DARK-CHOC WHOLE MANDARIN CAKE

Serves 16 Prep 20minutes (+ cooling time) Cooking 1½ hours
3 unpeeled large mandarins
6 eggs
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 ½ cups (175g) almond meal
½ cup (75g) self-raising flour
200g 70% melted dark chocolate

Mandarin compote
6 peeled small mandarins
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
½ cup (125ml) mandarin juice
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbs mandarin zest

1. Place whole mandarins in a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to boil over high heat, then drain. Repeat.

2. Return mandarins to pan and cover with water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 30minutes. Drain. Set aside to cool.

3. Preheat oven to 180˚C. grease and line the base and side of a 22cm (base measurement) springform pan.

4. Chop the mandarins & discard any seeds. Place in a food processor and process until smooth.

5. Use an electric mixer to whisk eggs and sugar in a bowl for 8 minutes. Add mandarins puree, almond meal & flour. Fold to combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Set aside in the pan to cool completely.

6. Meanwhile, to make the mandarin compote, segment half the mandarins into 3 slices. Place sugar, mandarin juice, cinnamon & ½ cup (125ml) water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil. Cook, without stirring until syrup thickens slightly. Add the mandarin zest & mandarin segments & slices. Set aside to cool slightly.

7.Place cake on a serving platter. Top with mandarin and pour over the syrup.