Torta Barozzi

Ingredients

• 200 g dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
• 150 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for the pan
• 100 g blanched almonds, ground fine
• 80 g roasted peanuts, ground fine
• 150 g caster sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 40 ml aged rum, not cooking rum
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder, dissolved in the rum
• 20 g unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting the pan

Method

1. 1
   Heat the oven to 170°C. Butter a 22 cm round cake tin thoroughly, then dust with unsweetened cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. The tin must carry no trace of flour.
2. 2
   Dissolve the espresso powder in the rum and set aside. Grind the blanched almonds and roasted peanuts separately to a fine, sandy meal — not a paste. Combine and reserve.
3. 3
   Melt the dark chocolate and butter together over a bain-marie, stirring until fully combined and glossy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to just above room temperature — the mixture should feel barely warm to the touch on the inside of the wrist.
4. 4
   Beat the egg yolks with the caster sugar until the mixture is pale, thick, and falls from the whisk in a slowly dissolving ribbon. This stage builds the only structure the cake possesses — it must not be hurried.
5. 5
   Fold the cooled chocolate-butter mixture into the yolk-sugar base, then fold in the ground almonds and peanuts and the rum-espresso mixture. The batter will be heavy and very dark.
6. 6
   In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks — they are the sole leavening agent. Fold one-third into the chocolate batter to loosen it, then fold in the remainder in two additions, working with a light hand until no white streaks remain. This is where the dish lives or dies: over-working deflates the whites entirely and produces a brick; under-folding leaves streaks that bake unevenly.
7. 7
   Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake at 170°C for 25 to 30 minutes. The top will rise, crack, and turn fully set; press it gently — the crust should shatter slightly and the centre must still tremble like a just-set custard. Remove from the oven at this point. A further five minutes will cross the line from fudgy to dry.
8. 8
   Cool completely in the tin on a rack. Do not slice while warm; the interior firms as it cools. Wrap and hold at room temperature for the first day. The torta is better the following day, when flavours have concentrated and the texture has firmed slightly. Before serving, bring refrigerated cake to room temperature for 30 minutes. Cut into thin slices of approximately 1.5 cm — this is an extremely rich preparation.