Full question
Nigella mentions that she sometimes substitutes lemons for clementines when making her clementine cake and increases the sugar content when doing so. If using lemons instead of clementines should I boil them for 2 hours and then put the whole fruits in the processor as with the clementines?
Our answer
Nigella's Clementine Cake (from HOW TO EAT) is made with whole clementines that are simmered until soft and then pureed (including the skins) with the remaining ingredients to make the cake batter. Nigella does mention that she has made the cake with lemons and for this version increases the sugar by 25g (2 tablespoons).
If using lemons then you do boil and process the whole lemons. However, you do need to make sure that you are using very thin-skinned lemons. Some lemons have very thick skins, with a lot of pith that can make the cake taste too bitter. After cooking the lemons, it may also be a good idea to cut them into pieces before putting them in the processor. This will give an opportunity to remove any large pips or seeds, as there can be quite a few in lemons, which can also make the cake a little more bitter in flavour.
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