Clementine Cake

Clementine Cake
Sasha Maslov for The New York Times
Total Time
3¾ hours
Rating
5(1,307)
Comments
Read comments

This dessert, loosely based on a Sephardic orange cake, uses whole clementines, peels and all, for a flavor rich in citrus. The cooking time may seem long, but much of it doesn’t require much attention from the baker. And the first step, reducing the fruit, may be done ahead of time. —John Willoughby

Featured in: In the Kitchen With Clémentine and Ruth

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:8 to 12 servings
  • 5medium clementines (about 375 grams)
  • Spray cooking oil
  • 6large eggs
  • 1cup sugar
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • 2cups almond flour or very finely ground blanched almonds
  • 2teaspoons baking powder
  • Powdered sugar, chocolate glaze or candied clementines, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

284 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 25 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 264 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place whole unpeeled clementines in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 2 hours, adding more water as needed. Remove clementines with a slotted spoon and, once cool enough to handle, halve and remove any seeds or other hard bits. Purée in a food processor or blender and set aside. (May be done up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.)

  2. Step 2

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking oil, line bottom with parchment paper and spray paper with oil.

  3. Step 3

    In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with the sugar, salt and clementine purée. Add the almond flour and baking powder and stir until just combined.

  4. Step 4

    Pour into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown and starting to pull away from sides of pan, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack set over baking sheet. After 10 minutes, run a knife around edge of pan to loosen cake; remove cake from pan. Peel off parchment paper and return cake to wire rack to cool completely. Decorate with dusting of powdered sugar, or with chocolate glaze and/or candied clementines.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,307 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

My clementines were small, and I wondered how many to use, so I found the apparent original recipe from Nigella Lawson, which called for 375 grams. That's about 13.25 ounces, which turned out to be 8 clementines. The cake turned out well, perfect for a gluten-fearing guest, who asked for the recipe. The ganache was perfect, but I candied the clementines more simply, simmering very low for about 1 hour, cooling in the simple syrup, drying after on parchment. Cake looked like a magazine cover

After the clementines are simmered do you peel them? Or purée them with the peel? It's not clear in the recipe

What is your best recommendation for a substitute for almond flour? Would ratios change if I used regular wheat flour or cake flour? I have a nut allergy and sadly cannot have any tree nuts.

Used a mixture of navel, tangerine and blood oranges, all from friends' and our own citrus trees. Ended up with about 450 g of citrus and used it all. Didn't have enough almond flour so mixed in some regular organic whole wheat flour (? maybe 50:50). Skipped the ganache. Otherwise followed the recipe and it was delish. Will try again with 100% almond flour.

This cake was a huge hit with my friends! It was so moist and so delicious. I also felt proud of myself for pulling this off. I followed the instructions exactly and it looked and tasted great. I will definitely be making this again :)

i've made this twice for Passover, once with the ganache and once without, but with the candied tangerines arranged on top both times. Both versions were beautiful, but I preferred the one without the chocolate ganache, which I felt overwhelmed the lovely delicate clementine flavour.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Credits

Adapted from Dawn Datso

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.