photo instead |
Torta Caprese has been named "uno dei pasticci più fortunati della storia" (one of history's most fortunate mistakes). This name cites one version of the cakes history, when a baker was filling and order for a chocolate cake and forgot to add flour, instead adding ground almonds, much to the customer's delight who loved the consistency of the cake and kept coming back for more. There are other stories as to how it came about but honestly I think we should all just be glad it exists now.
Being a staple in every cake shop in the region, you can understand why its an important piece of heritage for the people of Capri, it is as important to them as the lamington is to us poor Aussies, who unfortunately don't have the same rich and interesting culture as those of Europe and therefore must result to calling spongecake rolled in chocolate icing and desiccated coconut a national treasure. I digress, I am getting off track.
I love this man not only for the calm presence in his voice (an essential when baking) but also for his rad accent.
Having researched recipes and the background of this dish, there were a lot of results coming from Australian sites. This kind of enthusiasm for the dish, along with its fairly accessible ingredients that western society is very used to eating and baking with (i.e. no 'weird', 'unknown' or 'that's a bit foreign' surprises) encourages the idea that it is being plated up all over the world in its original Italian form, which is just what that baker who originally made the mistake would have wanted.
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