Torta 900: Authentic Recipe from Ivrea

Ingredients:

• Cake ingredients:
  
  • eggs, 4
  • sugar, 150 gr (5.3 oz)
  • flour, 100 gr (3.52 oz)
  • cornstarch, 50 (1.76 oz)
  • cocoa powder (0.20 oz)
    

• Filling ingredients:
  
  • heavy cream, 250 ml
  • mascarpone cheese, 250 gr (8.81 oz)
  • 2 tablespoons hazelnut spread
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
    

• Finishing ingredients:
  
  • milk
  • cocoa powder
    

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat with the whisk attachment until the volume quadruples.
3. In the meantime, sift together the flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder.
4. Fold the sifted dry ingredients into the light and fluffy mixture of eggs and sugar, using a spatula. Make sure to mix gently from bottom to top.
5. Pour the batter into a 20 cm (8 inch) diameter cake pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Monitor the browning level of the cake.
7. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack, after removing it from the pan.
8. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the chilled heavy cream and mascarpone cheese. Beat at high speed until the mixture thickens.
9. Add the hazelnut spread and sifted cocoa powder to the cream mixture. Mix until well combined and the cream reaches a firm consistency.
10. Cut the cake in half horizontally and moisten the inside with a little milk.
11. Fill the cake with the cream mixture, distributing it unevenly using the back of a spoon.
12. Close the cake and dust with some unsweetened cocoa powder. If you want to replicate the real 900 cake, cut the numbers “9”, “0”, “0” with the baking paper to reproduce the writing “900”. After placing the numbers on the cake, dust with icing sugar and remove the numbers. Now you are ready to serve the cake!

Tips:

• Before removing the cake from the oven, perform a toothpick test in the center. If it comes out clean, it means the cake is ready.
• You can also enrich the filling with toasted and roughly chopped hazelnuts or dark chocolate chips.
• The Torta 900 can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped with plastic wrap, for 2-3 days.