Torta Caprese Bianca or Italian Lemon Almond Cake

 With a birthday looming, and a lifestyle change - baking was on the no go zone, but birthday's need cake right. Add in dawn service and busy days... so the birthday girl requested quick easy and lemony. google search, brings me to this Torta Caprese Bianca - just the name makes it appropriate for the birthday girl... so we gave it a try. NON Dairy and NON Gluten - lets see.

Ingredients

• 320 grams almond flour (WELL I USE ALMOND MEAL)
• 200 grams white chocolate, chopped (DAIRY FREE I HEAR YOU QUESTION? SWEET WILLIAMS FROM COLES IS)
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream or milk (DAIRY FREE WE ALTERED THIS TO COCONUT MILK)
• 180 grams unsalted butter, softened (DAIRY FREE - OK SO I do amend my dairy to include grass fed butter, and next time I would try it with coconut oil... but this was for the birthday girl, so it had organic grass fed butter as that is what is in my home now) 
• 130 grams coconut sugar (blitzed in the thermomix to make a finer caster sugar consistancy)
• zest of 4 lemons, about 2 tablespoons
• 4 large eggs, separated
• Lemon juice from the above lemons
• Home Made Lemon curd and Fresh Raspberries as garnish, optional

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and grease a 10" / 26cm pan or line it with parchment paper. 
2. Combine the white chocolate and coconut milk in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments and stir after every 30 seconds. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest. 
3. Beat the butter with 100 grams of sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the lemon zest, egg yolks and lemon rind and beat until well combined. 
4. Then add the almond meal and the melted chocolate. 
5. Add the lemon juice and beat until combined.
6. In a separate bowl with spotlessly clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 30 grams of sugar to the egg white mixture. 
7. Fold the egg whites into the almond batter until well combined. Spoon the batter into the greased pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes. 
8. Let it cool completely in the pan. But don't be surprised that on cooling there will be a slight sinking. This is where I poured my optional lemon curd and topped with raspberries.