Clementine Cake and Curd

I don't exactly know when Clementine season is. Usually, these cute citrus just appears in my local grocery store packed snuggly in a mesh bag of the same colour. They're my favourite things to snack on. Perfectly balance of sweet and tangy and super easy to peel. This cake was not premeditated. It happened because of a wonderful $4/bag sale and I could not be happier with the results! 

It's important to note that the base recipe for this cake is from Nigella Lawson. I tweaked it by adding spices and a bit more leavening agent. Time to make a cake!

Ingredients

For the cake:

4 whole clementines 

1 1/4 cup Almond Flour

6 Eggs

1/2 cup White Sugar 

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cardamom

1/2 tsp Ground Ginger 

1/2 tsp Salt

For the Curd: 

1 cup Clementine juice 

Zest of 1 Clementine

2 tbsp Lemon juice

4 Egg Yolks

1/2 cup White Sugar

3 tbsp Cornstarch 

2 tbsp Butter

1/2 tsp Salt

For the Candied Clementine Slices:

3 Clementines (sliced 1/4 cm thin)

1 cup White Sugar

1/2 cup Water

1 tbsp Cardamom

 

Tools:

9 inch spring form pan, double broiler, baking sheet, food processor or blender. 

How to:

Make the Curd

  1. Combine 2 tbsp water and cornstarch in a bowl. Mix into a slurry. Set aside.
  2. Create a double broiler by placing 1 cup of water in a pot. Bring that water to simmer. Place the egg yolks, remaining clementine and lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a metal or glass bowl. Whisk together. Place the bowl on top of the pot with simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. 
  3. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the egg yolk mixture. Continue whisking until this thickens into a custard consistency.
  4. Once it thickens, remove from heat and add the butter. Whisk until the butter melts and is completely incorporated with the rest of the curd. Add the clementine zest and mix well. 
  5. Transfer the clementine curd to a room temperature bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Let the curd cool completely and then chill in the fridge until ready to use. 

Make the Cake

  1. Slice the clementines crosswise and remove any seeds. Place the clementines in a pot with cold water (water should completely cover the clementines). Boil in low heat for about 1 hour or until clementines are soft enough to poke with a fork.
  2. Once the clementines are cooked, take them out of the water and blitz the clementines in a food processor or blender. You want to end up with a liquid. Let this cool to room temperature before using. 
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your spring form pan by greasing and lining the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
  4. In a bowl, add the almond flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cardamom, ground ginger, and eggs. Whisk until smooth. Add the blended clementines and mix until well combined. 
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before unmolding. 

Make the candied Clementine

  1. Slice clementines into 1/4 cm thin. Remove any seeds. 
  2. In a small pot, combine sugar, water, and cardamom. Bring to a boil in medium high heat. Once boiling, add the sliced clementines. 
  3. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the rinds are soft. 
  4. While the rinds are cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. 
  5. Once the clementine slices are soft, use tongs to lay out each slice in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and then transfer the slices to a cooling rack to finish drying. The slices should still be chewy. 
  6. Reduce the remaining sugary liquid in the pot by boiling in medium heat for about 5-8 minutes or until thickened into a syrup. This can be drizzled on the cake or used in cocktails!