Choc Almond Tart With Confit Citrus

Ingredients

FOR THE TART:
200g butter, chopped
200g dark chocolate, chopped
5 large free-range eggs, separated
200g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g ground almonds
finely grated zest of 1 orange
whipped cream, to serve
cocoa for dusting (optional)
FOR THE CONFIT CITRUS SLICES:
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup water
1 blood orange, thinly sliced
1 navel orange, thinly sliced
1 lemon, sliced thinly sliced
FOR THE GANACHE:
250g dark chocolate, chopped
250ml cream

Aka the "Torta Caprese". This rich, nutty cake is divine, crowned with silky ganache and served with sticky citrus slices and lashings of cream. Team with nips of citrus liqueur or special coffees. Serves 6-8.

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan bake. Grease and line a 25cm spring-form cake tin with baking paper.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl and set aside to cool. (I do this for 1 minute on high in the microwave.)
Beat the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together until pale and fluffy.
Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the almonds, orange zest and chocolate mixture, folding everything together gently. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool in the tin.
To make the candied citrus, heat the sugar and the water in a deep-sided frying pan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer for a couple of minutes until the mixture becomes syrupy. Add the citrus slices and simmer for about 20 minutes, turning once until they become transparent and glassy-looking and the liquid is syrupy. This will store in an airtight container or jar for up to a month.
To make the ganache, pour the cream into a bowl and microwave it to boiling point or pour into a saucepan, heat it to a simmer, then take off the heat. Add the chopped chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes for the chocolate to melt. Slowly combine the chocolate and cream with a whisk until smooth and glossy. It will thicken as it cools. It can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks and warmed to soften as required.
Pour the ganache over the cake and serve with confit citrus slices and plenty of whipped cream dusted with cocoa.