Torta Negra

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 170°C conventional. Grease a small 12-14 cm round cake tin or loaf tin thoroughly, then dust lightly with flour and tap out the excess. This helps the dark, sticky cake release cleanly.

   5 g unsalted butter, for greasing5 g plain flour, for dusting
2. 2

   In a small bowl, combine the raisins, candied peel, walnuts, brandy, and orange zest. Toss well and let soak while you prepare the batter. Even a short soak plumps the fruit and prevents it from stealing moisture from the cake.

   120 g raisins30 g mixed candied peel35 g walnuts, roughly chopped30 ml brandy1 tsp orange zest
3. 3

   In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until evenly distributed. Mixing the dry ingredients first prevents pockets of spice or leavening.

   95 g plain flour4 g baking powder1 g fine salt1 tsp ground cinnamon1/8 tsp ground cloves1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
4. 4

   Make the caramel base: put the dark brown sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir just until the sugar is moistened, then stop stirring and cook until the syrup bubbles thickly and turns very dark brown, 3-5 minutes. Lower the heat and carefully whisk in the butter; it will foam. Cook 20-30 seconds more until smooth. Do not let it smell burnt or acrid.

   70 g dark brown sugar30 ml water60 g unsalted butter
5. 5

   Transfer the caramel base to a mixing bowl and let it cool for 2-3 minutes so it is warm rather than piping hot. Whisk in the egg, molasses, and vanilla until glossy and emulsified. If the mixture looks split at first, keep whisking; it will come together.

   1 large egg20 g molasses5 ml vanilla extract
6. 6

   Fold the dry ingredients into the caramel mixture just until no dry streaks remain. Then fold in the soaked fruit and nuts along with any remaining brandy in the bowl. The batter will be thick and heavily studded; that is correct for this style of cake.

   95 g plain flour4 g baking powder1 g fine salt1 tsp ground cinnamon1/8 tsp ground cloves1/8 tsp ground nutmeg120 g raisins30 g mixed candied peel35 g walnuts, roughly chopped30 ml brandy1 tsp orange zest
7. 7

   Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and level the top with a spatula. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until the cake is domed, the edges are just pulling from the tin, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Because of the fruit and caramel, avoid overbaking or the cake will dry out.

8. 8

   Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then unmold and let the cake rest on a rack for another 10 minutes before slicing. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. For the best texture, use a serrated knife and cut with gentle sawing motions through the fruit-rich crumb.

Origin & History

Torta Negra is a traditional festive cake in parts of Argentina, especially associated with Christmas and end-of-year celebrations. It reflects the influence of European fruitcakes brought by immigrants, adapted locally into a darker, more caramelized, spice-forward cake often enriched with dried fruit, alcohol, and nuts.