The story goes that in 1920 in a bakery on the island of Capri, a pastry chef called Carmine Fiore created, by accident, a flourless cake that would become one of the most appreciated cakes of its time, la torta caprese. He had been commissioned to prepare a walnut cake for Al Capone, who came to Italy to buy gaiters in large quantities. Perhaps the chef was distracted or nervous, because he forgot to add flour to the cake, but the gangster loved the results so much he wanted the recipe to take home with him.
So here it is, in all its fame and glory! So simple and yet so rich. I’ve come across many different versions of this around the world, but this is the real deal.