Clementine Cake
by Nigella. Featured in HOW TO EATIntroduction
This is incredibly easy to make; even if you're stressed out, it won't topple you over into nervous collapse. It's such an accommodating kind of cake: it keeps well, indeed it gets better after a few days, and it is perfect either as a pudding, with some creme fraiche, or as cake.
It is a wonderfully damp, dense and aromatic flourless cake: it tastes like one of those sponges you drench, while cooling, with syrup, only you don't have to. This is the easiest cake I know.
This is incredibly easy to make; even if you're stressed out, it won't topple you over into nervous collapse. It's such an accommodating kind of cake: it keeps well, indeed it gets better after a few days, and it is perfect either as a pudding, with some creme fraiche, or as cake.
It is a wonderfully damp, dense and aromatic flourless cake: it tastes like one of those sponges you drench, while cooling, with syrup, only you don't have to. This is the easiest cake I know.
Ingredients
Serves: 8-10
- approx. 375 grams clementines (approx. 3 medium-sized ones)
- 6 large eggs
- 225 grams white sugar
- 250 grams ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (see NOTE below)
- approx. 13 ounces clementines (approx. 3 medium-sized ones)
- 6 large eggs
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2¼ cups almond meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (see NOTE below)
Method
- Put the clementines in a pan with some cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 2 hours. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the pips. Dump the clementines - skins, pith, fruit and all - and give a quick blitz in a food processor (or by hand, of course). Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190ºC/375ºF. Butter and line a 21cm / 8 inch Springform tin.
- You can then add all the other ingredients to the food processor and mix. Or, you can beat the eggs by hand adding the sugar, almonds and baking powder, mixing well, then finally adding the pulped oranges.
- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for an hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover with foil or greaseproof after about 40 minutes to stop the top burning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, on a rack, but in the tin. When the cake's cold, you can take it out of the tin. I think this is better a day after it's made, but I don't complain about eating it at any time.
- I've also made this with an equal weight of oranges, and with lemons, in which case I increase the sugar to 250g / 2¼ cups and slightly anglicise it, too, by adding a glaze made of icing sugar mixed to a paste with lemon juice and a little water.
- Put the clementines in a pan with some cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 2 hours. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the pips. Dump the clementines - skins, pith, fruit and all - and give a quick blitz in a food processor (or by hand, of course). Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190ºC/375ºF. Butter and line a 21cm / 8 inch Springform tin.
- You can then add all the other ingredients to the food processor and mix. Or, you can beat the eggs by hand adding the sugar, almonds and baking powder, mixing well, then finally adding the pulped oranges.
- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for an hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover with foil or greaseproof after about 40 minutes to stop the top burning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, on a rack, but in the tin. When the cake's cold, you can take it out of the tin. I think this is better a day after it's made, but I don't complain about eating it at any time.
- I've also made this with an equal weight of oranges, and with lemons, in which case I increase the sugar to 250g / 2¼ cups and slightly anglicise it, too, by adding a glaze made of icing sugar mixed to a paste with lemon juice and a little water.
Additional Information
NOTE: to make this cake gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free baking powder, or omit the baking powder altogether.
NOTE: to make this cake gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free baking powder, or omit the baking powder altogether.
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Show more commentsI love making this cake. I always replace all the sugar with Agave Nectar. And I also top the cake with a decent layer of dessicated coconut. It always goes down well!
This cake converts even people who say they don't eat cake! I cook the clementines for 15 mins in a pressure cooker, which makes it much quicker to make.
Wow, so simple, yet somehow ridiculously hedonistic at the same time! Nigella, I made the cake a day ahead, as you suggested, and the result was a moist cake almost, as you say, as had it been soaked in syrup. The taste that lingers on the palate is beguiling - I found myself sneaking back for just one more tiny taste time and time again. The recipe is so uncomplicated, I'm sure I will be turning to it often as my new standby, whether time is pressing, or not.
I made this for a dinner party last night and it was a huge hit. Deliciously moist.
I have made this cake several times. I add my own twist with 1 TBS orange flower water which give a marvelous floral reference to the clementine and sometimes 1/8 tsp cinnamon. It disappears.
Made this cake twice in one week - we just couldn't stop!!! Our go-to cake now and we have improvised with other citrus fruits (lemons, oranges and adding lavender too!) :)
I first tried this cake at an Open Gardens event where the hostess had made several Nigella cakes and had tweaked this one by adding candied clementine slices to the bottom (which became the top) and glazed it with the reduced syrup. I have since made it twice for WI events and it has been the star of the evenings with many people asking for the recipe. Easy, delicious and impressive.
I have made this cake 4 times but I have changed the look, once I put ganache in the middle until it dropped all over, so this was funny! Nobody knew it was a clementine cake.
The other one, I put cream cheese frosting and fresh flowers all around, sorry don`t know the names in English, in Spanish they are "No Me Olvides", it was a hit, people asked me if it was real and could they eat it ?? I always put some fresh ginger juice into the batter. I once put some apricot marmalade dissolved with a little water and also arranged yellow edible flowers all over. Hope this helps to make it more times for your guests and family
Just made this cake. Turned out beautiful, yummy and moist! Very easy and stress free recipe as well. I need 5 clementines though to get the 375 gr. Will definitely make it again!
Made this as dessert for Christmas Day supper/buffet. ( Daughter has gluten allergy) Huge hit... and perfect after the rich flavours of a traditional lunch etc. Have made, also, for Dinner with friends... again huge success. Friend made it herself the weekend after. So simple, so delicious!
I've already made this cake twice this season, love it! I also add a tsp of vanilla to the final mix and top the cooled cake with roasted slivered almonds, very pretty and delicious.
I made this cake exactly as written with the addition of a teaspoon of mixed spice. After I took it out of the tin, I drizzled it with melted dark chocolate and served it with whipped cream. Wonderful!