Riegl Palate is officially a teenager – 13 years old this week! That means 717 posts, one new recipe every single week, without ever missing a week. Hard to believe, but when you love something as much as I love sharing good food, time flies.
I like to mark this milestone with a chocolate cake. If you’re going to celebrate, you should do it properly – with chocolate. This year, I was inspired by Milk Street’s take on Torta Barozzi, an Italian flourless chocolate cake that’s rich, complex, and deeply chocolatey, thanks to two kinds of chocolate, espresso powder, and a splash of dark rum.
A little history lesson – this torta (Italian for ‘cake’) was created in 1886 by pastry chef Eugenio Gollini of Pasticceria Gollini in Vignola, Italy (not far from Modena). He named it after Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, a 16th-century architect. The pastry shop still exists, and you can visit it today to enjoy this much-loved torta made from the original recipe which remains a closely guarded secret. Thankfully, Milk Street has done the detective work to bring us a version that’s pretty close. One key difference – the traditional recipe includes both ground peanuts and almonds, but this one sticks to just almonds, making it gluten-free and peanut-free. Thanks to whipped egg whites, it’s lighter than some flourless chocolate cakes but still satisfyingly rich.
I served this at a recent dinner party with college friends, and it was the perfect way to end the meal – especially paired with a nice red wine. I topped it with a dollop of Vermont Creamery’s Vanilla Crème Fraîche, which beautifully balances the intense chocolate. Lightly sweetened mascarpone, whipped cream, or vanilla gelato would also be great accompaniments.
A few tips to set you up for success:
• Prepare your pan and have all your ingredients ready before you start mixing – this makes the process smooth and stress-free.
• Use Dutch-process cocoa powder (not natural cocoa powder) for a deeper, more intense chocolate flavor. My go-to is Guittard’s Cocoa Rouge Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (red container).
• Don’t overbake! The torta is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• When removing it from the pan, embrace the classic approach – serve it upside-down. That’s how it’s traditionally presented, and it conveniently hides any little imperfections on top.
Most importantly, a huge thank you to everyone who reads, shares, and cooks from Riegl Palate. It truly means the world to me when I hear that one of my recipes has made its way into your kitchen. Cooking is my way of connecting, and even if we’re not sitting at the same table, knowing you’re making and enjoying these dishes makes me feel like I’m right there with you.
Cheers to the art of good eating and to many more years of Riegl Palate!
P.S. If you aren’t already following Riegl Palate on social media please consider doing so. Check out Riegl Palate on Facebook and Instagram.
| Torta Barozzi | | Print |
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces, plus more for the pan
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (see Notes)
- ¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus more for dusting (see Notes)
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature (see Notes)
- ¾ cup white sugar, divided
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons dark rum (such as Myers’s)
- Serve with vanilla crème fraîche (see Notes), lightly sweetened mascarpone or whipped cream, or vanilla gelato
- I recommend preparing the pan and getting all of the ingredients ready before beginning the recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square pan, line the bottom with a parchment square and butter the parchment.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, cocoa and espresso powder. Let stand for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to soften, then whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool until barely warm to the touch.
- In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks and ½ cup sugar until lightened and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until well distributed. Add the almond flour and salt, then whisk until fully incorporated. Whisk in the rum; set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium-high until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Beat until the whites hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Add about a third of the whipped whites to the yolk-chocolate mixture and fold with a silicone spatula to lighten and loosen the base. Scrape in the remaining whites and gently fold them into the batter until no streaks remain.
- Transfer to the prepared pan and gently shake, tilt the pan or use a rubber spatulat to level the batter.
- Bake until the cake is slightly domed and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 to 45 minutes; the cake will deflate slightly as it cools.
- Run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert onto a platter; if needed, peel off and discard the parchment. You do not need to re-invert it. Cool completely.
- Dust with cocoa before serving.
- Top each slice with vanilla crème fraîche, lightly sweetened mascarpone or whipped cream, or vanilla gelato.
* For this recipe, you want to use Dutch-process cocoa powder (rather than natural cocoa powder) as it produces a more intense chocolate flavor which is ideal for this torta. Guittard’s Cocoa Rouge Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (red container) is my go-to.
* I used Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars (70%).
* Refrigerated eggs typically take about 30 minutes to reach room temperature when left on the counter. If you need to speed things up, you can place them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5 to 10 minutes. Just avoid using hot water, as it can start cooking the eggs.
* The torta can be made one day in advance. Cover and store at room temperature. Dust with cocoa before serving.
* Vermont Creamery’s Vanilla Crème Fraîche is a perfect accompaniment.
Source: Variation on a recipe from Milk Street
Beautiful! Crème fraiche is the best topping.
Mimi – Thank you and I agree! So good.
Congratulations Nicole on thirteen wonderful years. Don’t stop now. Love, Dad
Dad – Thank you! Having too much fun to stop! Thank you for your support.
Happy 13 years!
Spenser – Thank you! Please know how much I appreciate your steadfast support.
Congratulations on Riegl Palate’s 13 years!!! Truly an accomplishment of love! It’s so fun to read all of your posts & get inspired to “do better” in the kitchen! We love you & love your recipes and stories!! Cheers to many more years of Riegl Palate!!!
Hope- Thank you for your very sweet note and never ending support. It means the world to me – love you too!