Clementine Cake
Ingredients
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- 1 pound clementines – whole (~8 small clementines)
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter – for greasing pan
- powdered sugar – for dusting (for serving, optional)
Instructions
1. Place the clementines in a medium pot, cover with cold water by 1–2 inches, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until the fruit is very soft and the skins yield easily when pressed, 90–120 minutes. Drain and let cool until just warm, 15–20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch springform pan with the unsalted butter and line the base with parchment.
3. Halve the clementines and remove any seeds. Place the entire fruit (peel, pith, and flesh) in a food processor and blend to a mostly smooth puree, 30–60 seconds. Let the puree sit a few minutes to lose excess steam so it does not cook the eggs.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and granulated sugar until slightly thickened and paler, 1–2 minutes. Whisk in the clementine puree until evenly combined.
5. Add the almond flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Fold just until the batter is smooth and no dry pockets remain.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the cake is deeply golden, domed, and a skewer inserted near the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs, 50–60 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil after 35–40 minutes.
7. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, release the ring, and transfer the cake to the rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
8. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired. Slice and serve at room temperature.
Clementine Cake is a fragrant, moist almond cake that captures the sweet-tart brightness of whole clementines. The crumb is tender and lush from ground almonds, while the citrus oils in the peel deliver gentle bitterness that balances the fruit’s natural sweetness. It’s simple and rustic, often served plain or with a light dusting of powdered sugar, and pairs beautifully with coffee or tea.
Its roots trace to the Mediterranean tradition of orange-and-almond cakes made without wheat flour, a specialty long associated with Sephardic Jewish kitchens. The technique of boiling whole citrus to soften the peel and mellow bitterness is centuries old, and it migrated across Spain, North Africa, and Italy. In recent decades, cooks popularized a clementine-specific version in English-speaking countries, adapting the classic with the easy-peeling, aromatic fruit that shines in winter.