Clementine Almond Cake
- Sweet
- Oven
A dense, moist clementine and ground almond cake with a crisp sugar top. Whole clementines are simmered then puréed into the batter, so the fruit carries the flavour without any leavening.
- Total
- 1 h 55
- Prep 20 · Cook 75 · Rest 20
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Whisking · Simmering
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 180°C. Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round cake tin with parchment paper.
~10 min
-
Put the clementines in a small ovenproof saucepan, add 300 ml water, cover and bake for 40 minutes, until the fruit is completely soft when pierced with a knife.
~40 min
Baking the whole fruit softens the skin and pith so they blend into a smooth purée without bitterness.
Boil the clementines until a knife slides through the skin with no resistance; undercooked skin turns the purée bitter and stringy.
Simmering Simmer the clementines gently until a knife slides through the skin easily; avoid a rolling boil that can break the fruit apart.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the clementines cook, melt the butter in a small ovenproof dish in the oven for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly.
~5 min
Cooling the melted butter prevents it from cooking the eggs when mixed into the batter.
-
Drain the cooked clementines, cut them open and remove any pips. Blend the whole fruit, skin included, to a smooth purée.
~8 min
-
Whisk the eggs with 130 g of the sugar and the salt for 3 minutes, until pale and slightly thickened. Stir in the ground almonds, the clementine purée and the melted butter to make a thick batter.
~3 min
Whisking the eggs and sugar incorporates air, giving the cake a light, even crumb despite the lack of leavening.
Whisking Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and thickened; the mixture should leave a ribbon trail that holds for a second.
-
Scrape the batter into the tin, smooth the top and scatter over the remaining 20 g sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
~30 min
The sugar topping caramelises into a crisp crust that contrasts with the moist almond crumb.
The batter is deliberately thick and will not rise, so level the top before baking for an even, fondant crumb.
-
Leave the cake in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
~20 min
Cooling in the tin lets the cake set and firm up, preventing it from breaking when turned out.
