Chocolate Tenerina

The Chocolate Tenerina is a much-loved dessert, originating from Ferrara. It is a chocolate cake with a crunchy crust on the outside and a soft, moist heart on the inside. Here is the traditional recipe with a slight Italian touch in the preparation method:

Ingredients

• 200 g of good quality dark chocolate
• 100 g of sugar
• 50 g of butter plus a little for greasing the pan
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of 00 flour
• A pinch of salt
• Powdered sugar for decoration (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C.
2. Grease a square or round pan with butter and line it with parchment paper.
3. Melt the chocolate pieces and butter in a double boiler or in the microwave, being careful not to burn it.
4. Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt.
5. In a bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar until you get a frothy and light mixture.
6. Add the melted chocolate and butter to the yolks, mix well.
7. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites, mixing from the bottom up so as not to deflate them.
8. Add a tablespoon of sifted flour and mix until you get a homogeneous mixture.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the surface.
10. Bake for about 20 minutes. The Tenerina should not cook completely, otherwise it will lose its characteristic internal moisture.
11. Let the Tenerina cool in the pan, then sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Trivia

The Tenerina owes its name to the tender and moist consistency that characterizes it. Legend has it that the dessert was much loved by King Vittorio Emanuele III and Queen Elena of Montenegro, symbolizing with its softness the affection between the two sovereigns.

This cake is perfect to be enjoyed at the end of a dinner or as a snack. You can accompany it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dusting of unsweetened cocoa for an even more interesting contrast.