The Floured Table

menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Free Ebook

subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Free Ebook

×
Home » Recipes » Cakes

Torta Tenerina (Italian Flourless Chocolate Cake)

Updated: Mar 31, 2025 · Published: Jun 9, 2022 by Kathleen Culver · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

Torta tenerina is a flourless chocolate cake that could be considered Italy's version of a decadent brownie. With only 6 simple ingredients, this tender chocolate cake is so easy to make! It has a beautiful crackly meringue-like top and a rich, moist interior. Enjoy it plain with a dusting of powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream or mascarpone.

A dense single layer chocolate cake on parchment paper with two slices cut.

I stumbled upon this delicious chocolate cake when I was researching alternative starches for my torta paradiso (Italian paradise cake) recipe. Reading about the use of starches as substitutes for all or a portion of the flour in a recipe, I discovered this dark and dramatic torte.

Torta tenerina, or "tender cake" in Italian, is a juxtaposition of textures, with a light crust and a more dense interior. It's a flourless chocolate cake, which renders it gluten free.

Due to the addition of corn starch, it's not as heavy and rich as some flourless chocolate cakes. It's somewhat lighter - I'd call it a marriage of a moist chocolate cake, a brownie, and a rich flourless chocolate torte.

The chocolate flavor comes through with intensity, which is what I'm always looking for in a chocolate dessert. If you're a chocolate lover, this will most definitely satisfy.

That said, if you're looking for a super gooey, fudgy recipe, I recommend you try my brownies with port wine soaked cherries.

This cake is fit for a queen - truly! It was first made by pastry chefs in Ferrara, Italy in the early part of the 20th century. They created it to honor the new wife of Italian King Vittorio Emanuele III, Elena Petrovich, who was from the Balkan country of Montenegro.

For this reason, the cake is sometimes referred to as Torta Montenegrina. It was tender and sweet, just like the new queen.

For another flourless Italian recipe, try these chocolate hazelnut sandwich cookies, Baci di Alassio.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Substitutions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • 📖 Recipe
  • More chocolate recipes
  • 💬 Comments
A slice of dense chocolate cake topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Ingredients

* See recipe card for detailed list of ingredients and quantities.

Dark chocolate - Use a good quality dark chocolate bar with around 70% cocoa. Mine had 72%. The chocolate flavor is key here, so choose something that you'd enjoy eating plain.

Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter allows you to control the total amount of salt in the recipe. Make sure your butter is at room temperature.

Eggs - Use large eggs. Separate the yolks and whites and bring them to room temperature. (I find it's easier to separate the eggs while cold, and then leave them for an hour to reach room temperature).

Granulated sugar - Separate the sugar into two equal 75 gram/6 Tablespoon portions. You'll add half the sugar to the egg yolks, and the other half to the egg whites.

Corn starch - Torta tenerina uses corn starch in place of flour to bind the ingredients and create a tender texture. See substitutions for notes on alternatives.

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the base and sides of a 9 inch (23 centimeter) pan with parchment paper.

Step 2: Melt butter and chopped chocolate. Remove from heat to cool down while beating the egg yolks and sugar.

Step 3: Whisk egg yolks and half of granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until sugar is incorporated, and then increase speed to medium high for 3-5 minutes, until mixture reaches ribbon stage. It should be very pale, thick, and doubled in volume. When you lift up the whisk, the mixture should fall down in a "ribbon" without breaking. See here for more cues on ribbon stage.

Step 4: Once chocolate mixture is cooler but still runny, add to egg mixture and mix.

Step 5: Add corn starch and salt. Mix until incorporated.

Step 6: To a clean mixing bowl, add egg whites. Whisk on low until foamy. Slowly pour in remaining sugar. Beat egg whites on medium speed until they have reached firm peaks. When lifting the whisk out of the egg whites, a peak will form but tip to the side.

Step 7: Scoop ⅓ of the egg whites into the chocolate batter and use a spatula to gently fold them into until only a few streaks remain. Add remaining egg whites in two further stages. Gently fold in using the minimum amount of strokes necessary.

