Name: Torta Tenerina, classic Italian soft chocolate cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 200 g dark chocolate (50% or 70%); 1 tsp instant coffee (or the zest of half an orange); 90 g unsalted butter; 4 eggs, at room temperature; 120 g cane (or granulated) sugar, divided; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 50 g 00 (or all-purpose) flour (or 50 g rice flour for gluten free version); a pinch of salt; powdered (icing) sugar to dust on top

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Torta Tenerina, classic Italian soft chocolate cake, is a specialty dessert from Ferrara in Emila Romagna, Italy. Torta Tenerina, literally meaning "tender cake", is a chocolate cake with a rich, moist interior and a crisp top. The perfect cake for all chocolate lovers.

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Torta Tenerina, the origins

This melt-in-your-mouth "tender cake" was created in the early 1900s in Ferrara, Emilia Romagna, in honor of Elena Petrovich, queen of Montenegro, who married the king of Italy Vittorio Emanuele III. She was a sweet woman with a tender heart, just like the cake. Sometimes this cake is also called Torta Montenegrina. As often happens with Italian classics, there are many recipes for this cake.

Ingredients

Easy to make, this low-rise cake, has no leavening agent, very little flour, and lots of melted dark chocolate. Fluffy beaten egg yolks ad stiff egg whites give the cake a unique tender texture with a meringue-like top. You will need:

dark chocolate (50% or 70% cocoa according to your taste. Make sure to use the finest dark chocolate you can find);
instant coffee (or the zest of half an orange), to enhance the chocolate flavor;
unsalted butter;
eggs, at room temperature. We only use organic, free range;
cane or granulated sugar;
vanilla extract;
flour (all-purpose, or rice flour for a gluten-free version);
salt, just a pinch;
powdered sugar to dust on top.

Torta Tenerina - the steps

Before starting to the make the cake batter, in a bain marie (double boiler or water bath) melt the dark chocolate. Turn off heat, add the instant coffee (or orange zest) and stir. Add the cubed butter and mix with a spatula until blended in the chocolate. Set aside to cool.

In two bowls, separate the egg yolks from the whites. Add half of the sugar to each bowl. With a hand held mixer, beat the egg whites to a medium stiff peak. Then, without washing the blades, beat the yolks and the sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and gently mix with one of the blades. Add the vanilla, and mix again. Then, add the flour and slowly mix it in with the blade.

Lastly, incorporate the egg whites in two times and mix with the blade until well blended. Always mix from top to bottom movements to avoid deflating the egg whites.

Pour the batter into to a prepared 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan (or pan with removable bottom). It is very delicate so it's best not to turn it over when unmolding.
Bake at 350°/180°C for 25-30 minutes. Do not overbake or you will lose that "brownie" texture.

Take out of the oven and let cool on a rack, then remove from the pan and dust generously with powdered sugar. The top may crack more or less and that is a signature of this cake.

Make it gluten-free

Replace the little amount of all-purpose flour with rice flour to make it gluten-free.

Serving suggestions

The decadent flavor of the Torta tenerina and its incredible light and soft texture make it a pleasure to eat. Enjoy it plain with a generous dusting of powdered sugar or serve it with lightly sweetened whipped cream, mascarpone cream, or vanilla ice cream.

How to store it

Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, if it lasts that long.

Happy baking! Enjoy!