Forget traditional Christmas desserts! Here’s a recipe to make the most of clementines being in season this month.
Ingredients
Chocolate Clementine Cake
- 340g dark chocolate, chopped (we recommend at least 74% cocoa)
- 225g unsaled butter, cut into pieces
- 7 large eggs, separated
- 225g caster sugar, divided
- 96g all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons grated clementine zest from 2 clementines
- 2 medium clementines, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons orange liqueur
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Hot Chocolate Sauce
- 100g dark chocolate, chopped (we recommend at least 74% cocoa)
- 170g whipping cream
- 2 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons orange liqueur
- 15 g unsalted butter
Method
For the cake
Preheat oven to 175°C/Gas Mark 4.
Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a heavy saucepan over low heat, stir together the chocolate and butter until smooth. Remove from heat.
Beat the egg yolks and 170g of sugar in a large bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer. Add the melted chocolate to the mixture, beating until blended. Add flour, again beating until blended. Stir in the zest, chopped clementines and orange liqueur.
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a separate bowl. Add salt and the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture; repeat twice. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake at 175° for 50 to 55 minutes or until slightly firm to touch. Remove the cake and leave on a wire rack to cool.
For the sauce
Stir together all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until smooth.
Serve warm poured over the cake.
