What's The Difference Between Torta 900 And Tenerina Italian Cakes?

There are so many variations of the classic chocolate cake it can make your head spin. However, there are some regional delicacies around the world that you can only experience if you have a passport and adventurous taste buds. An example can be found in Italy, a country renowned for its decadent desserts and culinary scene, where you can sample the torta 900 cake's time-honored secret recipe. You can't enjoy this gourmet specialty just anywhere in Italy, though. Your journey would have to lead you to its place of origin, the family-owned Pasticceria Balla in the northwestern city of Turin.

While the Torta 900 boasts creamy, melt-in-your-mouth flavors, you can travel four hours east to the coastal town of Ferrara to try yet another local specialty that's a bit more on the sticky side. The dark chocolate-laced Tenerina cake was first created in this area, but its recipe is far from secret and is beloved by the whole country. It only requires a few ingredients to prepare, so it can be easily recreated from scratch if you're looking to savor a dessert that will transport you straight to Italy. Though both chocolate cakes share a couple of similarities, there are also a few differences that give each its luscious edge.

If you're confused as to why this famous Italian cake has numbers in its name, it's a reference to the year 1900 when this dessert's recipe was first created to celebrate the turn of the century. According to Pasticceria Balla's website, the Torta 900 was invented by master baker Ottavio Bertinotti. The bakery was purchased by Stefano Balla and his wife in 1970. The family of fourth-generation shop owners even patented the cake's secret recipe, which only they know the full details of, to ensure authenticity and preserve its century-old legacy in Turin.

The famous Torta 900 features two thinly sliced discs of sponge cake baked with cocoa powder sandwiched with a light, buttery chocolate mousse made with pastry cream. Balla's pastry chefs always go the extra mile to pipe the cream before each cake is served so the filling stays fresh. Although it may seem more like a mousse sandwich than a traditionally layered cake, the Torta 900 blends a moist texture with rich chocolate flavors that make this historic bakery sought-after. Pair it with a frothy mug of Italian coffee or an assortment of the shop's other tempting baked goods, and you'll understand the hype behind the Torta 900 experience.

With a name that translates to "sticky cake" in the local dialect, one can only wonder what makes Torta Tenerinas so sticky. Imagine a pan of dense, homemade brownies, only they're not sectioned into bite-sized squares. Brownie lovers will enjoy devouring this easy bake, especially if they prefer each morsel to be extra gooey. The moist, slightly gummy texture that you'll get in the best batch of brownies resembles the consistency of Italy's Tenerina cake. Outside of its birthplace in Ferrara, the cake is well-known for its crackly outer later, strong chocolate taste, and simple ingredients. Eggs, sugar, flour, and dark chocolate are all it takes to create this classic Italian dessert, but there are also richer variations that incorporate butter, honey, or vanilla for added depth.

A big contributor to its sticky consistency is that the recipe lacks yeast. Instead of rising and fluffing up like a typical bake, the sponge cake lies low, develops a crust on the outside, and packs all that chocolate tightly to create an intense flavor. Like the Torta 900, the Torta Tenerina is sprinkled with sugar before it's eaten, but you could dust it with cocoa powder instead to double down on its chocolaty taste. A dollop of creamy mascarpone is also common and can balance the dessert's overall stickiness. Dreamy Italian cakes like these make bakers want to do even more to level up their chocolate cake game.