Clementine and Almond Cake
By OcadoLife
Published on 19 June 2022
Want to bake something festive over winter? Make the most of fresh seasonal clementines in this simple yet delicious almond cake from cookbook author and recipe writer Lola Milne. This moist cake uses the whole fruit, skin and all, for a touch of bitter-sweetness. Clementines are boiled to soften and pureed to mix into the cake along with nutty almonds for the ultimate fluffy fruity cake, it’s even infused with a caramel clementine for extra impressiveness. Make this cake for an easy Christmas baking recipe to serve friends and family, plus it’s gluten-free too.Time and servings
1 hr 50 minsTotal time
8Servings
20 minsPrep time
1 hr 30 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 12 clementines or tangerines (approx. 250g), 4 whole for the cake and 8 peeled and sliced for the caramel clementines
- 1 knob of unsalted butter, to grease
- 1 sprinkle of gluten-free flour, to dust
- 4 medium eggs
- 165 g of light brown soft sugar
- 2 unwaxed lemons
- 165 g of ground almonds
- 2 tsp of baking powder, (gluten free if required)
- 0.25 tsp of sea salt flakes
- 300 ml of double cream, to serve
- 150 g of granulated sugar, for the caramel clementines
Method
Step 1
To make the cake, scrub the clementines under a hot tap to remove any wax; put into a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer for 35-40 mins until the fruit softens and the skin looks translucent. Scoop the clementines out and allow to cool; cut open and remove any pips. Pop the clementines into a food processor and blend until smooth; set aside.Step 2
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Grease a 20cm round springform cake tin with butter, then lightly dust with flour.Step 3
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and lemon zest until combined, then fold in the almonds, baking powder, sea salt and clementine purée. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and cook for 40-45 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin before turning onto a plate.Step 4
To make the caramel clementines, put the sugar and 100ml water into a pan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then turn the heat up, bring to a boil and cook until you have a dark caramel colour. Don’t stir the mixture during cooking, but you can swirl the pan from time to time. Turn the heat down, measure out 150ml water and carefully add a splash of this to the pan. Swirl to incorporate, then add the rest of the water, swirling well.Step 5
Put the sliced clementines into a heatproof bowl along with a pinch of salt and pour over the caramel; infuse for at least 2 hrs before serving.Step 6
To serve, whip the cream to soft peaks. Dish up slices of cake with cream and caramelised clementines.