It will be much easier to fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter if the chocolate mixture has not begun to cool all the way and set up too much. Work promptly through the steps to ensure the chocolate mixture is still soft.

Step 8: Pour batter into prepared pan and level with a spatula.

Step 9: Bake for 23-26 minutes, until center of cake is just set, and a crust has formed over the top. If you test the center of the cake, it should still be moist. Set on a rack to cool.

Step 10. Once cool, remove springform ring. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of the cake.

Substitutions

Corn starch - You can replace the corn starch with an equal amount of unmodified potato starch. Make sure it's potato starch, not potato flour.

Potato starch is made from the liquid of crushed potatoes. Potato flour is made from the whole potato, and has a strong potato flavor and much more rustic consistency.

Variations

  • Espresso - Add a tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the melted chocolate and butter mixture for a rich coffee flavor.
  • Cocoa topping - Dust the finished cake with a bit of cocoa powder rather than powdered sugar for an extra dark chocolate kick.
  • Orange - Add the zest of a large orange to the batter after beating the eggs and sugar together.
A dark chocolate torta tenerina with slices cut out on grey plates.

Equipment

Springform pan - Use a 9 inch (23 centimeter) springform pan for best results. The cake is too fragile to invert and flip over onto a platter. Use a springform pan in order to easily remove the sides.

Parchment paper - Line the base and sides of the springform pan with parchment paper.

Five slices of torta tenerina on grey and black plates.

Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating. ★★★★★ Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!

📖 Recipe

A single layer chocolate cake sprinkled with powdered sugar on white parchment paper.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Torta Tenerina (Italian Flourless Chocolate Cake)

Torta tenerina is a flourless chocolate cake that's Italy's version of a decadent brownie. With only 6 simple ingredients, this tender chocolate cake is so easy to make! It has a beautiful, cracked top and a rich, dark chocolate interior. Enjoy it plain with a dusting of powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream or mascarpone.
AuthorKathleen Culver
Prep time25 minutes minutes
Cook time23 minutes minutes
Cool time1 hour hour
Total time1 hour hour 48 minutes minutes
Servings12 servings - 9 inch springform pan (23 centimeters)
Prevent your screen from going dark

INGREDIENTS

  • 226 grams (8 ounces) dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 113 grams (4 ounces, 8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
  • 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar, divided into two equal 75 gram/6 Tablespoon portions
  • 24 grams (3 Tablespoons) corn starch, sifted (see substitution notes for alternatives)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • powdered sugar, for dusting on top of baked cake

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius, Gas mark 4) and line the base and sides of a 9 inch (23 centimeter) springform pan with parchment paper.
  • In a microwave safe bowl, melt chopped chocolate and butter for 60 seconds. Stir and continue heating in 15 second bursts until fully melted. Set aside to cool down slightly.
    226 grams (8 ounces) dark chocolate, 113 grams (4 ounces, 8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add egg yolks and half of granulated sugar. Beat at low speed until sugar is incorporated, and then increase speed to medium high for 3-5 minutes, until mixture reaches the ribbon stage.
    It should be very pale, thick, and doubled in volume. When you lift up the whisk, the mixture should fall down in a "ribbon" without breaking.
    4 large eggs, 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • Once chocolate mixture has cooled to a comfortable temperature to touch with your finger, add to egg yolk mixture and mix until incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula.
  • Add corn starch and salt. Mix until incorporated.
    24 grams (3 Tablespoons) corn starch, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add egg whites.
    For success beating egg whites, bowl and whisk should be completely clean and grease free.
  • Beat on low until foamy. Slowly pour in remaining sugar.
  • Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they have reached firm peaks.
    When lifting the whisk out of the egg whites, a peak will form but curl down to the side.
  • Scoop ⅓ of the egg whites into the chocolate batter and use a spatula to gently fold them into until only a few streaks remain.
  • Add remaining egg whites in two further stages. Gently fold in using the minimum amount of strokes necessary.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan and gently level with a spatula.
  • Bake for 23-28 minutes, until center of cake is just set, and a crust has formed over the top. If you test the center of the cake, it should still be moist.
  • Set on a rack to cool. Cake will sink (and top may crack a bit) as it cools.
    This is fine and expected!
  • Once cool, remove springform edge. Use a small sieve to sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of the cake.
    Serve plain or with whipped cream, mascarpone or fresh berries (raspberries, blackberries, figs, etc.).
    powdered sugar

