Haigh’s Easter Chocolate Cake

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (220g) raw caster sugar
• finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
• finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 6 extra-large eggs, separated
• 2 cups (240g) almond meal
• 250g tub ricotta
• 75g Haigh’s dark chocolate pastilles, roughly chopped
• ½ cup (40g) flaked almonds

Ganache

• 75g Haigh’s dark chocolate pastilles
• 100ml thickened cream

Topping

• Haigh’s miniature Easter eggs

1. Preheat oven to 180⁰C (160⁰C fan-forced). Lightly grease a deep 20cm cake tin and line with baking paper.
2. Place butter, ⅔ cup sugar, zests and vanilla together in bowl of electric stand mixer, beating until pale and fluffy.
3. Add yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add almond meal, folding gently to combine. Add ricotta and chocolate, folding gently to combine.
4. Place egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and using electric beaters, whip to soft peaks. Add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well between each addition until egg whites are thick and glossy.
5. Add a spoonful of egg white mixture to the ricotta mixture, gently stirring to combine, helping to loosen mixture. Add remaining egg whites, folding gently to combine.
6. Pour mixture into prepared cake tin and sprinkle flaked almonds on top. Place tin in preheated oven for 55 minutes or until top of cake is golden and a skewer comes out of centre clean. Remove from oven, carefully run a palate knife around edge of cake before allowing to cool completely in tin.
7. For the ganache, place pastilles in a bowl. Bring cream to just below boiling point and pour over the chocolate. Stir occasionally until chocolate has melted and become smooth.
8. To serve, pour cooled ganache into centre of cake and top with Haigh’s Easter eggs.