Here is the recipe for a Torta Caprese, a typical Italian dessert, with an almond and chocolate base which originates from the island of Capri. This recipe is from Salvatore De Riso, a great Italian pastry chef.
INGREDIENTS FOR 8 PEOPLE
200g soft fresh butter;
200g icing sugar;
100g ground almonds;
100 g ground Giffoni hazelnuts;
25g cocoa powder;
100g egg yolks (roughly 5);
150g egg whites (roughly 5);
5g yeast powder;
Half a Bourbon vanilla pod;
Procedure
Beat the butter with half the sugar for around three minutes. Add the egg yolks, ground almonds, ground hazelnuts and scoop out the inside of the vanilla pod. Mix well. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining sugar until stiff. Combine the two mixtures together well by hand using a rubber spatula and pour the resulting mixture into a pre-buttered and floured cake tin measuring 22 cm in diameter and 4.5 cm in height. Bake the cake in the oven at 170°C for around 35 minutes. Let it cool down and turn it out onto a serving platter. Before serving, decorate it with icing sugar with your desired pattern.