EQUIPMENT

  • 9 inch springform pan

NOTES

  • Be sure to divide the sugar into two equal portions (75 grams / 6 Tablespoons each)
  • Half will go into the egg yolks, and the remainder will be added to the egg whites.
  • You want to fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate batter when the chocolate mixture is still soft and hasn't set up.
  • To achieve this, don't make the chocolate portion too far in advance of the egg whites.
  • If your chocolate has set up, gently microwave in 15 second bursts just until it can be stirred easily.
  • Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • To freeze, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • To defrost, unwrap cake and set on a serving platter to defrost at room temperature.

More chocolate recipes

If you like this Italian chocolate cake recipe, you might also enjoy these rich chocolate desserts!

  • A side view of a rectangular piece of chocotorta icebox cake showing the alternating chocolate cookie layers and the dulce de leche cream cheese layers. The cake rests on a beige ceramic plate on a tan stone surface. Another slice and a bowl of dulce de leche are out of focus in the background.
    Chocotorta
  • Brownie blondie squares casually arranged on a cooling rack with brown parchment underneath. A bowl of chocolate chips, a small plate with a brownie on top, and a dark blue napkin peek into the frame. The background surface is textured tan stone.
    Brownie Blondies
  • Close up of sliced bundt cake on a white marble background
    Chocolate Olive Oil Bundt Cake
  • Top view of cut squares of brownies on white parchment paper on a grey stone background
    Brownies with Port Wine Soaked Cherries

Comments

    4.67 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Made this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star review! ★★★★★ Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Please rate this recipe after you've made it:




  1. Nicole says

    February 27, 2023 at 4:25 pm

    We had this today and it was so. Freaking. Good. Chocolate heaven!! Will make again!

    Reply
    • Kathleen Culver says

      February 28, 2023 at 10:04 am

      Thanks so much for your review, Nicole.
      I'm happy you loved it!
      Kathleen

      Reply

Hi! I'm Kathleen.

I'm the baker, food photographer and chief mess maker behind the Floured Table. I share my passion for delicious desserts by providing you with well tested, approachable recipes you can confidently recreate at home.

Read more

Popular Recipes

  • Nutella filled biscuits on a white speckled ceramic plate. A small bowl of Nutella rests nearby. A spoon of Nutella rests on the plate. The plate sits on a warm tan stone surface. More cookies and crumbs surround the plate.
    Nutella Biscuits
  • A side view of a rectangular piece of chocotorta icebox cake showing the alternating chocolate cookie layers and the dulce de leche cream cheese layers. The cake rests on a beige ceramic plate on a tan stone surface. Another slice and a bowl of dulce de leche are out of focus in the background.
    Chocotorta
  • A row of round dark chocolate cookies in a parchment lined pan.
    Chocolate Wafer Cookies
  • Black sesame cookies with pools of melted chocolate on a brown parchment paper background.
    Black Sesame Cookies

Egg Free Recipes

  • A baked cookie crumb crust.
    Chocolate Cookie Crust
  • A log of almond paste with two slices cut nearby.
    Almond Paste
  • A bowl of strawberry apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
    Strawberry Apple Crisp
  • A close up image of egg free chocolate chip cookies on brown parchment paper.
    Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies

Footer

↑ BACK TO TOP

Navigation

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • My Photo Gear

Don't Miss a Recipe

Subscribe

More Floured Table

  • Work with Me
  • Portfolio

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen Culver

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.