Flourless chocolate cake with greengage compote & marscapone

ingredients

• Greengage compote

  • 500 gram greengage plums (or whatever variety you prefer)
  • 50 millilitre water
  • 300 gram sugar

• Flourless chocolate cake with marscapone

  • 10 free-range eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 500 gram dark chocolate
  • 250 gram butter
  • valrhona cocoa powder for dusting
  • sprig or two of roadside blackberries
  • 200 gram mascarpone – lightly blended with 1/3 cup cream to soften

method

• Greengage compote

  • 1

    Clean and pit plums. Add plums, water and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and gently stir to dissolve the sugar.

  • 2

    Once it’s dissolved, turn up heat and bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes or until the plums have softened.

  • 3

    Set aside to cool. Once cool – transfer to a serving jar.

  • 4

    Will keep in the fridge for a week.

• Flourless chocolate cake with greengage compote & marscapone

  • 1

    Grease and line a 28cm cake tin

  • 2

    Preheat oven to 170°C fanbake

  • 3

    Beat together the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and fluffy.

  • 4

    In a double boiler (if in a hurry use the microwave), melt the chocolate and the butter together, stir to combine and allow to cool slightly.

  • 5

    Whip the egg whites until stiff.

  • 6

    Fold the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until well combined.

  • 7

    Next, carefully fold in the egg whites until only just combined. Be careful not to knock too much of the air out of the mixture.

  • 8

    Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when you test it. After a few tries, you’ll know by looking at it when it’s ready – the sides gently pull away from the tin and it hardly wobbles.

  • 9

    Allow to cool in the tin. When it’s cool, transfer to a cake stand and dust the top with cocoa powder.

  • 10

    Decorate with foraged berries and plum tree leaves.

  • 11

    Serve at room temperature with the mascarpone cream and greengage conserve.