Whole mandarin and white chocolate cake

Whole mandarin and white chocolate cake

We visited the picturesque Wiseman’s Ferry area on the weekend for Mandarin picking at https://fordsfarm.com.au/. As you may know, fruit picking is one of my favourite pastimes and eating and cooking with seasonal fruits seems not only right but everything tastes so much better. The orchard was full of mandarins, lemons, limes and cumquats of which we collected multiple buckets (not only to eat ourselves but also to share with family and friends). The produce was so tasty and the drive and scenery so beautiful. Now what to do with all this fruit – see below for one recipe idea with the mandarins!

 

3 large (600g) seedless mandarins, unpeeled

180g white chocolate, chopped

6 eggs

1 ¾ cup (385g) caster sugar

1 ½ cups (175g) almond meal

½ cup (75g) self-raising flour

Thickened cream, to serve

 

To remove the bitterness form the mandarin peel, place whole mandarins in a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to boil over high heat. Drain and repeat.

Place the mandarins back into pan and cover with water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until very tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup (250ml) of the poaching liquid and set aside with the mandarins.

 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base and side of a 22cm round springform pan.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmer water, being careful the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water, until melted. Remove from the heat.

 

Place the cooled mandarins in a food processor and process until smooth. Place the eggs and 1 cup (220g) of sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is pale and doubles in size. Carefully fold through the mandarin puree, almond meal and flour until just combined. Fold through the chocolate and pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 mins or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.

 

Meanwhile, place the remaining ¾ cup (165g) of caster sugar in a small saucepan with the 1 reserved mandarin water over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high, bring to the boil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until thickens slightly. Pour the syrup over the cake and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and serving with cream.

 

Serves 6-8.

 

Image and Styling: Kirsten Jenkins

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