Clementine Cake

Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson

Show: Nigella Bites Episode: Weekend

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (22)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(22)

Cook Time:
2 hr 40 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
1 (8-inch) cake

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 2 hr 40 min
Total:: 2 hr 50 min

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Ingredients

4 to 5 clementines (about 1 pound total weight)
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/3 cups ground almonds
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Put the clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 hours. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds. Then finely chop the skins, pith, and fruit in the processor (or by hand, of course).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter and line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Mix well, adding the chopped clementines. I don't like using the processor for this, and frankly, you can't balk at a little light stirring.

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to stop the top from burning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, in the pan on a rack. When the cake is cold, you can take it out of the pan. I think this is better a day after it's made, but I don't complain about eating it anytime.

I've also made this with an equal weight of oranges and lemons, in which case I increase the sugar to 1 1/4 cups and slightly Anglicize it, too, by adding a glaze made of confectioners' sugar mixed to a paste with lemon juice and a little water.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Clementine Cake
Maryn Pacific Grove , CA 11-05-2009
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best cake ever!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I had some clementines that were about to go bad, and decided to make this recipe to use them up. I did everything like the... recipe said, but with a few exceptions and I am extremely happy with the outcome! I used 5 clementines, and boiled them for 2 hours like she says. I had to go run errands, so I put them in the fridge after I had drained them so they could cool, and made the cake when I got back. I finely chopped the clementines by hand, then kind of drained them some more by letting them sit in a strainer and letting the excess juices/water out (just because it seemed like too much liquid after I had chopped them up). In a separate bowl I beat the eggs (by hand) then added 2 cups ground almond, only 1/2 cup of sugar, the baking powder, and added a bit of vanilla like one of the other reviews said, and also a 1/2 of flower to add some thickness to the batter. I folded the clementines into the batter slowly just until blended. I baked it uncovered for about 50 minutes, then covered it with foil and baked it for maybe another 8 minutes or so. It came out beautifully! It was golden brown on top, moist in the middle, and had the perfect amount of sweetness - not too sweet but not bitter at all! I was worried about the peel, but the bits of it in the cake just was great for the texture and were like little bursts of citrus - the orange specks looked pretty too. I served it with some cream drizzled on top. Good for dessert, or breakfast! Highly recommend it :-) Read more
recipe Clementine Cake
Marie Cadishead, CA 03-12-2009
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SO SO EASY
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I make this cake regularly as my girlfriends just adore it. We mostly have it as a desert when we have dinner on a Friday... evening together. It takes so little effort, you cook the clementines on a Wednesday evening, then they cool overnight, I do this whilst cooking the dinner that evening. Then I make the cake on the Thursday afternoon, it takes minutes to add the rest of the ingredients, and I can get on doing thing whilst it bakes. Whilst it is still hot from the oven I smash 2 bars of Lindt Bitter Orange Chocolate and sprinkle it over it. This forms tha topping. Then just before it sets again I mark it with a knife into portions. It is always best left for 24hrs before you eat it, then it is heavenly!!!! I serve it with either very good quality Vanilla ice cream or Extra thick Jersey Cream from Loseleys. The flavours from the almonds and the clementines have merged and the cake has become beautifully moist by then. Follow this and I promise you will not be disappointed ever again.Read more
recipe Clementine Cake
liz madison, WI 12-28-2008
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really good with a glaze, but kind of a hassle to make
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I followed the tips from anonymous on 9-18-08 and it turned out alright. Then I finished it with a citrus glaze and it's... really good. Probably would not cook it again because it's sort of a hassle but it's good for our low carb friends. madison, wiRead more
recipe Clementine Cake
Anonymous 09-18-2008
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Trouble-shooting for first timers...
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I absolutely ADORE this cake, and always receive glowing accolades for it. HOWEVER, the very first time I made this, the... bitterness distressed me also. I have since discovered the way to solve this, and every attempt since then has been a TRIUMPH. Firstly, the fruit you choose is imperative. I would suggest that you only use MANDARINS or clementines. The trick is not to buy fruit which has a thick PITH. This is the cause for the bitterness. Squeeze out all excess water - THEN weigh the fruit. In Nigella's recipe on her website, she states to use 375g fruit (which is 70g/2oz less than a pound). I add a little more sugar if I am concerned that the fruit I chose will be bitter. I also add 1-2 tsp vanilla extract. The vanilla REALLY eliminates the bitterness and adds a depth of flavour. Believe it or not, the way you then mix the ingredients will greatly improve the cake. With the drained cooled fruit, I cut them in half to remove seeds, then chop roughly, and blitz with an electric hand mixer (like the ones used to puree soups). Blend it COMPLETELY until you get no lumps of rind, and the fruit is just a lovely pale orange puree. Then blend in the sugar and vanilla. Carefully add one egg at a time and blend thoroughly with hand mixer after each addition. Measure out your almond meal and baking powder, and fold these into the wet ingredients. If you find it to be lumpy, get a hand whisk and lightly beat to get a smooth consistency. THE RESULT - a beautifully light and delicious cake that is gluten-free. Today, I have made this mix into little cupcakes for my nephew's birthday, and baked for 20 mins. It should yield about 18 - 24 cupcakes depending on how much you fill them. Hope these suggestions help, because it really is a great recipe that's worth a shot.Read more
recipe Clementine Cake
Jenny Los Angeles, CA 03-25-2008
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Disgusting
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

I thought this recipe was very interesting and decided to make it. I liked the texture of the cake and it smelled great... coming out of the oven but I hated the flavor and stickyness of it. It was extremely bitter and I thought it was a weird sick sweet =T Even my parents wouldn't eat it and they're old-time Chinese parents (aka...they eat EVERYTHING, even if there's a mold tree on it-_-;;).Read more
recipe Clementine Cake
myriam aptos, CA 03-17-2008
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Moist and delicious
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I found it to be different that any other cake. The almonds gave it a crumbly texture but the flavor of the clementines was... excellent.Read more