Vistorta Torta Di Cioccolata

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday July 18, 2006

Camillo Crugnale

Flourless chocolate cake13 tbsp butter, softened

170g semi-sweet chocolate

3/4 cup sugar

6 eggs, separated

1 1/4 cups finely ground almonds

1 tbsp brandy

2 pinches salt

icing sugar

For the salsa di cioccolata (chocolate sauce)

110g sugar

150ml water

140g good chocolate, grated

28g cocoa powder (unsweetened)

150ml heavy cream

Preheat oven to 190C. Using about 1 tbsp of the butter, butter a 28cm springform pan and line bottom with baking parchment. Melt chocolate in top of a double boiler set above simmering water over medium heat. Set aside to cool.

Put remaining 12 tbsp butter into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating for 2-3 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition, then add chocolate, beating just enough to blend it in. Stir in almonds and brandy, then set aside.

Put egg whites and salt into a large clean bowl and beat with an electric mixer until they form medium-stiff peaks. Add a third of the whites to the chocolate mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula, then carefully fold in remaining whites in two batches, taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Put pan into oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 175C and continue baking until a skewer stuck into the centre of the cake comes out clean (30-40 minutes). Remove cake from oven and set aside to cool. Unmould, peel off parchment and place, right side up, on a cake plate. Dust liberally with icing sugar. When serving, spoon some chocolate sauce decoratively over each slice.

For the salsa di cioccolata: Boil the sugar with the water in a very clean stainless steel saucepan for several minutes. Reduce the heat, add the grated chocolate and cocoa powder and bring to a simmer, stirring until well combined. Add the cream and remove from the heat. Use immediately or chill. Makes 2 cups.

Serves 6-8

Camillo Crugnale

Assaggio Ristorante, Adelaide. This is a recipe from my mum, Malbina, who has a passion for desserts. She has more than 300 dessert recipes that she brought with her from Italy.

Wine suggestion

Passito di Pantelleria, Donnafugata, Ben Rye, 2002, Sicily.

A tricky food to match with wine, chocolate is rich, thick and sweet and does not want anything too lean or elegant to accompany it. This dessert wine comes from the island of Pantelleria, west of Sicily, and is made from partially dried zibibbo (or muscat of Alexandria) grapes. It is complex, sweet and extraordinarily rich. Distributor: Arquilla, 9560 9733.